Comparison

xtBus transit browser vs Busly

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

xtBus transit browser

This app helps you track bus arrivals and routes visually on a map. It allows you to bookmark your preferred transit agencies for easy access to real-time arrival estimates and bus locations.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus location on map
  • Accurate arrival time estimates
  • Bookmark local transit agencies
  • Organize transit choices
  • Visually pinpoint incoming buses
Features
Read full description

Will the next bus arrive and which bus route to choose? Do you prefer waiting it at the stop or a snug coffee shop nearby? With the free services provided by Google and many other public transit sites, you can visually pin-point the location of every incoming buses on map as well as an accurate estimate of arrival time. And the all new xtBus browser 2.0 just makes it even easier for you to bookmark and organize your own choices of any local transit agency. **NOTE: xtBus app is not affiliated with nor endorsed by any transit web site. It's a bookmark utility with convenience oriented to public transportation. You can bookmark any other public available web site but the accuracy of information is beyond the responsibility of xtBus app.

About

Busly

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
Read full description

Now with support for iOS 27 & iPhone Duo! Busly lets you view live locations & arrival times for buses & trains across major U.S. cities. LIVE MAP • Get real-time bus & train position updates on a live updating map (which can also show route lines & stops!) ARRIVAL TIMES • View up-to-date arrival times for both stops & vehicles DETAILED BUS/TRAIN INFO • Get detailed vehicle information including: heading, speed, occupancy, wheelchair accessibility, bikes allowed FAVORITES • Add route lines & stops to your Favorites for quick access NEARBY STOPS • View stops nearby to your current location SEARCH • Optimized for near-instant search results to help you quickly find what you're looking for FARE INFORMATION • View detailed fare/ticketing options for the agencies in your region LIGHT & DARK THEMES • Choose between fully supported light & dark themes or automatically switch using the system setting ACCESSIBILITY • First-class accessibility support, including VoiceOver & Dynamic Type SUPPORTED REGIONS • Atlanta (MARTA) • Austin (CapMetro) • Boston (MBTA) • Chicago (Metra) • Cincinnati (Go Metro) • Cleveland (GCRTA) • Denver (RTD) • Edmonton (ETS) • Hartford (CTTransit) • Las Vegas (RTC) • Los Angeles (LA Metro) • Minneapolis (Metro Transit) • Nashville (WeGo) • Phoenix (Valley Metro) • Raleigh (GoRaleigh) • Sacramento (SacRT) • San Francisco (SF Muni, BART, Caltrain) • Seattle (King County Metro) • Washington, D.C. (WMATA) ...And many more coming soon! NO ADS, NO TRACKERS • Busly is 100% free of ads & trackers and always will be — For questions/comments/support, email support@busly.app or navigate in-app to Settings > Support > Contact App Support.

Screenshots

xtBus transit browser1 screens
Busly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Busly at 4.5 against xtBus transit browser's 3.9. Busly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). xtBus transit browser's advantage is review sentiment (51% vs 43%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. xtBus transit browser sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Busly holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Busly has 555 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of xtBus transit browser's written reviews are positive against 43% of Busly's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

xtBus transit browser ships an update every 2 weeks, Busly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
xtBus transit browser versus Busly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterxtBus transit browserBusly
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (9 ratings)4.5 (555 ratings) — better
Positive reviews51.4% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings9555 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB29 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperIdemfactor SolutionsAlex Perez

Customer experience

xtBus transit browser

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive51.4%
Neutral7.5%
Negative41.1%

Busly

All ratings553 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative9.0%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative54.3%

User reviews

xtBus transit browser

From 9 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate real-time bus tracking
  • 👍 Convenient for planning commutes
  • ⭐ Useful app overall

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • ⚠️ Inaccurate bus arrival times
  • 💤 Slow and unresponsive at times
  • 📢 Too many ads

Busly

From 555 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

xtBus transit browser

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Maps not loading
  • App freezing and crashing
  • Incorrect location detection

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add bus route/line information
  • Improve map functionality
  • Allow setting default bus stop
  • Integrate with other transit apps

Busly

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes
  • Routes do not show up
  • App cuts off
  • App is unstable
  • Long calibration times
Show 4 more
  • Buses appear ahead of reported location
  • Missing key spots on routes
  • Stops are out of order
  • Atlanta map missing stations

Requested features

9 requests
  • 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)
Show 4 more
  • Add tutorial or explanation of symbols
  • Allow selection of favorite stops
  • Add vehicle ID and Block ID
  • Revert to previous app's functionality for route lists and stop order

In-app purchases

1 purchases

xtBus transit browser

One-time1
  • add-on to remove in-app ads from this app$3.99
2 purchases

Busly

Subscriptions2
  • Busly Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Busly Pro Annual$9.991 Year

Questions

Is xtBus transit browser free?
xtBus transit browser 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, xtBus transit browser or Busly?
Busly is rated higher. xtBus transit browser averages 3.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Busly averages 4.5 from 555 ratings.
Do xtBus transit browser or Busly have ads?
xtBus transit browser shows ads; Busly does not.
Which is updated more often, xtBus transit browser or Busly?
xtBus transit browser ships an update every 2 weeks, and Busly fortnightly. Most recently, xtBus transit browser was updated on October 21, 2026 and Busly on October 22, 2026.

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