# Great Western Railway vs Translink Planner

The clearest difference is monetization model: Great Western Railway at free against Translink Planner's free with in-app purchases. Great Western Railway also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Great Western Railway holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Great Western Railway has 2.6K ratings behind it against 269, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 16% of Great Western Railway's written reviews are positive against 19% of Translink Planner's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Great Western Railway ships an update monthly, Translink Planner every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Great Western Railway | Translink Planner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/great-western-railway/id470544879/reviews)** | [4.4 (269 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/translink-planner/id648823280/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 269 |
| Positive reviews | 16.5% of reviews | **18.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 138 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [First Great Western](https://appshunter.io/developer/470544882) | [Ulsterbus Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/648823283) |

## What reviewers say

### Great Western Railway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/great-western-railway/id470544879)

Plan train journeys and book tickets across Britain. Save money with advance fares, store mobile tickets, and access live train times and platform information. Earn rewards and manage digital railcards within the app.

**Highlights:** Book train tickets across Britain, Save on advance fares, Store mobile tickets in-app, Check live train times and platform numbers, GWR Rewards loyalty program, Manage digital railcards

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Translink Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/translink-planner/id648823280)

Plan bus, coach, and rail journeys across Northern Ireland and border regions. Get real-time travel updates, view departure boards, and purchase tickets for specific rail services. Features include interactive planning, ticket storage, and personalized alerts.

**Highlights:** Interactive journey planning, Purchase NI Railways tickets, In-app ticket wallet, Real-time departure boards, Personalized travel updates, Accessible planning options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy journey planning functionality
- 🗺️ Helpful map integration for route visualization
- 📱 Modern app interface design
- 🚀 Quick access to timetable information
- 💾 Ability to save journeys to calendar

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate and unreliable bus/train times
- 😤 Frequent service cancellations not reflected in app
- 🔧 Clunky and unintuitive user interface
- ❌ Cannot purchase tickets within app
- 🗺️ Poor navigation and confusing layout

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iPhone during ticket purchase
- Password reset emails not received
- Unable to renew or change passwords
- Journey planner adds unnecessary stops and complications
- Bus stops disappear when zooming in on map

**Requested features**

- Unified app for journey planning AND ticket purchasing
- Live bus tracking with real-time location updates
- Ability to view actual departure times instead of countdown minutes
- Show actual time alongside minutes remaining
- Complaint/feedback option for late or cancelled services


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Great Western Railway free?

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

### Is Translink Planner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Great Western Railway or Translink Planner?

Great Western Railway is rated higher. Great Western Railway averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Translink Planner averages 4.4 from 269 ratings.

### Do Great Western Railway or Translink Planner have ads?

Neither Great Western Railway nor Translink Planner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Great Western Railway or Translink Planner?

Great Western Railway ships an update monthly, and Translink Planner every 6 months. Most recently, Great Western Railway was updated on November 10, 2026 and Translink Planner on November 6, 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.*