Comparison

First Bus vs Window Seater

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

Window Seater

Enhance your rail journeys with audio guides that connect you to the communities you pass through. Discover compelling stories, local experiences, and points of interest directly from your seat.

Highlights
  • Audio guides for rail travel
  • Local stories and experiences
  • Points of interest identification
  • Station travel information
  • Connects travelers to communities
Features
Read full description

Make the most of your trip with Window Seater. Window Seater audio guides connect rail travellers to the world outside their window, bringing you closer to the communities through which you're travelling. The app features compelling stories sourced with local contributors, plus local experiences, points of interest and helpful station travel info.

Screenshots

First Bus4 screens
Window Seater4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Window Seater at 83% against First Bus's 23%. Window Seater also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). First Bus's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 4). On price, 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Window Seater holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 4, 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 83% of Window Seater's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Bus ships an update weekly, Window Seater every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
First Bus versus Window Seater: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst BusWindow Seater
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.2K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.8% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.2K — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size154 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFirstGroup PlcWindow Seater Ltd.

Customer experience

First Bus

All ratings2,180 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews864 reviews
Positive22.8%
Neutral11.5%
Negative65.7%

Window Seater

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

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

Window Seater

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

First Bus

No in-app purchases

None

Window Seater

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Bus free?
First Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Window Seater free?
Window Seater is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, First Bus or Window Seater?
Window Seater is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Window Seater averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do First Bus or Window Seater have ads?
First Bus shows ads; Window Seater does not.
Which is updated more often, First Bus or Window Seater?
First Bus ships an update weekly, and Window Seater every 6 weeks. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 24, 2026 and Window Seater on September 16, 2026.

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