# Heathrow Express vs ThamesLink Railway

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Heathrow Express at 7.2K against ThamesLink Railway's 28. ThamesLink Railway's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment 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.

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 7.2K ratings behind it against 28, 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 22% of ThamesLink Railway's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heathrow Express | ThamesLink Railway |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heathrow-express/id399209321/reviews)** | [4.6 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thameslink-railway/id908805038/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.2K** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **30.3% of reviews** | 22.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 63 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Heathrow Express](https://appshunter.io/developer/399209324) | [The Go-Ahead Group plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566501475) |

## 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


### ThamesLink Railway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thameslink-railway/id908805038)

Plan your journeys across Great Britain with real-time train information and ticket booking. Enjoy transparent pricing with no booking fees and flexible travel options. Get live service updates and assistance for a stress-free travel experience.

**Highlights:** Zero booking fees on GB tickets, Flexible travel with keyGo, Live service updates and alerts, Auto Delay Repay for compensation, On-the-go passenger assistance, Digital railcards for fare savings

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heathrow Express free?

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

### Is ThamesLink Railway free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Heathrow Express or ThamesLink Railway?

Heathrow Express is rated higher. Heathrow Express averages 4.8 out of 5 from 7.2K ratings, while ThamesLink Railway averages 4.6 from 28 ratings.

### Do Heathrow Express or ThamesLink Railway have ads?

Neither Heathrow Express nor ThamesLink Railway shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Heathrow Express or ThamesLink Railway?

Heathrow Express ships an update every 3 weeks, and ThamesLink Railway every 3 weeks. Most recently, Heathrow Express was updated on October 21, 2026 and ThamesLink Railway on October 21, 2026.

---

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