# TransPennine Express vs Bee Network

The clearest difference is monetization model: TransPennine Express at free against Bee Network's free with in-app purchases. TransPennine Express also leads on review sentiment (28% vs 19%). Bee Network's advantage is ratings volume (2.2K vs 202). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Bee Network holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bee Network has 2.2K ratings behind it against 202, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 28% of TransPennine Express's written reviews are positive against 19% of Bee Network's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

TransPennine Express ships an update every 2 weeks, Bee Network monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TransPennine Express | Bee Network |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (202 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transpennine-express/id460359233/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bee-network/id1669705230/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 202 | **2.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **27.9% of reviews** | 18.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 83 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TransPennine Express](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709943037) | [Transport for Greater Manchester](https://appshunter.io/developer/1038009043) |

## What reviewers say

### TransPennine Express

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transpennine-express/id460359233)

Plan your next UK train journey and purchase tickets without any booking or card fees. Save money with advance bookings and store your eTickets or digital railcards directly within the app for easy access.

**Highlights:** Book train tickets with no fees, Save up to 50% with advance tickets, Store eTickets and digital railcards, View live departure and arrival times, Save common journeys for quick search, Manage bookings in 'My account'

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy and quick to use
- 👍 Straightforward app
- ⭐️ Great savings and easy to navigate
- ⭐️ Efficient and quick to book and pay for tickets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and technical issues
- 🔒 Frequent log-outs and login problems
- 🔍 Difficult to find and access tickets
- 🤔 Unintuitive user experience and poor design
- 🔍 Lack of useful features like Apple Wallet integration

**Reported bugs**

- Tickets disappearing from the app
- Issues with adding tickets to Apple Wallet
- App not working outside the UK

**Requested features**

- Add tickets to Apple Wallet
- Remember login details and payment info
- Improve user interface and flow
- Provide better information on tickets and journeys
- Allow booking of open return tickets


### Bee Network

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bee-network/id1669705230)

Plan your public transport journeys, track buses in real-time, and purchase tram and bus tickets. Find nearby stops, get live departure times, and save your favorite locations for quick access. Rate your travel experience to help shape future services.

**Highlights:** Live bus tracking, Nearest stop finder, Live departure times, Journey planning, Buy tram and bus tickets, View active tickets, Rate your journey

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient information in one place
- 🚀 Great journey planning
- 👍 Improved over time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate bus/tram times
- 🐛 Unreliable live tracking
- 🐛 Frequent glitches and crashes
- 🐛 Logging out issues
- 🐛 Missing key features like timetables and route search

**Reported bugs**

- Buses disappearing from the app
- Incorrect ticket validation leading to fines
- App unable to load tickets or log in at times

**Requested features**

- Add offline mode for tickets
- Integrate with Apple Wallet
- Improve journey planning and route search
- Provide more detailed service disruption information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TransPennine Express free?

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

### Is Bee Network free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TransPennine Express or Bee Network?

Bee Network is rated higher. TransPennine Express averages 4.5 out of 5 from 202 ratings, while Bee Network averages 4.7 from 2.2K ratings.

### Do TransPennine Express or Bee Network have ads?

Neither TransPennine Express nor Bee Network shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TransPennine Express or Bee Network?

TransPennine Express ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bee Network monthly. Most recently, TransPennine Express was updated on October 16, 2026 and Bee Network on October 17, 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.*