# First Bus vs Swindon Bus

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Swindon Bus at 62% against First Bus's 23%. Swindon Bus 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 fortnightly). 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 ships an update weekly, Swindon Bus fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Swindon Bus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | **61.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 154 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [The Go-Ahead Group plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566501475) |

## 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


### Swindon Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swindon-bus/id1556029635)

Plan your journeys, view live departures, and purchase mobile tickets for bus travel in Swindon. Access timetables, save favorites, and stay updated on service disruptions.

**Highlights:** Mobile ticket purchase, Live departure times, Route planning, Timetable access, Favorite routes and stops, Service disruption alerts

**Features:** Apple Wallet, 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 Swindon Bus free?

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

### Do First Bus or Swindon Bus have ads?

First Bus shows ads; Swindon Bus does not.

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

First Bus ships an update weekly, and Swindon Bus fortnightly. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 24, 2026 and Swindon Bus on September 19, 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.*