# First Bus vs Diamond Bus

The clearest difference is ads: Diamond Bus at none against First Bus's shown. First Bus's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 21). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

First Bus holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 17% of Diamond Bus's.

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, Diamond Bus every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Diamond Bus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | [4.3 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diamond-bus/id1298563647/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | **22.5% of reviews** | 17.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 149 MB | 147 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [Rise Digital Media Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/893223527) |

## 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


### Diamond Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diamond-bus/id1298563647)

Plan your bus journeys and track your bus in real-time. Purchase mobile tickets directly through the app and use your smartphone as your bus pass. Stay updated with service information and manage your account easily.

**Highlights:** Real-time bus tracking, Journey planner, Mobile ticket purchase, Next stop notifications, Service timetable, Service updates

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Diamond Bus free?

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

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

First Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Diamond Bus averages 4.3 from 21 ratings.

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

First Bus shows ads; Diamond Bus does not.

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

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, and Diamond Bus every 6 weeks. Most recently, First Bus was updated on October 26, 2026 and Diamond Bus on October 13, 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.*