# Trainline vs Ruter

The clearest difference is ads: Ruter at none against Trainline's shown. Ruter also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 29%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Trainline against 4.8 for Ruter. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11K and 3.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Trainline's written reviews are positive against 51% of Ruter's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Trainline | Ruter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainline-book-europe-trains/id334235181/reviews)** | [4.8 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruter/id993620197/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 3.8K |
| Positive reviews | 28.8% of reviews | **50.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 378 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [thetrainline](https://appshunter.io/developer/334235184) | [Ruter As](https://appshunter.io/developer/581486549) |

## What reviewers say

### Trainline

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trainline-book-europe-trains/id334235181)

Book train and bus tickets across Europe with ease. Compare prices from hundreds of operators, find the best deals, and manage your digital tickets all in one place. Get real-time updates and travel notifications for a smoother journey.

**Highlights:** Book train and bus tickets, Compare prices from 260+ companies, Best Price Guarantee, Real-time notifications, Live timetable tracking, Digital tickets, Travel blogs and popular journeys

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for train travel
- 🚀 Helpful for planning trips
- 🚀 Reliable app
- 🚀 Great for booking tickets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with glitches
- 🐛 Unreliable payment processing
- 🐛 Inaccurate train information
- 🐛 Poor customer service
- 💰 Expensive booking fees

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Inability to book tickets or complete transactions
- Incorrect train details and platform information
- Tickets not showing up in the app
- Railcard not recognized or applied correctly

**Requested features**

- Add ability to link existing railcards
- Improve search and filtering options
- Provide better notifications for train delays/cancellations
- Allow easy ticket refunds and exchanges
- Add map feature to locate train stations


### Ruter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruter/id993620197)

Plan your journeys and purchase tickets for public transport in Oslo and Akershus. This app provides real-time departure information, route planning, and allows you to see vehicle locations and crowding levels. It also offers options for renting e-scooters, e-bikes, and city bikes.

**Highlights:** Plan journeys from A to B, Buy tickets for public transport, Real-time departure times, Live vehicle tracking, See crowding information, Rent e-scooters and bikes

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Smooth and easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for navigating public transport
- 🚀 Provides real-time updates on bus/train arrivals
- 💡 Allows purchasing tickets within the app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with account registration, especially for non-Norwegian phone numbers
- 🐛 Unreliable real-time arrival information
- 🔍 Lack of support for train and ferry travel
- 🤔 Confusing to determine the right ticket to purchase

**Reported bugs**

- Tickets disappearing after phone restart
- Verification codes not being received
- App crashing or freezing on older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually reorder shortcut stations
- Offline support for proof of fare
- Improved walking directions between connections
- Support for international credit cards and Apple Pay


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Trainline free?

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

### Is Ruter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Trainline or Ruter?

Trainline is rated higher. Trainline averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Ruter averages 4.8 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Trainline or Ruter have ads?

Trainline shows ads; Ruter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Trainline or Ruter?

Trainline ships an update weekly, and Ruter weekly. Most recently, Trainline was updated on November 1, 2026 and Ruter on November 1, 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.*