Comparison

CrossCountry vs Centrebus

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

Head to head
About

CrossCountry

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
Read full description

Book your train tickets quickly and easily with CrossCountry’s app. You can look up live train times, check real-time running information and buy your train tickets for any train on the National Rail network. It’s free to download, and we won’t charge you a booking or credit card fee. Buy with us direct to get the best price on your CrossCountry tickets, use your Railcard, and exclusive NUS discount on CrossCountry Advance train tickets! About CrossCountry About CrossCountry
 CrossCountry is a train operating company, running long distance train services in England, Scotland and Wales. The CrossCountry network is the most extensive in Britain, from Aberdeen to Penzance, and South Wales to East Anglia. Key destinations served to include Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, Bristol, Cambridge, Reading and Stansted and Birmingham International airports. CrossCountry's fast and frequent train services feature at-seat catering, quiet zones, and First Class. Visit our social media channels to stay up to date: https://www.facebook.com/CrossCountrytrains/ https://twitter.com/CrossCountryUK https://www.instagram.com/crosscountrytrains/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/282803/

About

Centrebus

Purchase and display mobile tickets for bus journeys. Track live bus locations and receive important service updates to ensure you're always informed about your travel.

Highlights
  • Buy M-tickets
  • Display mobile tickets
  • Track live buses
  • Receive service announcements
  • Scan QR codes for validation
  • Real-time bus arrival information
Features
Read full description

Buy and display a range of M-tickets, track live buses and stay up to date with service announcements through the app. Create an account, set up your card, choose a ticket and you're ready to ride with Centrebus. Our M-tickets have a QR code that you simply scan to validate! Real-Time information lets you know when the next bus is due and allows you to track your bus while service updates make sure you are always informed about your journey.

Screenshots

CrossCountry4 screens
Centrebus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Centrebus at none against CrossCountry's shown. Centrebus also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). CrossCountry's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 9%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for CrossCountry against 4.4 for Centrebus. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 12 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of CrossCountry's written reviews are positive against 9% of Centrebus's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CrossCountry ships an update every 3 weeks, Centrebus every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CrossCountry versus Centrebus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrossCountryCentrebus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (15 ratings)4.4 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.1% of reviews — better9.1% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size99 MB137 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCrossCountry TrainsRise Digital Media Limited

Customer experience

CrossCountry

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews142 reviews
Positive33.1%
Neutral3.5%
Negative63.4%

Centrebus

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive9.1%
Neutral6.1%
Negative84.8%

In-app purchases

None

CrossCountry

No in-app purchases

None

Centrebus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CrossCountry free?
CrossCountry is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Centrebus free?
Centrebus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CrossCountry or Centrebus?
Centrebus is rated higher. CrossCountry averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Centrebus averages 4.4 from 12 ratings.
Do CrossCountry or Centrebus have ads?
CrossCountry shows ads; Centrebus does not.
Which is updated more often, CrossCountry or Centrebus?
CrossCountry ships an update every 3 weeks, and Centrebus every 2 months. Most recently, CrossCountry was updated on November 9, 2026 and Centrebus on November 2, 2026.

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