Comparison

First Bus vs Go Glasgow

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

Go Glasgow

Explore Glasgow's architectural heritage with this app. It uses Bluetooth beacons to share the stories of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's buildings as you approach them. Discover key venues and access practical information for your visit.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth beacon integration
  • Building stories and history
  • Venue practical information
  • CRM news and events
  • Map of Mackintosh venues
Features
Read full description

2018 was the 150th anniversary of the birth of one of the world's most remarkable and influential architects, Glasgow-born Charles Rennie Mackintosh. To honour and celebrate the man and his work the City of Glasgow has installed an innovative network of Bluetooth beacons at all Mackintosh venues. Walking around the city, each beacon communicates with the Go Glasgow app to reveal the story of each building as you arrive or pass by. The app also provides practical information for each venue, CRM news & events and a map of all the venues: Daily Record Building Glasgow Art Club Glasgow School of Art Queens Cross Church The Hill House, Helensburgh House for an Art Lover Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum The Lighthouse Mackintosh at the Willow Tea Rooms The Mackintosh Club, Helensburgh The Mackintosh House Martyr's School Ruchill Church Hall Scotland Street School Museum

Screenshots

First Bus4 screens
Go Glasgow2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Go Glasgow at 100% against First Bus's 23%. Go Glasgow also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, Go Glasgow fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
First Bus versus Go Glasgow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst BusGo Glasgow
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews22.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.2K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB126 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFirstGroup PlcCGI IT UK LIMITED

Customer experience

First Bus

All ratings2,215 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews879 reviews
Positive22.8%
Neutral11.6%
Negative65.6%

Go Glasgow

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Go Glasgow

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

First Bus

No in-app purchases

None

Go Glasgow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Bus free?
First Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Go Glasgow free?
Go Glasgow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do First Bus or Go Glasgow have ads?
First Bus shows ads; Go Glasgow does not.
Which is updated more often, First Bus or Go Glasgow?
First Bus ships an update every 9 days, and Go Glasgow fortnightly. Most recently, First Bus was updated on October 18, 2026 and Go Glasgow on September 9, 2026.

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