Bus Simulator Lite vs Subtransit Drive
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bus Simulator Lite
Experience realistic bus driving in a detailed city. Transport passengers, unlock new buses and routes, and build your own transport company. The Lite version offers a taste of the full game with licensed buses and missions.
- Drive officially licensed buses
- Transport passengers in a lively city
- Unlock new buses, districts, and routes
- Build a public transport network
- Detailed city map inspired by Northern Europe
- Manage your transport company
Read full descriptionHide full description
In the Bus Simulator City Ride Lite edition you can experience a first taste of the newest instalment of the Bus Simulator series. Within the Lite version you can get behind the wheel of two originally licensed buses by well-known manufacturers Setra and BYD. Enjoy the introduction to the game in four missions within the beautiful city of Havensburg. Do you like the game? Then you can easily purchase the full version through the in-App purchase to get access to all buses, missions and features! Take the driver’s seat as you transport passengers around a lively city in officially licensed buses from famous manufacturers: Alexander Dennis, Blue Bird, BYD, IVECO BUS, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Scania, Setra, Volvo, and Vicinity Motor Corp. Drive routes and complete campaign missions to unlock even more buses, districts, and routes. Climb the career ladder and build a public transport network for your city. YOUR BUS. YOUR CITY. IN YOUR HANDS. 10 ORIGINAL BUSES FROM WORLD FAMOUS MANUFACTURERS Original, licensed buses are waiting for you! Drive 10 buses from 10 world-renowned manufacturers – from electric buses to articulated or double decker buses. Featuring manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, IVECO BUS, and BYD, there is plenty of variety of buses. With detailed cockpits, you can take the driver’s seat and experience real bus driving immersion while driving YOUR BUS. TRANSPORT PEOPLE AROUND A LIVELY CITY Explore the game's very detailed and lively map! The city of Havensburg is inspired by cities in northern Europe and offers you a variety of eye-catching buildings and landscapes, including the harbor warehouse district, harbor, old town, and surrounding countryside. In such a vibrant city, people want to get around and drink coffee with friends in the old town district or visit the harbor with their family. Transporting passengers never gets boring – and perhaps they'll even share some stories with you. Now it’s your job to connect the people of YOUR CITY. MANAGE YOUR TRANSPORT COMPANY Prove your driving skills: Make it to the top and build a successful bus transport company. Progressing through the campaign unlocks even more buses, districts, and routes. Build out your transport network by driving routes to earn more Credits, purchasing more buses, and assigning more and more buses to your routes. The success of the company is IN YOUR HANDS!
Subtransit Drive
Experience the thrill of driving a real subway train with fully simulated internal systems. Navigate realistic environments, adhere to strict schedules, and master operating procedures. Play solo or join friends in multiplayer mode for an immersive simulation.
- Realistic underground train lines
- Fully functional controls
- True-to-life graphics
- Immersive sound design
- Multiplayer support
- Adaptive assistance system
Read full descriptionHide full description
Drive trains on real metro lines in an advanced simulator with detailed physics and fully functional systems. Explore underground networks alone or in cross-platform multiplayer. 〓 Features 〓 Subtransit Drive is a realistic subway simulator lovingly crafted by railway enthusiasts and simulation developers. Follow the timetable, obey signals, manage train systems, and keep the line running smoothly during rush hour. Every trip demands attention, precision, and knowledge of the railway infrastructure. 〓 Authenticity 〓 Start a route on your own or with friends. An exact copy of a real metro line with detailed tunnel geometry, track profile, and infrastructure layout is already waiting for you in the game, and several more are currently in development. 〓 Simulation 〓 Every lever, button, and switch in the cab is fully functional. Every action has an effect on the interconnected systems throughout the train just as it would in real-world operation. Electrical and pneumatic schematics were fully recreated for every car: each circuit and valve behaves exactly as it does in an authentic train. Each wheelset is simulated independently on both rails rather than along a simplified centerline. Weight affects inertia, and every coupler is subject to realistic load limits. The track is recreated to centimeter accuracy, including the placement of rail joints. Real-time suspension simulation reproduces body roll, pitch, vibration, and weight transfer as the train moved along the track. Bring a train online from a cold-and-dark state, manage electrical and braking systems, and respond to abnormal operating conditions. 〓 Physics 〓 Every acceleration, braking maneuver, and curve is calculated using a detailed model of interactions between all vehicle systems. The suspension adapts in real time to train mass and passenger distribution, creating a convincing sense of driving a living, dynamic piece of rolling stock. 〓 Passengers 〓 A dynamic passenger flow system recreates the daily rhythm of a major city: morning rush hours in residential districts, evening congestion in the city center, and constantly shifting passenger demand throughout the network. 〓 Immersion 〓 Every sound originates from the object that produces it and features realistic Doppler effects. Engine sounds and individual relay recordings were captured from real subway trains, while the smooth traction motor audio recreates the atmosphere familiar to millions of passengers across former Soviet metro systems. 〓 Multiplayer 〓 Cross-platform multiplayer allows players to collectively recreate the operation of a real underground network, where every participant becomes part of a single transportation system. 〓 Free Roam 〓 You decide the scenario. Drive as long as you want, start and end your journey anywhere on the network. The route system continues to expand with future updates. 〓 Progression 〓 Build your career as a train operator by steadily advancing through the ranks. Earn promotions through flawless train handling, disciplined operation, and mastery of every system aboard your train. COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Recommended Device: iPhone: iPhone 11 Pro or above iPad: Equipped with A13 chip or above and 4GB RAM Supported Devices: iPhone: iPhone XS or above iPad: Equipped with A12 chip or above and 4GB RAM
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Subtransit Drive at 4.4 against Bus Simulator Lite's 3.7. Subtransit Drive also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 47%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Bus Simulator Lite sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Subtransit Drive sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Subtransit Drive holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 86 and 406 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Bus Simulator Lite's written reviews are positive against 70% of Subtransit Drive's.
