# OneBusAway vs Seattle Transit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OneBusAway at none against Seattle Transit's 17. OneBusAway also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 43%) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Seattle Transit's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Seattle Transit sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. OneBusAway asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for OneBusAway against 4.7 for Seattle Transit. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2K and 830 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of OneBusAway's written reviews are positive against 43% of Seattle Transit's.

OneBusAway ships an update every 2 months, Seattle Transit fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OneBusAway | Seattle Transit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onebusaway/id329380089/reviews)** | [4.7 (830 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seattle-transit-bus-tracker/id6472719645/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 830 |
| Positive reviews | **56.5% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#180** | #192 |
| Size | 24 MB | 148 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Open Transit Software Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494058656) | [Adamton Apps ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1677116928) |

## What reviewers say

### OneBusAway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onebusaway/id329380089)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

Get real-time transit information for multiple regions, including Puget Sound. Plan your trips, receive departure alerts, and view live arrival times. Easily find nearby stops and save your favorite routes for quick access.

**Highlights:** Real-time arrival information, Trip planning, Departure alerts, Map display of stops and routes, Nearby stops search, Favorite routes widget

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate real-time bus tracking
- 📍 Helpful for planning commutes
- 💻 Useful app for public transit users
- 🗺️ Good map integration
- 🔖 Useful bookmarking feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Inaccurate arrival time estimates
- 🚌 Buses disappearing from the app
- 🔍 Difficulty finding/selecting bus stops
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔌 App not working after updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing when searching for routes
- Bus stops not showing on map
- Notifications not working
- Inconsistent data between stops

**Requested features**

- Live bus tracking on map
- Ability to report issues with bus arrivals
- Apple Watch support
- More customization options


### Seattle Transit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seattle-transit-bus-tracker/id6472719645)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides real-time transit information for the Seattle and Puget Sound area. Track buses, trains, and ferries live, plan trips with step-by-step directions, and receive alerts for delays and detours. It's designed to make commuting easier for Seattle residents.

**Highlights:** Live bus, train, and ferry tracking, Real-time arrival and departure times, Trip planner with step-by-step directions, Stop and schedule alerts, Get Off Alerts for your stop, Offline route maps, Customizable widgets

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PRO Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Seattle+ Annual | $4.99 | per year |
| Seattle+ Monthly | $6.00 | per month |
| Seattle+ Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Secret Discount | $7.99 | per year |
| Seattle+ Annual | $8.99 | per year |
| Seattle+ Annual | $9.00 | per year |
| Seattle+ Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| Seattle+ Annual | $17.99 | per year |
| PRO Yearly | $29.00 | per year |
| Seattle+ Annual | $29.00 | per year |
| Seattle+ Annual | $39.00 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $8.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pass - Sale | $22.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pass | $89.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OneBusAway free?

OneBusAway is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Seattle Transit free?

Seattle Transit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, OneBusAway or Seattle Transit?

OneBusAway is rated higher. OneBusAway averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Seattle Transit averages 4.7 from 830 ratings.

### Do OneBusAway or Seattle Transit have ads?

Neither OneBusAway nor Seattle Transit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OneBusAway or Seattle Transit?

OneBusAway ships an update every 2 months, and Seattle Transit fortnightly. Most recently, OneBusAway was updated on October 26, 2026 and Seattle Transit on October 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, OneBusAway or Seattle Transit?

OneBusAway currently peaks at #180 in the App Store charts, and Seattle Transit at #192. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*