# OneBusAway vs Seattle Light Rail

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Seattle Light Rail at 100% against OneBusAway's 58%. Seattle Light Rail also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). OneBusAway's advantage is ratings volume (2.2K vs 3) and chart position (#152 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Seattle Light Rail holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OneBusAway has 2.2K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of OneBusAway's written reviews are positive against 100% of Seattle Light Rail's.

OneBusAway ships an update every 2 months, Seattle Light Rail every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OneBusAway | Seattle Light Rail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/onebusaway/id329380089/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seattle-light-rail/id6795732883/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 57.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#152** | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 59 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) | [Adam Aarniokoski](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791696821) |

## What reviewers say

### OneBusAway

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

**Currently charting:** #152 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 Light Rail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seattle-light-rail/id6795732883)

Plan trips, view live arrivals, and find station details for light rail and regional transit. Get real-time alerts and helpful boarding information. Supports multiple languages and offers offline functionality.

**Highlights:** Offline trip planning, Live arrival times, Disruption alerts, Station facility information, Boarding advice, Saved trips, Apple Watch app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OneBusAway free?

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

### Is Seattle Light Rail free?

Seattle Light Rail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, OneBusAway or Seattle Light Rail?

Seattle Light Rail is rated higher. OneBusAway averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Seattle Light Rail averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do OneBusAway or Seattle Light Rail have ads?

Neither OneBusAway nor Seattle Light Rail shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OneBusAway or Seattle Light Rail?

OneBusAway ships an update every 2 months, and Seattle Light Rail every 6 days. Most recently, OneBusAway was updated on November 6, 2026 and Seattle Light Rail on October 31, 2026.

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