Comparison

British Airways vs Ryanair

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

Head to head
About

British Airways

Book flights, manage bookings, and check in effortlessly with this travel companion. Access airport maps, lounge information, and receive real-time travel updates. Handle disruptions and manage your account with ease.

Highlights
  • Seamless booking experience
  • Easy check-in with passport scanning
  • Mobile boarding passes
  • Real-time travel updates and notifications
  • Manage bookings and make changes
  • Airport maps and lounge information
  • Disruption management and rebooking options
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Welcome to the new British Airways app. Your journey starts here. Enjoy a seamless experience, designed around the way you travel. Simplified navigation makes booking, managing, checking in and travelling effortless with your new travel companion. Book flights Book quickly and with confidence. Compare prices using our new calendar view, choose your preferred fare and pay using Apple Pay, saved cards or part-pay with your Avios in just a few steps. Check in with ease A smoother start to every flight. Check in using passport scanning, select seats and save your boarding pass to your Apple Wallet, ready for departure. The day of your flight We’re with you on the day. Your home screen gives quick access to boarding passes. Notifications and live activities (initially from London Heathrow and Gatwick) update you about gate changes and key information within 24 hours of departure. Manage your bookings Browse your upcoming trips, select seats, add bags or make changes to your bookings with ease whenever you need them. Relax before your flight You’ll have access to airport maps and see in real time how busy our lounges are at London Heathrow T5 to find a quieter place to unwind. Take control of your journey Support when you need it most. If disruption occurs, quickly review your options to rebook your flight or request a refund, all in one place. Manage your account Your travel, tailored to you. Save your passport details for faster booking and check in. Update personal details and preferences, view your Avios balance, tier progress and vouchers, all securely protected with Face ID. Permissions We may ask for access to: - Your calendar and email to help manage bookings - Your camera to scan passports, documents or QR codes - Bluetooth and location for tracking features you enable - Notifications for travel updates You can manage permissions in your device settings at any time. Please refer to the ‘Application Licence Agreement’, linked below, to view the terms of use of this application and its features. By downloading the BA application, you agree to these terms. https://www.britishairways.com/content/information/legal/app-terms-conditions

About

Ryanair

Find the lowest fares across Europe with this travel app. It offers convenient features like mobile check-in and boarding passes, along with easy access to in-flight extras. Explore Europe with affordable travel options at your fingertips.

Highlights
  • Lowest fares in Europe
  • Mobile check-in
  • Mobile boarding pass
  • In-flight extras
  • Easy to use
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

With this App at your fingertips, Europe is at your feet. We’re Ryanair, so of course you’ll find the lowest fares in Europe on our app. But you’ll also get handy extras like being able to check in while you’re on the move, a mobile boarding pass delivered straight to your phone and a choice of in-flight extras in one quick click. So why are you still reading? Download it now and get flying!

Screenshots

British Airways4 screens
Ryanair4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ryanair at weekly against British Airways's every 3 weeks. Ryanair also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). British Airways's advantage is ratings volume (274K vs 90K). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for British Airways against 4.4 for Ryanair. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 274K and 90K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 17% and 17% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

British Airways ships an update every 3 weeks, Ryanair weekly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
British Airways versus Ryanair: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBritish AirwaysRyanair
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (274K ratings) — better4.4 (90K ratings)
Positive reviews16.6% of reviews17.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings274K — better90K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#84 — better#138
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size124 MB339 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBritish Airways PlcRyanair Ltd.

Customer experience

British Airways

All ratings273,971 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral3.5%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews3,886 reviews
Positive16.6%
Neutral7.4%
Negative75.9%

Ryanair

All ratings89,835 ratings
Positive85.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews3,304 reviews
Positive17.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative76.6%

User reviews

British Airways

From 274K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Simple check-in process
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Convenient mobile boarding passes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 👎 Poor user experience
  • 🤔 Confusing navigation
  • 🤔 Inconsistent functionality
  • 🤔 Redirects to website instead of in-app

Ryanair

From 90K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Easy to use app
  • 🚀 Efficient check-in process
  • 📱 Convenient mobile boarding passes

Room to improve

  • 🤑 Excessive fees and hidden charges
  • 🤖 Poor customer service and support
  • 🤔 Confusing and misleading app features
  • 🛫 Frequent flight delays and cancellations

Bugs and requests

British Airways

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login and check-in issues
  • Inability to retrieve boarding passes
  • Inconsistent display of flight information
  • Crashes and freezes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to manage bookings and changes within the app
  • Improved seat selection and management
  • Reliable push notifications for flight updates
  • Seamless integration between app and website

Ryanair

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Passport scanning functionality not working
  • Booking and check-in process glitches
  • App crashing and losing user data

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved communication about flight status updates
  • Ability to easily manage and change bookings
  • Better integration between app and website

In-app purchases

None

British Airways

No in-app purchases

None

Ryanair

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is British Airways free?
British Airways is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ryanair free?
Ryanair is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, British Airways or Ryanair?
British Airways is rated higher. British Airways averages 4.5 out of 5 from 274K ratings, while Ryanair averages 4.4 from 90K ratings.
Do British Airways or Ryanair have ads?
Neither British Airways nor Ryanair shows ads.
Which is updated more often, British Airways or Ryanair?
British Airways ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ryanair weekly. Most recently, British Airways was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ryanair on November 3, 2026.
Which is more popular, British Airways or Ryanair?
British Airways currently peaks at #84 in the App Store charts, and Ryanair at #138. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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