Comparison

Ames Ride vs UIowa Bus

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

Head to head
About

Ames Ride

This app provides real-time bus locations and arrival times for public transportation in Ames, IA. Users can mark favorite stops and routes for quick access to relevant information, minimizing wait times.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus locations
  • Favorite stop marking
  • Favorite route prioritization
  • Filtered arrival views
  • Modern interface
Features
Read full description

When using public transportation, it is important to know where your bus is and when it will arrive. Ames Ride is a reliable, modern application that informs riders of current bus locations and arrival times in Ames, IA. Core Features: - View realtime bus locations - minimize waiting time by viewing exact bus locations in realtime. - Mark favorite stops - by marking your favorite bus stops, you can quickly access them and view upcoming arrivals. - Mark favorite stops - when viewing the list of routes, your favorite routes are displayed first, allowing for fast access. - View arrivals from favorite routes only - when looking at upcoming arrivals, you likely only care about the routes you frequently use. Ames Ride can show only arrivals from your favorite routes.

About

UIowa Bus

Features
Read full description

Never miss a bus again. UIowa Bus gives you accurate, real-time arrival times for every bus across the DART transit service. Whether you’re commuting to work, heading to class, or exploring, you’ll always know exactly when the next bus is arriving. Features: • Live Bus Map: Follow buses as they approach your station in real time. • Nearby Stops: Instantly find the closest bus stops around you. • Favorites: Save your most-used stops for one-tap access. • Interactive Map: Search the full stop/route map and explore every line and station across the city. • Accurate ETAs: Reliable predictions so you’ll always know when to head out. • Clean User Experience: Simple, fast, and easy to use. Stay on top of your commute with the best bus tracking app for the Des Moines area. Download UIowa Bus today and take the guesswork out of public transit.

Screenshots

Ames Ride4 screens
UIowa Bus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ames Ride at none against UIowa Bus's shown. UIowa Bus's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ames Ride ships an update every 4 months, UIowa Bus every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Ames Ride versus UIowa Bus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAmes RideUIowa Bus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (27 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings27 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPatrick DemersRishi Masand

In-app purchases

None

Ames Ride

No in-app purchases

None

UIowa Bus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ames Ride free?
Ames Ride is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is UIowa Bus free?
UIowa Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ames Ride or UIowa Bus have ads?
UIowa Bus shows ads; Ames Ride does not.
Which is updated more often, Ames Ride or UIowa Bus?
Ames Ride ships an update every 4 months, and UIowa Bus every 6 days. Most recently, Ames Ride was updated on November 3, 2026 and UIowa Bus on October 30, 2026.

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