# LA Next Bus vs Busly

The clearest difference is rating: Busly at 4.5 against LA Next Bus's 3.4. Busly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). LA Next Bus's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 43%). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LA 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 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Busly has 558 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of LA Next Bus's written reviews are positive against 43% of Busly's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

LA Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, Busly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LA Next Bus | Busly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/la-next-bus/id543053214/reviews) | **[4.5 (558 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busly/id1435737758/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **558** |
| Positive reviews | **71.4% 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 | 53 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

### LA Next Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/la-next-bus/id543053214)

Find Los Angeles bus stops and get real-time arrival predictions. Navigate using your location or by manually entering a stop. Save your favorite stops and view important system notifications.

**Highlights:** Location-based bus stop identification, Next bus arrival predictions, Map navigation integration, Save favorite bus stops, View system-wide notifications

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LA 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 LA Next Bus free?

LA 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, LA Next Bus or Busly?

Busly is rated higher. LA Next Bus averages 3.4 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Busly averages 4.5 from 558 ratings.

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

LA Next Bus shows ads; Busly does not.

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

LA Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, and Busly fortnightly. Most recently, LA Next Bus was updated on October 23, 2026 and Busly on October 26, 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.*