# National Rail vs Thistle Cabs Group

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Thistle Cabs Group at 100% against National Rail's 8%. Thistle Cabs Group also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). National Rail's advantage is ratings volume (98 vs 5) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Thistle Cabs Group holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: National Rail has 98 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of National Rail's written reviews are positive against 100% of Thistle Cabs Group's.

National Rail ships an update every 2 months, Thistle Cabs Group every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | National Rail | Thistle Cabs Group |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-rail/id519094154/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thistle-cabs-group/id1483477526/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **98** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 7.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 5 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) | [B & G CONTRACTS LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1483477495) |

## 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


### Thistle Cabs Group

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thistle-cabs-group/id1483477526)

Book a taxi quickly and easily with real-time car tracking and driver communication. Schedule rides in advance, manage favorite locations, and receive dispatch notifications. Enjoy priority service with this convenient travel app.

**Highlights:** Instant taxi booking, Real-time car tracking, Advance ride scheduling, Driver communication, Favorite location management, Push notification alerts

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is National Rail free?

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

### Is Thistle Cabs Group free?

Thistle Cabs Group is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, National Rail or Thistle Cabs Group?

Thistle Cabs Group is rated higher. National Rail averages 4.6 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while Thistle Cabs Group averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do National Rail or Thistle Cabs Group have ads?

National Rail shows ads; Thistle Cabs Group does not.

### Which is updated more often, National Rail or Thistle Cabs Group?

National Rail ships an update every 2 months, and Thistle Cabs Group every 3 months. Most recently, National Rail was updated on November 1, 2026 and Thistle Cabs Group on October 24, 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.*