# SF Next Bus vs GT Buses

The clearest difference is rating: GT Buses at 4.4 against SF Next Bus's 2.1. GT Buses also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 40%) and ratings volume (226 vs 14). SF Next Bus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GT Buses sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SF Next Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.

GT Buses holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GT Buses has 226 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 80% of GT Buses's.

SF Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, GT Buses every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SF Next Bus | GT Buses |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sf-next-bus/id542987257/reviews) | **[4.4 (226 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gt-buses/id815448630/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **226** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **79.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| 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:** none


### GT Buses

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gt-buses/id815448630)

Track the real-time location and arrival predictions for campus shuttle buses. Get instant notifications for delays and closures, and easily find nearby stops or favorite your most used ones. Set reminders to ensure you never miss your ride.

**Highlights:** Live bus tracking map, Real-time arrival predictions, Push notifications for alerts, Campus building search, Favorite stops, Nearby stops identification, Bus ride reminders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient for campus navigation
- ✅ Reliable real-time tracking
- 🗺️ Useful building location feature
- 💡 Privacy-focused (no location retrieval)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 Inaccurate arrival times
- 🐛 Buses stop for long breaks
- ❌ Missing routes
- 🐛 GPS not always on
- 🐛 Frustrating zoom behavior

**Reported bugs**

- Bus locations not always updated
- App zooms out when walking
- Route names not fully visible
- Time estimates are frequently wrong
- Buses randomly stop for extended periods

**Requested features**

- Update bus routes regularly
- Add grocery shuttle tracking
- Option to purchase ad-free version
- Alert when bus is 2 minutes away
- Feature to type destination for closest stop


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SF Next Bus free?

SF Next Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is GT Buses free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SF Next Bus or GT Buses?

GT Buses is rated higher. SF Next Bus averages 2.1 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while GT Buses averages 4.4 from 226 ratings.

### Do SF Next Bus or GT Buses have ads?

Both SF Next Bus and GT Buses show ads.

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

SF Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, and GT Buses every 4 months. Most recently, SF Next Bus was updated on November 1, 2026 and GT Buses on October 23, 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.*