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.
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.
- Real-time bus tracking
- Covers multiple transit agencies
- Live location updates
- Arrival time predictions
- Lightweight design
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Seattle METRO Bus Tracker | Seattle Buses |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (11 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 31 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Naiara Albaina | Collin Bordeaux |
Customer experience
Seattle METRO Bus Tracker
Seattle Buses
In-app purchases
Seattle METRO Bus Tracker
No in-app purchases
Seattle Buses
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Seattle METRO Bus Tracker free?
Is Seattle Buses free?
Which has better reviews, Seattle METRO Bus Tracker or Seattle Buses?
Do Seattle METRO Bus Tracker or Seattle Buses have ads?
Which is updated more often, Seattle METRO Bus Tracker or Seattle Buses?
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