Comparison

Seattle METRO Bus Tracker vs Seattle Buses

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

Head to head
About

Seattle METRO Bus Tracker

Get real-time bus tracking for Seattle and surrounding areas. Covers multiple transit agencies, providing live updates on bus locations and arrival times. Data is sourced from OneBusAway.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus tracking
  • Covers multiple transit agencies
  • Live location updates
  • Arrival time predictions
  • Lightweight design
Read full description

Lightweight real-time bus tracker for Seattle and it's surrounding areas. Agencies covered are Seattle King County Metro (KCM) and Transit, Streetcar, Everett Transit, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Sound Transit, Puget Sound, Monorail, and Intercity Transit Disclaimer: The data is provided by the OneBusAway organization and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. This is not an official app.

About

Seattle Buses

Track live bus positions on a clear map of King County Metro routes. Save custom route sets and stops for your daily commute. Easily access routes using Siri shortcuts.

Highlights
  • Live bus tracking on map
  • Color-coded route lines
  • Compare up to four routes
  • Show bus stops and arrivals
  • Save custom route sets
  • Siri integration for routes
Features
Read full description

Simple. Built by local commuters, for local commuters. Seattle Buses helps you see where your bus is before you head to the stop. Follow live buses, compare your usual routes, and check estimated arrivals so you can time your trip with less guesswork. Don't just miss the bus that's coming around the corner. See what's approaching and whether another bus is close behind. If a bus pulls up busy, check where the next one is before deciding whether to wait. Seattle Buses shows bus locations and estimated arrivals, not passenger crowding levels. FOR OUR SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOODS From Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake, Ballard, and Magnolia to South Lake Union (SLU) and Seattle's north end, this is a simple tool for the trips we take every day. Built for neighbors in South Lake Union, Cascade, Eastlake, Westlake, Northlake, Queen Anne, Uptown, Interbay, Magnolia, Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Ballard, Adams, West Woodland, Whittier Heights, Loyal Heights, Sunset Hill, Crown Hill, North Beach, Blue Ridge, Broadview, Bitter Lake, Haller Lake, Licton Springs, Northgate, Maple Leaf, Pinehurst, Olympic Hills, Lake City, Cedar Park, Matthews Beach, Meadowbrook, Wedgwood, View Ridge, Sand Point, Hawthorne Hills, Laurelhurst, Bryant, Ravenna, Roosevelt, the University District, and Montlake. The app follows the selected Metro routes listed below; not every route or stop in these neighborhoods is included. YOUR EVERYDAY COMMUTE, MADE SIMPLE • See live bus positions and compare up to four routes on one map. • Tap a stop for estimated arrivals from approaching buses. • Save up to three route sets for your morning, afternoon, or evening. • Open My Route to see the routes and stops saved for that time of day. • Open a favorite route with Siri and Shortcuts. • Choose your route colors and a light, dark, or system appearance. No account to create. Your saved route sets stay on your device. Arrival times are estimates calculated from live bus positions and remaining route distance using an average speed of 22 mph. They are not official Metro arrival predictions or scheduled departure times. Actual arrivals vary with traffic, stops, and service changes. Live vehicle availability depends on Metro’s real-time feed. Supported routes: 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 17, 24, 28, 31, 32, 33, 40, 44, 45, 62, 65, 70, C, D, and E. Transit scheduling, geographic, and real-time data provided by permission of King County.

Screenshots

Seattle METRO Bus Tracker2 screens
Seattle Buses4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Seattle Buses at none against Seattle METRO Bus Tracker's shown. Seattle Buses also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 31 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Seattle METRO Bus Tracker's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Seattle Buses holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 5 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Seattle METRO Bus Tracker ships an update every 31 months, Seattle Buses fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Seattle METRO Bus Tracker versus Seattle Buses: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeattle METRO Bus TrackerSeattle Buses
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (11 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 31 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB3 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNaiara AlbainaCollin Bordeaux

Customer experience

Seattle METRO Bus Tracker

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Seattle Buses

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Seattle METRO Bus Tracker

No in-app purchases

None

Seattle Buses

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Seattle METRO Bus Tracker free?
Seattle METRO Bus Tracker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Seattle Buses free?
Seattle Buses is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Seattle METRO Bus Tracker or Seattle Buses?
Seattle Buses is rated higher. Seattle METRO Bus Tracker averages 4.7 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Seattle Buses averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Seattle METRO Bus Tracker or Seattle Buses have ads?
Seattle METRO Bus Tracker shows ads; Seattle Buses does not.
Which is updated more often, Seattle METRO Bus Tracker or Seattle Buses?
Seattle METRO Bus Tracker ships an update every 31 months, and Seattle Buses fortnightly. Most recently, Seattle METRO Bus Tracker was updated on October 22, 2026 and Seattle Buses on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons