Comparison

Sm@rtBus vs Train Radar UK

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sm@rtBus

This app provides real-time bus arrival information for your local bus stop. It displays scheduled times, bus numbers, destinations, and actual arrival times for the next hour. It also offers audible announcements for visually impaired users, enhancing accessibility.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus arrival information
  • Next bus predictions within the hour
  • Bus number, destination, and scheduled time
  • Audible announcements for visually impaired users
  • Clear, easy-to-read visual display
  • No additional subscription charges
Features
Read full description

SmartBus is a discrete addition to bus stops that provides real-time information for people waiting to catch a bus. A small box containing the electronics is banded to the top of the pole and transmits information to a person waiting to catch a bus, via the SmartBus App. The App gives real-time information for the next buses due to arrive at the bus stop within the hour. It gives the name of the bus stop, the scheduled time of the bus, along with its number, destination and actual time of arrival. For visually Impaired people it audibly announces the information to them for example “April Close Bus Stop, The time now is 13:31. The 13:32 bus number 425 to Oldham at 13:32 is expected at 13:32” This completely enhances the lives of Visually Impaired people and allows them to catch a bus as easily as everyone else. At a fraction of the price of other RTI systems and with no additional subscription charges to the end user or Local Authority/Bus service provider SmartBus is the solution to total inclusivity. It has a clear, easy to read visual display providing the information required regarding buses due in the next hour at the bus stop. Having the information audible for Visually Impaired people can completely enhance their lives for something sighted people merely take for granted.

About

Train Radar UK

Track trains across Great Britain in real time on a live map. See detailed information about each train's route, delays, and reasons. Access live departure boards, network disruptions, and historical train data. Offers features for delay compensation and train spotting.

Highlights
  • Live train map of Great Britain
  • Detailed train route and delay information
  • Live station departure and arrival boards
  • Network disruption alerts
  • Delay Repay estimation and tracking
  • Historical train movement playback
  • Train spotter logbook (Premium)
Read full description

TrainRadar shows Britain's trains moving across the map in real time. Tap any train to see where it's going, every station it calls at, how late it is and why. Search by headcode, service or station. Check a station's live departure board, or see what's disrupted across the network right now — all without creating an account. WHAT YOU GET • Live map of trains across Great Britain, updating continuously • Tap a train for its full route, calling points, timings and delay reasons • Live departure and arrival boards for any station • Current disruptions across the network • Search by headcode, service or station name • Filter the map by train operator, and see how each one is performing • Photos of real trains, contributed by other spotters, shown against the services they run on • Nine map styles, from dark and satellite to hand-drawn colourways HISTORY • Tap any train, then History, to see how it ran on each day, with the real time at every stop • Day-by-day punctuality for every train between the same two stations • Look up a unit and see every train it has worked, day by day TIME MACHINE • Pick a day and a time and see every train exactly where it was • Play it back at 1×, 2×, 10× or 20×, or jump 15 minutes at a time • Tap any train to see where it was heading and its times at every stop DELAY REPAY • Pick your journey and TrainRadar checks every train on it over the last 28 days, so no delay slips past you • See the real delay at your station for every late or cancelled train, with an estimate of what you could claim • Get help filling in the operator's claim form, and keep all your claims in one place until you're paid FOR SPOTTERS Create a free account to upload your own photos to the routes you took them on. Go Premium to keep a personal spotter log: record every unit you've seen with times, locations and notes, with unit names, classes and liveries filled in automatically, and export the whole thing as a PDF. PREMIUM The live map, boards, disruptions and search are free. History and Time Machine cover the last few days for free, and Delay Repay gives a free estimate for each journey. Premium unlocks the spotter log, the full set of map styles, History and Time Machine going much further back, and the full Delay Repay checker with claim help and tracking. It's a recurring subscription billed through the App Store, and you can cancel any time from your Apple ID's subscription settings. HOW IT WORKS Train positions are estimated. TrainRadar takes schedules and reported passing points from Network Rail, Darwin and Realtime Trains, and works out where each train most likely is between them. It is not a GPS feed from the train itself, so treat the map as a very good guess rather than gospel — don't rely on it to catch a train, and always check with the operator or National Rail before you travel. History and Time Machine replay what TrainRadar recorded at the time, so the same applies to them. Delay Repay amounts are estimates. The train operator decides whether a claim is accepted and how much it pays. Please stay safe near the railway. Never trespass, and only photograph trains from places you're allowed to be. TrainRadar is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by National Rail, Network Rail, Rail Delivery Group or any train operating company. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://trainradar.uk/privacy

Screenshots

Sm@rtBus4 screens
Train Radar UK4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Train Radar UK at 67% against Sm@rtBus's 0%. Train Radar UK also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Sm@rtBus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Train Radar UK sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Sm@rtBus asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sm@rtBus ships an update every 2 months, Train Radar UK every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 3 level
Sm@rtBus versus Train Radar UK: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSm@rtBusTrain Radar UK
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStephen PearsonIan Clark

Customer experience

Sm@rtBus

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Train Radar UK

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Sm@rtBus

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Train Radar UK

Subscriptions1
  • TrainRadar UK Premium1 Month trial$2.991 Month

Questions

Is Sm@rtBus free?
Sm@rtBus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Train Radar UK free?
Train Radar UK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sm@rtBus or Train Radar UK have ads?
Neither Sm@rtBus nor Train Radar UK shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sm@rtBus or Train Radar UK?
Sm@rtBus ships an update every 2 months, and Train Radar UK every 5 days. Most recently, Sm@rtBus was updated on November 3, 2026 and Train Radar UK on November 15, 2026.

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