Irish Ferries vs Translink Planner
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Irish Ferries
Easily book trips, manage your account, and access loyalty information. View sailing times and find answers to common questions in the new help center.
- Trip booking
- Account management
- Loyalty information access
- Sailing times
- Help center
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Download for free the official Irish Ferries app to plan and book your next ferry trip with ease. Search for sailings, book the best value available fares, access your account and loyalty details, check live sailing updates, and view important information ahead of travel. Book ferry tickets across Irish Ferries routes between Britain and France (Dover - Calais), Britain and Ireland (Holyhead - Dublin and Pembroke - Rosslare) and Ireland and France (Dublin - Cherbourg). Pay securely using your digital wallet, debit or credit card, or PayPal. Once booked, you can view your upcoming reservation details and stay up to date with the latest sailing information. The app also makes it easy to manage your account, save passenger and vehicle details for faster future bookings, and access Irish Ferries Club to track points earned and available to spend. You can also find helpful travel information before you sail, including ship info and facilities, pet travel guidance, and useful information on ID, passport and visa requirements.
Translink Planner
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.
- Interactive journey planning
- Purchase NI Railways tickets
- In-app ticket wallet
- Real-time departure boards
- Personalized travel updates
- Accessible planning options
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Plan Northern Ireland and cross border bus, coach and rail journeys with the Translink Journey Planner. Plan from any stop, station or address, see your next departures and get the latest travel updates from Metro, Glider, Ulsterbus, Goldline, NI Railways and Enterprise services. You can also buy single, day return and 3 day select tickets for NI Railways journeys. Features include: - Fully interactive journey planning - Buy single, day return and 3 day Select tickets for NI Railways services - Store purchased tickets within the app wallet - ‘Next Service’ departure board - Plan with Park and ride and bike journeys - Personalised travel updates - Accessible planning - Interactive map planning with real-time Metro and Glider location and a tracking feature - Quick planning using your current location, favourite stops and recent searches - CO2 journey saving calculation
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Irish Ferries at ad-supported against Translink Planner's free with in-app purchases. Translink Planner's advantage is review sentiment (19% vs 7%). On price, update cadence, ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 2, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Irish Ferries | Translink Planner |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.4 (215 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 6.6% of reviews | 18.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 215 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 6 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 111 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Irish Ferries | Ulsterbus Ltd |
Customer experience
Irish Ferries
Translink Planner
Bugs and requests
Irish Ferries
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Translink Planner
Reported bugs
17 issues- 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
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- Location loading blocks text input
- App doesn't refresh automatically without returning to start page
- Tickets purchased not visible in app
- Cannot book tickets for multiple passengers
- Concession tickets unavailable on mobile
- Inconsistent journey suggestions vs actual timetables
- Bus times don't match timetable posters at stops
- Cancelled buses don't show as cancelled, just disappear
- App shows buses arriving but they never show up
- Incorrect fare calculations and pricing display
- Unable to access certain routes (e.g., Kilkeel from bus centre)
- Timetable PDFs show 'page not found' error
Requested features
18 requests- 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
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- Simple timetable view without complex journey planning
- Live delay and cancellation notifications
- Apple Watch compatibility
- Exclude walking time option in journey results
- Direct access to timetables from home page
- Show platform/stop information for transfers
- One-click bus tracking from schedule view
- Ability to book tickets for groups over 10 people
- Support for concession tickets on mobile devices
- Better accessibility for tourists and non-locals
- Contactless card payment on vehicles
- Extended booking window beyond 3 weeks
- Proper ticket visibility after purchase
In-app purchases
Irish Ferries
No in-app purchases
Translink Planner
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Irish Ferries free?
Is Translink Planner free?
Do Irish Ferries or Translink Planner have ads?
Which is updated more often, Irish Ferries or Translink Planner?
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