# First Bus vs Railcard

The clearest difference is ads: Railcard at none against First Bus's shown. Railcard also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (43% vs 23%). First Bus's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support 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 4.8 for Railcard. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.2K and 7.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 43% of Railcard's.

First Bus ships an update weekly, Railcard monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Railcard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews) | **[4.8 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K | **7.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | **43.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 154 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) |

## 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


### Railcard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048)

Access and display your train ticket discounts directly on your mobile device. Never forget your discount card again and save on most train fares. Supports a wide variety of railcards for different traveler needs.

**Highlights:** Store railcards on mobile, Save 1/3 on train fares, Instant digital access, Supports multiple railcard types, Ready for next train journey

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Great value
- 📱 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Fast digital delivery
- 🙌 Helpful customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app/website
- 🤯 Confusing renewal process
- 📵 Unusable without internet
- 🤖 Lack of accessibility features

**Reported bugs**

- Railcard disappearing from app
- Download codes not working
- Incorrect/missing card details

**Requested features**

- Add to Apple Wallet
- Automatic renewal reminders
- Offline mode for digital cards


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Railcard free?

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

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

Railcard is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Railcard averages 4.8 from 7.1K ratings.

### Do First Bus or Railcard have ads?

First Bus shows ads; Railcard does not.

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

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