# First Bus vs Centrebus

The clearest difference is ads: Centrebus at none against First Bus's shown. Centrebus also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). First Bus's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 12). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 12, 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 9% of Centrebus's.

First Bus ships an update weekly, Centrebus every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Centrebus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | [4.4 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/centrebus/id1450284726/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **22.8% of reviews** | 9.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 154 MB | 137 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


### Centrebus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/centrebus/id1450284726)

Purchase and display mobile tickets for bus journeys. Track live bus locations and receive important service updates to ensure you're always informed about your travel.

**Highlights:** Buy M-tickets, Display mobile tickets, Track live buses, Receive service announcements, Scan QR codes for validation, Real-time bus arrival information

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Centrebus free?

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

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

First Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Centrebus averages 4.4 from 12 ratings.

### Do First Bus or Centrebus have ads?

First Bus shows ads; Centrebus does not.

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

First Bus ships an update weekly, and Centrebus every 2 months. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 24, 2026 and Centrebus on July 27, 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.*