Comparison

TC Next Bus vs Busly (Legacy)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TC Next Bus

Find Twin Cities bus stops and get real-time next bus predictions. Use location services or map navigation to discover nearby stops. Save your favorite routes and stops for quick access.

Highlights
  • Location-based bus stop identification
  • Next bus arrival predictions
  • Map navigation for stop discovery
  • Route viewing
  • Favorite stop saving
Features
Read full description

TC Next Bus shows real-time arrival predictions for transit across the Twin Cities — local buses, the METRO light rail (Blue and Green lines), rapid bus lines like the A, C and D Lines, and MVTA suburban commuter-express routes. Find nearby stops on the map, tap one for the next arrivals, and save your regular stops as favorites. Service alerts keep you posted on detours and delays. Rebuilt from the ground up for the latest iOS, TC Next Bus now includes a companion Apple Watch app and watch-face complication. Data provided by Metro Transit and the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA).

About

Busly (Legacy)

Track buses in real-time with live map updates and accurate arrival predictions for over 60 agencies. Get instant notifications for delays and set reminders to never miss your bus. Optimized for iOS devices.

Highlights
  • Live bus map tracking
  • Real-time arrival predictions
  • Push notifications for delays
  • Favorite stops
  • Nearby stops finder
  • Bus departure reminders
  • Notification Center widgets
Features
Read full description

View up-to-date locations and time predictions for the buses of over 60 NextBus® agencies. LIVE MAP Get up-to-date bus positions showing exactly where each bus is along its route. PUSH NOTIFICATIONS Get real-time updates regarding delays, closures, and other important messages. FAVORITE STOPS Add stops you use often to your Favorites for quick, easy access. NEARBY STOPS See stops nearest to your current location, as well as how far they are. SET REMINDERS Easily set reminder notifications so you don't forget to catch your bus when it arrives. NOTIFICATION CENTER WIDGETS 2 Notification Center widgets for easy access to time predictions for nearby stops as well as your favorites. APPLE WATCH + IPAD Optimized for iOS 17, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. AGENCIES - Toronto Transit Commission - Jacksonville Transportation Authority - Chapel Hill Transit - Massachusetts Institute of Technology - University of California Berkeley - Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority ...And many more! If you run into any issues or have any feedback, use the in-app Support button or email support@iminichrispy.com. You can also tweet me @iMinichrispy. NextBus is a registered trademark of Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc. This app is not affiliated with NextBus and is not the official NextBus app.

Screenshots

TC Next Bus4 screens
Busly (Legacy)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Busly (Legacy) at 3.9 against TC Next Bus's 3.1. Busly (Legacy) also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). TC Next Bus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (48% vs 29%). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Busly (Legacy) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TC Next Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Busly (Legacy) holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 53 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of TC Next Bus's written reviews are positive against 29% of Busly (Legacy)'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TC Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, Busly (Legacy) every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
TC Next Bus versus Busly (Legacy): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTC Next BusBusly (Legacy)
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (25 ratings)3.9 (53 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.3% of reviews — better29.4% of reviews
Number of ratings2553 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJunebot, LLCAlex Perez

Customer experience

TC Next Bus

All ratings25 ratings
Positive44.0%
Neutral16.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive48.3%
Neutral17.2%
Negative34.5%

Busly (Legacy)

All ratings53 ratings
Positive71.7%
Neutral7.5%
Negative20.8%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive29.4%
Neutral11.8%
Negative58.8%

In-app purchases

None

TC Next Bus

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Busly (Legacy)

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99

Questions

Is TC Next Bus free?
TC Next Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Busly (Legacy) free?
Busly (Legacy) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TC Next Bus or Busly (Legacy)?
Busly (Legacy) is rated higher. TC Next Bus averages 3.1 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Busly (Legacy) averages 3.9 from 53 ratings.
Do TC Next Bus or Busly (Legacy) have ads?
Both TC Next Bus and Busly (Legacy) show ads.
Which is updated more often, TC Next Bus or Busly (Legacy)?
TC Next Bus ships an update every 2 months, and Busly (Legacy) every 5 months. Most recently, TC Next Bus was updated on November 1, 2026 and Busly (Legacy) on November 1, 2026.

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