# SF Next Bus vs Busly

The clearest difference is rating: Busly at 4.5 against SF Next Bus's 2.1. Busly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SF Next Bus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Busly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Busly holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Busly has 561 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of SF Next Bus's written reviews are positive against 43% of Busly's.

SF Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, Busly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SF Next Bus | Busly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sf-next-bus/id542987257/reviews) | **[4.5 (561 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busly/id1435737758/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **561** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **42.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 38 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Junebot, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/488580697) | [Alex Perez](https://appshunter.io/developer/362919234) |

## What reviewers say

### SF Next Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sf-next-bus/id542987257)

Get real-time arrival predictions for San Francisco buses and BART trains. Navigate using location services or manual map input. Save favorite stops and view system-wide notifications.

**Highlights:** Real-time arrival predictions, Location-based stop identification, Map navigation integration, Bus and BART route viewing, Favorite stop saving, System-wide notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SF Next Bus - No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### Busly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busly/id1435737758)

This app provides real-time transit information for buses and trains in major U.S. cities. View live vehicle locations, arrival times, and detailed route information on an interactive map. Save favorite routes and stops for quick access.

**Highlights:** Live map with vehicle locations, Real-time arrival times, Detailed vehicle information, Favorite routes and stops, Nearby stops, Fare information, Light and dark themes

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Busly Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Busly Pro Annual | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate GPS
- 👍 Real-time arrival accuracy
- 👍 Efficient and simple GUI
- 👍 Valuable for MUNI supervisors
- 👍 Good for Atlanta transit

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate arrival times
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Routes not showing up
- 🐛 App cuts off unexpectedly
- 🐛 App is unstable

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Routes do not show up
- App cuts off
- App is unstable
- Long calibration times

**Requested features**

- Show bus numbers
- Show run numbers
- Color-code different bus lines on map
- Display bus number instead of line name when clicking a stop
- Improve refresh rate (currently 5 minutes)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SF Next Bus free?

SF Next Bus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Busly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SF Next Bus or Busly?

Busly is rated higher. SF Next Bus averages 2.1 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Busly averages 4.5 from 561 ratings.

### Do SF Next Bus or Busly have ads?

SF Next Bus shows ads; Busly does not.

### Which is updated more often, SF Next Bus or Busly?

SF Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, and Busly fortnightly. Most recently, SF Next Bus was updated on October 23, 2026 and Busly on October 29, 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.*