First Bus vs MCard Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Journey planning
- Live bus tracking
- Digital ticket purchasing
- Save favorite stops
- Departure board
- Gifting tickets
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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.
MCard Mobile
Purchase bus and rail tickets for various age groups directly on your phone. Avoid the need for physical smartcards or cash, with tickets accessible 24/7. Accepted across all operator services in West Yorkshire.
- Daily, weekly, monthly ticket purchase
- Digital tickets on phone
- Accepted on all West Yorkshire operators
- Supports adult, child, student tickets
- 24/7 availability
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Buy daily, weekly or monthly bus and rail tickets for adults, children, students and young people. Available 24/7, tickets appear in your phone, so no need for a smartcard or cash any more. All MCard tickets are accepted on all operator services in West Yorkshire, including First, Arriva, and Transdev. If you buy a discounted Under 19 or 19-25 or Student ticket, you may be asked for proof of eligibility when you travel. You can show your Under 16, 16-18, 19-25 or Student PhotoCard or an NUS card, driver’s licence or passport. Mature full-time students need to show their 19-25 or Student PhotoCard. For an easier way to get around West Yorkshire, get on board with MCard Mobile. Happy travelling!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: First Bus at 4.7 against MCard Mobile's 1.0. First Bus also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 1). MCard Mobile's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). 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
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 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 1, 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 5% of MCard Mobile's.
First Bus ships an update weekly, MCard Mobile every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Bus | MCard Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews — better | 4.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 154 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FirstGroup Plc | Yorcard Limited |
Customer experience
First Bus
MCard Mobile
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
MCard Mobile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Bus
No in-app purchases
MCard Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Bus free?
Is MCard Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, First Bus or MCard Mobile?
Do First Bus or MCard Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Bus or MCard Mobile?
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