# First Bus vs MCard Mobile

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | MCard Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcard-mobile/id1520155059/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **22.8% of reviews** | 4.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 154 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [Yorcard Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448376244) |

## 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


### MCard Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcard-mobile/id1520155059)

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.

**Highlights:** Daily, weekly, monthly ticket purchase, Digital tickets on phone, Accepted on all West Yorkshire operators, Supports adult, child, student tickets, 24/7 availability

**Features:** 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 MCard Mobile free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First Bus or MCard Mobile?

First Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while MCard Mobile averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do First Bus or MCard Mobile have ads?

First Bus shows ads; MCard Mobile does not.

### Which is updated more often, First Bus or MCard Mobile?

First Bus ships an update weekly, and MCard Mobile every 3 months. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 24, 2026 and MCard Mobile on September 25, 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.*