# National Rail vs GroundScope

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GroundScope at none against National Rail's 1. GroundScope also leads on ads (none vs shown). National Rail's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. National Rail sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GroundScope asks for nothing beyond the download.

National Rail ships an update every 2 months, GroundScope every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | National Rail | GroundScope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-rail/id519094154/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **79** | — |
| Positive reviews | 7.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) | [Ground One Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1115553375) |

## What reviewers say

### National Rail

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-rail/id519094154)

Plan train journeys, check live times, and purchase tickets for the British rail network. Receive real-time updates on delays and disruptions to travel with confidence.

**Highlights:** Live train times, Route planning, Ticket purchasing, Real-time updates, Delay notifications, Save favorite stations

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-free version | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for planning journeys
- 🚀 Provides live train status updates
- 🚀 Useful for commuters and frequent travelers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable and buggy
- 🔍 Difficult to use and navigate
- 🔍 Lacks key functionality compared to previous version
- 🔍 Cluttered and visually unappealing interface
- 💰 Paid version required to remove ads

**Reported bugs**

- App frequently crashes or freezes
- Inaccurate train times and journey information
- Ticket booking functionality not working properly
- Compatibility issues with newer iPhone models

**Requested features**

- Ability to save favorite stations and journeys
- Option to view earlier/past train departures
- More granular search options (e.g. search by minute, not just 15-minute intervals)
- Improved live train tracking and disruption notifications


### GroundScope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groundscope/id1115553376)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is National Rail free?

National Rail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is GroundScope free?

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

### Do National Rail or GroundScope have ads?

National Rail shows ads; GroundScope does not.

### Which is updated more often, National Rail or GroundScope?

National Rail ships an update every 2 months, and GroundScope every 3 months. Most recently, National Rail was updated on September 29, 2026 and GroundScope on September 23, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*