Comparison

First Bus vs CabTime Passenger

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

CabTime Passenger

Book local taxis and airport transfers on-demand. Securely pay for your rides, track your journey in real-time, and manage all your bookings within the app for a seamless travel experience.

Highlights
  • Book local taxis
  • Airport transfers
  • Secure payment
  • Real-time ride tracking
  • Manage bookings
Features
Read full description

Download the CabTime passenger app to book Reading Taxis on-demand. We provide local taxis in Reading, Berkshire, airport transfers, business class, and chauffeur services around the UK. For additional information, please visit our website. Our app allows you to book and pay securely. Track your ride for a hassle-free experience and manage your bookings all on this app.

Screenshots

First Bus4 screens
CabTime Passenger4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: CabTime Passenger at none against First Bus's shown. CabTime Passenger also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 23%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). First Bus's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, CabTime Passenger every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
First Bus versus CabTime Passenger: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFirst BusCabTime Passenger
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews22.8% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.2K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size149 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFirstGroup Plce9ine

Customer experience

First Bus

All ratings2,215 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews879 reviews
Positive22.8%
Neutral11.6%
Negative65.6%

CabTime Passenger

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

CabTime Passenger

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

First Bus

No in-app purchases

None

CabTime Passenger

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is First Bus free?
First Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CabTime Passenger free?
CabTime Passenger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do First Bus or CabTime Passenger have ads?
First Bus shows ads; CabTime Passenger does not.
Which is updated more often, First Bus or CabTime Passenger?
First Bus ships an update every 9 days, and CabTime Passenger every 3 months. Most recently, First Bus was updated on October 15, 2026 and CabTime Passenger on September 24, 2026.

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