# Heathrow Express vs National Rail

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Heathrow Express at none against National Rail's 1. Heathrow Express also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 98). National Rail's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. National Rail sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Heathrow Express asks for nothing beyond the download.

Heathrow Express holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Heathrow Express has 7.3K ratings behind it against 98, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Heathrow Express's written reviews are positive against 8% of National Rail's.

Heathrow Express ships an update every 3 weeks, National Rail every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heathrow Express | National Rail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heathrow-express/id399209321/reviews)** | [4.6 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-rail/id519094154/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 98 |
| Positive reviews | **30.3% of reviews** | 7.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 63 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Heathrow Express](https://appshunter.io/developer/399209324) | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) |

## What reviewers say

### Heathrow Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heathrow-express/id399209321)

Plan and book your journey quickly and easily with live train times and instant ticket access. Manage your account details, payment options, and preferences for a personalized travel experience.

**Highlights:** Personalized travel information, Quick ticket booking, Live train times, Mobile ticket wallet integration, Account management

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast & efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Convenient for booking tickets
- 🚀 Saves time
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🐛 Tickets not showing up in app
- 🐛 Payment issues
- 🐛 Login/account problems

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing on ticket viewing
- Incorrect ticket dates/directions
- Payment processing failures
- Account creation issues
- Ticket information not syncing properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to add/manage tickets in app
- Improved ticket downloading/syncing
- More payment options
- Better account management features
- Live service updates and notifications


### National Rail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-rail/id519094154)

Plan train journeys, check live times, and purchase tickets for the British rail network. Receive real-time updates on delays and disruptions to travel with confidence.

**Highlights:** Live train times, Route planning, Ticket purchasing, Real-time updates, Delay notifications, Save favorite stations

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-free version | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for planning journeys
- 🚀 Provides live train status updates
- 🚀 Useful for commuters and frequent travelers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable and buggy
- 🔍 Difficult to use and navigate
- 🔍 Lacks key functionality compared to previous version
- 🔍 Cluttered and visually unappealing interface
- 💰 Paid version required to remove ads

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently crashes or freezes
- Inaccurate train times and journey information
- Ticket booking functionality not working properly
- Compatibility issues with newer iPhone models

**Requested features**

- Ability to save favorite stations and journeys
- Option to view earlier/past train departures
- More granular search options (e.g. search by minute, not just 15-minute intervals)
- Improved live train tracking and disruption notifications


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heathrow Express free?

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

### Is National Rail free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Heathrow Express or National Rail?

Heathrow Express is rated higher. Heathrow Express averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while National Rail averages 4.6 from 98 ratings.

### Do Heathrow Express or National Rail have ads?

National Rail shows ads; Heathrow Express does not.

### Which is updated more often, Heathrow Express or National Rail?

Heathrow Express ships an update every 3 weeks, and National Rail every 2 months. Most recently, Heathrow Express was updated on November 1, 2026 and National Rail 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.*