# CrossCountry vs Reading Buses

The clearest difference is ads: Reading Buses at none against CrossCountry's shown. Reading Buses also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (61% vs 33%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Reading Buses holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reading Buses has 83 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of CrossCountry's written reviews are positive against 61% of Reading Buses's.

CrossCountry ships an update every 3 weeks, Reading Buses fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CrossCountry | Reading Buses |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosscountry/id459476759/reviews) | **[4.8 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-buses/id1384118827/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 15 | **83** |
| Positive reviews | 32.8% of reviews | **61.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 99 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CrossCountry Trains](https://appshunter.io/developer/459476762) | [Reading Buses](https://appshunter.io/developer/1384118826) |

## What reviewers say

### CrossCountry

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosscountry/id459476759)

Easily book train tickets and check live train times across the National Rail network. Get the best prices directly, apply Railcards and NUS discounts, and enjoy convenient travel planning.

**Highlights:** Book train tickets, Live train times, Real-time running information, No booking or credit card fees, Use Railcard and NUS discounts, Extensive network coverage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


### Reading Buses

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-buses/id1384118827)

Plan your bus journeys, purchase mobile tickets, and track live departures. This app provides real-time bus information, fare discovery, and contactless journey history. Save your favorite routes and stay updated on service disruptions.

**Highlights:** Mobile ticket purchase, Live departure tracking, Journey planning, Fare discovery, Timetable access, Contactless journey history, Service update notifications

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CrossCountry free?

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

### Is Reading Buses free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CrossCountry or Reading Buses?

Reading Buses is rated higher. CrossCountry averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Reading Buses averages 4.8 from 83 ratings.

### Do CrossCountry or Reading Buses have ads?

CrossCountry shows ads; Reading Buses does not.

### Which is updated more often, CrossCountry or Reading Buses?

CrossCountry ships an update every 3 weeks, and Reading Buses fortnightly. Most recently, CrossCountry was updated on November 1, 2026 and Reading Buses on November 2, 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.*