Comparison

First Bus vs Token Transit

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

Head to head
About

First Bus

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
Read full description

Plan your journey, track your bus, and travel with confidence using the First Bus app. With real-time updates, mobile tickets, and personalised tools, getting around by bus has never been easier. Bus travellers can buy, gift, and activate digital bus tickets, manage secure payments, and save favourite locations, stops, and services for quicker access. The app also supports account management, consent management, while providing access to help and support features. Whether you’re commuting, exploring, or travelling occasionally, the app helps you stay in control from door to door. Planning your journey Find the best routes using locations, stops, or service numbers. View routes, timings, and stop information to plan trips that suit you. Live Bus tracking See your bus in real time on an interactive map and get more accurate arrival estimates. This feature helps reduce waiting uncertainty, improves journey planning, and enables users to make informed travel decisions by knowing exactly where their bus is at any moment. Departure Board Check upcoming services for either your stop or route, with clear timings and filtering (such as First Bus only) options. The time and dates can also be easily adjusted for future travel plans. Favourites Save your most-used stops, locations, and bus services for quick access every time you travel. Buying Buy, gift, and activate digital tickets directly in the app with a variety of filters. Secure payments and instant access mean no paper tickets needed. Tickets appear instantly ready to use in your account. Gifting Send tickets to friends or family quickly and easily. During the ticket buying flow, users can choose to gift a ticket instead of using it themselves, enter recipient details, and complete the purchase securely. Activating Tickets Activate your ticket in the First Bus app when you’re ready to travel. Once activated, it clearly shows its status and validity, making it quick and easy to present when boarding the bus. Account and Payments The First Bus app lets users securely manage their account and payment details in one place. Users can sign up, sign in, and reset their password if needed, as well as view and update their personal information and account settings. They can also choose to delete their account if required. Within the app, users can manage saved payment cards, set a default payment method, and remove cards at any time. All payment information is handled securely, helping ensure a smooth, safe, and convenient ticket purchasing experience. Preferences Choose your region, set walking distance preferences, and manage consent and notifications. Help and support Access FAQs , contacts and support resources in our dedicated help centre.

About

Token Transit

Purchase and activate digital transit passes directly from your phone. Your mobile device becomes your ticket, allowing you to easily board public transportation. Supports over 200 cities across North America.

Highlights
  • Purchase transit fares
  • Activate digital tickets
  • Store tickets on phone
  • Supports over 200 cities
  • Tap to activate
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

1. Purchase - Select your preferred fare type in the Token Transit app. 2. Activate - Your phone holds all your tickets. When you are ready to ride, tap your ticket to activate. 3. Ride - As you board the vehicle, show the driver your digital ticket or scan it on the validator. Download and start riding today! Live in over 200 cities across North America including: - NFTA Metro, Buffalo, NY - RTA, New Orleans, LA - Miami Dade Transit, Miami, FL - CTtransit, Hartford, New Haven & Stamford, CT - JTA, Jacksonville, FL - Metro Transit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - DDOT, Detroit, MI - Omnitrans, San Bernardino, CA - Roam Transit, Banff, AB - RTC, Reno, NV - TARC, Louisville, KY See the full list of available transit agencies here: https://tokentransit.com/agency

Screenshots

First Bus4 screens
Token Transit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: First Bus at 4.7 against Token Transit's 3.3. First Bus also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 424). Token Transit's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

First Bus holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 424, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 39% of Token Transit's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Bus ships an update weekly, Token Transit every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
First Bus versus Token Transit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst BusToken Transit
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better3.3 (424 ratings)
Positive reviews22.8% of reviews38.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.2K — better424
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#196 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size154 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFirstGroup PlcToken Transit, Inc.

Customer experience

First Bus

All ratings2,180 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews864 reviews
Positive22.8%
Neutral11.5%
Negative65.7%

Token Transit

All ratings424 ratings
Positive52.6%
Neutral10.6%
Negative36.8%
Written reviews139 reviews
Positive38.8%
Neutral11.5%
Negative49.6%

User reviews

First Bus

From 2.2K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Token Transit

From 424 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient and easy to use
  • 👍 Great customer service
  • 💡 Eliminates need for cash/change
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and errors
  • 🐛 Unreliable app performance
  • 🐛 Disappearing purchased passes
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns with phone number requirement

Bugs and requests

First Bus

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Token Transit

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Account suspension issues
  • Inability to transfer passes to new devices
  • Activation/expiration date problems
  • Repeated login/logout issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Offline pass support
  • Apple Watch compatibility
  • More pass/ticket options
  • Improved sync between devices

In-app purchases

None

First Bus

No in-app purchases

None

Token Transit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Bus free?
First Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Token Transit free?
Token Transit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, First Bus or Token Transit?
First Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Token Transit averages 3.3 from 424 ratings.
Do First Bus or Token Transit have ads?
First Bus shows ads; Token Transit does not.
Which is updated more often, First Bus or Token Transit?
First Bus ships an update weekly, and Token Transit every 3 months. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 24, 2026 and Token Transit on September 21, 2026.

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