Bus Simulator Lite ships an update every 3 months, Subtransit Drive monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bus Simulator Lite | Subtransit Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (86 ratings) | 4.4 (406 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 46.6% of reviews | 69.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 86 | 406 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.2 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 831 MB | 3.7 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | astragon Entertainment GmbH | WAGON SOFTWARE |
Customer experience
Bus Simulator Lite
Subtransit Drive
User reviews
Bus Simulator Lite
From 86 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Excellent graphics and visual quality
- 🚌 Realistic licensed buses with detailed design
- 🎮 Engaging gameplay mechanics and management features
- 🗺️ Detailed city map with varied routes
- 👥 Interactive NPC passengers with conversations
Room to improve
- 💰 Aggressive paywall at level 7 limits free gameplay
- 🎮 Poor steering controls and sensitivity issues
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and game instability
- ⚙️ Unrealistic physics and acceleration/braking behavior
- 🔋 High battery consumption on mobile devices
Subtransit Drive
From 406 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Realistic train handling
- 🎮 Excellent simulation experience
- 🔊 Impressive sound effects
- 🎨 Stunning graphics
Room to improve
- 🔒 Excessive monetization
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and performance issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Confusing controls
Bugs and requests
Bus Simulator Lite
Reported bugs
15 issues- Game crashes during loading screen
- Crashes when creating player profile
- Crashes after 10 minutes of gameplay
- Game kicks player out randomly
- Full version purchase doesn't unlock content
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Duplicate charges for in-app purchases
- Progress resets on app restart
- Glitches cause random pedestrian collision warnings
- Steering becomes unresponsive during gameplay
- Game stutters and pauses repeatedly
- Indicator detection fails inconsistently
- Cars floating in bus stops
- Game incompatible with certain iPad models
- Loading screen flickers rapidly
- Brake system malfunctions
Requested features
16 requests- Make full version free or reduce paywall level
- Add AI buses driving around the city
- Improve steering wheel mechanics with full 360-degree rotation
- Add more bus models and manufacturers
- Implement free drive/open world mode
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- Add weather effects (rain, night mode)
- Include rearview mirror functionality
- Add cruise control feature
- Implement separate brake and accelerator pedals
- Add more routes and maps
- Include double-decker buses
- Add driver exit/enter animation
- Implement bus washing and refueling mechanics
- Add more vehicle variety (trucks, cars, vans)
- Improve tilt sensitivity controls
- Add visible speed traps with warnings
Subtransit Drive
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game crashes when reaching stations
- Inability to sign in with Apple/Epic accounts
- Disappearing controls and UI elements
Requested features
4 requests- Add more subway lines and stations
- Introduce outdoor stations and weather effects
- Implement a free-roam mode
- Optimize performance for older devices
In-app purchases
Bus Simulator Lite
- Some Credits$0.99
- Small Package$1.99
- Lots of Credits$2.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Upgrade to Full Version$3.99
- Medium Package$5.99
- Financial Freedom$7.99
- Large Package$7.99
- All-in-one Package$12.99
Subtransit Drive
- 3 Tickets$0.49
- New 81-760 style modification$0.99
- 10 Tickets$1.49
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- New train type: 81-717.5$1.99
- Restyled 81-760$2.99
- 81-717.5/714.5 Modification$2.99
- 81-717 with new doors color$2.99
- Factory color scheme$2.99
- 25 Tickets$3.49
- 81-717.5M/714.5M modification$3.99
- New Train 81-740$3.99
- New Train 81-740$4.99
- "Krasnaya strela" color scheme$4.99
- Subtransit Drive Full access$7.99
- Subtransit Drive Full Access$9.99
Questions
Is Bus Simulator Lite free?
Is Subtransit Drive free?
Which has better reviews, Bus Simulator Lite or Subtransit Drive?
Do Bus Simulator Lite or Subtransit Drive have ads?
Which is updated more often, Bus Simulator Lite or Subtransit Drive?
Other comparisons















