# First Bus vs Raildar

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: First Bus at none against Raildar's 2. Raildar's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). On price, review sentiment, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Raildar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. First Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.

First Bus ships an update weekly, Raildar every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Raildar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **22.8% of reviews** | 16.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 154 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [Arc Internet Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1325238442) |

## 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


### Raildar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raildar/id1339325092)

This app provides real-time tracking of trains across the entire UK rail network. It allows users to see the live location of their train, search for specific services, and explore rail activity nationwide. An optional subscription offers an enhanced experience with extended tracking and no ads.

**Highlights:** Live train positions across the UK, Search and follow specific train services, View historical train routes, Explore nationwide rail activity, Extended live tracking (subscription), Ad-free experience (subscription)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Raildar Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Raildar 6 Month Subscription | $7.99 | per 6 months |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great idea for tracking trains
- 👍 Useful for train enthusiasts
- 👍 Good for occasional hobby use
- 👍 App has been updated and works well
- 👍 Shows trains in real time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Map is buggy and unusable
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Zooming issues
- 🐛 No internet connection reported
- 🐛 Map jumps to random locations

**Reported bugs**

- Map covered in black rectangles
- Zoom takes you to random locations
- Stopped working, no service
- Map is entirely broken, says no internet
- Map jumps when zooming

**Requested features**

- Track heritage type trains like steam trains
- See where heritage trains are operating
- Fix issue with 4G connection
- Make freight trains and other trains easily accessible
- Improve Avanti West Coast tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Raildar free?

Raildar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do First Bus or Raildar have ads?

Both First Bus and Raildar show ads.

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

First Bus ships an update weekly, and Raildar every 2 days. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 24, 2026 and Raildar on September 21, 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.*