# Routesy vs Busly

The clearest difference is ads: Busly at none against Routesy's shown. Busly also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium). Routesy's advantage is ratings volume (15K vs 558) and review sentiment (51% vs 43%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Routesy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and Busly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Routesy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Routesy has 15K ratings behind it against 558, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Routesy's written reviews are positive against 43% of Busly's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Routesy | Busly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routesy/id381982120/reviews)** | [4.5 (558 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busly/id1435737758/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 558 |
| Positive reviews | **51.3% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 46 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Routesy, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/284950247) | [Alex Perez](https://appshunter.io/developer/362919234) |

## What reviewers say

### Routesy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/routesy/id381982120)

Get real-time transit predictions for major California transit systems. Find the closest stops and make sure you arrive on time with live data. Bookmark your favorite stops for quick access.

**Highlights:** Real-time transit predictions, Supports SF Muni, BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, LA Metro, Find closest stops/stations, Bookmark favorite stops, Dark mode (Pro feature), Ad-free experience (Pro feature)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Routesy Pro | $4.99 | per year |
| Routesy Pro (Prior Purchase) | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate real-time predictions
- 👍 Convenient bookmarking of favorite routes
- 🚇 Integrates multiple transit systems (Muni, BART, AC Transit)
- 💡 Helpful for commuters and tourists
- 🤖 Responsive developer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable predictions or 'no current prediction' errors
- 🔄 Frequent need to update bookmarks due to route changes
- 🔍 Limited search and navigation features compared to competitors
- 💰 Paid subscription model can be frustrating for long-time users

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing or crashing on some devices
- Inconsistent data sync across multiple devices

**Requested features**

- Live transit map with vehicle locations
- Destination-based trip planning
- Customizable alerts and notifications


### Busly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busly/id1435737758)

This app provides real-time transit information for buses and trains in major U.S. cities. View live vehicle locations, arrival times, and detailed route information on an interactive map. Save favorite routes and stops for quick access.

**Highlights:** Live map with vehicle locations, Real-time arrival times, Detailed vehicle information, Favorite routes and stops, Nearby stops, Fare information, Light and dark themes

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Busly Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Busly Pro Annual | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate GPS
- 👍 Real-time arrival accuracy
- 👍 Efficient and simple GUI
- 👍 Valuable for MUNI supervisors
- 👍 Good for Atlanta transit

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate arrival times
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Routes not showing up
- 🐛 App cuts off unexpectedly
- 🐛 App is unstable

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Routes do not show up
- App cuts off
- App is unstable
- Long calibration times

**Requested features**

- Show bus numbers
- Show run numbers
- Color-code different bus lines on map
- Display bus number instead of line name when clicking a stop
- Improve refresh rate (currently 5 minutes)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Routesy free?

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

### Is Busly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Routesy or Busly?

Routesy is rated higher. Routesy averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Busly averages 4.5 from 558 ratings.

### Do Routesy or Busly have ads?

Routesy shows ads; Busly does not.

### Which is updated more often, Routesy or Busly?

Routesy ships an update fortnightly, and Busly fortnightly. Most recently, Routesy was updated on October 27, 2026 and Busly on October 26, 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.*
