# First Bus vs Stagecoach Bus

The clearest difference is ads: Stagecoach Bus at none against First Bus's shown. Stagecoach Bus also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). First Bus's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and review sentiment (23% vs 11%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for First Bus against 4.6 for Stagecoach Bus. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.2K and 806 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 11% of Stagecoach Bus's.

First Bus ships an update weekly, Stagecoach Bus monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Stagecoach Bus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | [4.6 (806 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stagecoach-bus/id1151110474/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 806 |
| Positive reviews | **22.8% of reviews** | 10.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 154 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [Stagecoach Group plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/536149143) |

## What reviewers say

### First Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379)

Plan your bus journeys, track buses in real-time, and purchase digital tickets. Save favorite routes and stops for quick access. Manage your account and payments securely for a convenient travel experience.

**Highlights:** Journey planning, Live bus tracking, Digital ticket purchasing, Save favorite stops, Departure board, Gifting tickets

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for planning journeys
- 🚀 Accurate live bus tracking
- 💡 Ability to save favorite stops
- 👍 Convenient ticket purchasing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable bus arrival times
- 🐛 Buses disappearing from the app
- 🐛 Technical issues and app crashes
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive interface
- 🤔 Lack of service updates and notifications

**Reported bugs**

- App pausing music playback
- Inconsistent bus tracking and location data
- Inability to purchase certain ticket types

**Requested features**

- Offline ticket access
- Improved journey planning with timetables
- Service change notifications
- Simpler and more user-friendly interface


### Stagecoach Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stagecoach-bus/id1151110474)

Plan your bus journeys, track buses in real-time, and purchase mobile tickets securely. Features an interactive map to view services and stops, with options to save favorite routes.

**Highlights:** Interactive route map, Real-time bus tracking, Find nearest stops, Save favorite journeys, Secure mobile ticket purchase, Instant ticket delivery

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient ticket purchase
- 👍 Good for frequent travelers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Apple Pay not working
- 🐛 Unreliable bus tracking
- 🐛 Inaccurate timetables
- 🐛 Glitchy app performance
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- Routes disappearing from app
- Ticket purchases failing
- Inability to purchase youth/student tickets

**Requested features**

- More regional voice announcers
- Improved bus cancellation notifications
- Better integration with mobile payment options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Stagecoach Bus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First Bus or Stagecoach Bus?

First Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Stagecoach Bus averages 4.6 from 806 ratings.

### Do First Bus or Stagecoach Bus have ads?

First Bus shows ads; Stagecoach Bus does not.

### Which is updated more often, First Bus or Stagecoach Bus?

First Bus ships an update weekly, and Stagecoach Bus monthly. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 24, 2026 and Stagecoach Bus on September 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.*