# First Bus vs Panther Cabs

The clearest difference is rating: First Bus at 4.7 against Panther Cabs's 2.3. First Bus also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 3). Panther Cabs's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, 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.

First Bus holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 28% of Panther Cabs's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, Panther Cabs every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Panther Cabs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panther-cabs/id1345460873/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | **27.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 149 MB | 151 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [Panther Cabs (Colchester) Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1345460872) |

## 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


### Panther Cabs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/panther-cabs/id1345460873)

Easily book a taxi with real-time tracking and notifications. Schedule rides for a specific time, store favorite locations, and pay conveniently with cash or card.

**Highlights:** Order a taxi, Cancel bookings, Track vehicle on map, Real-time status notifications, Pay by cash or card, Schedule exact pick-up times, Store favorite pick-up points

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Panther Cabs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First Bus or Panther Cabs?

First Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Panther Cabs averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do First Bus or Panther Cabs have ads?

First Bus shows ads; Panther Cabs does not.

### Which is updated more often, First Bus or Panther Cabs?

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, and Panther Cabs every 5 months. Most recently, First Bus was updated on October 21, 2026 and Panther Cabs on October 15, 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.*