First Bus vs City Explorer App
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.
City Explorer App
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Don’t just visit: discover the true soul of every city. City Explorer is your global storyteller, revealing stunning narratives across countless locations worldwide. Whether you are wandering through historic European centres, visiting India or uncovering local gems in your own backyard, we turn your travels into a rich, personal story. Feeling frustrated by missing out on a city’s real history? Stop skimming the surface. City Explorer acts as your knowledgeable local friend, ready to unveil the captivating stories woven into every street, building, and hidden corner. Unique stories, powered by AI: Our narratives are the result of a sophisticated synthesis process that harvests, verifies, and intelligently orchestrates data from global records. This approach ensures that every story is an authentic, high-quality experience tailored specifically to your journey. Why Explorers Choose Us: Captivating AI Narratives: Access rich historical and cultural context that brings every location to life. Worldwide Coverage in English: Explore virtually any city on the planet and listen to compelling stories in English, regardless of the local language. Listen While You Wander: Stay immersed in the city. Our high-quality text-to-speech audio narration allows for a hands-free, immersive experience. Seamless Navigation: Get clear, step-by-step directions for walking, driving, or public transport to your chosen spots. Personalised Itineraries: Create a list of your favourite places and let us craft a bespoke tour just for you. Choose Your Adventure: Free Tier: Spontaneous discovery of nearby points of interest. Basic navigation and up to 20 favourites. 3 Premium narrated stories per month. Premium (Standard & Plus): Global Search: Preview and plan trips for any city worldwide before you arrive. Advanced Planning: Create multi-stop tours with full navigation and arrival notifications. Extended Narrations: Significantly higher monthly allowances for premium audio stories. Important Note: City Explorer requires an active internet connection to access our vast database of global stories. While we strive for historical and factual accuracy, users can report any inaccuracies for instant story correction. Unlock the unseen. Experience the unforgettable. Download City Explorer today. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://cityexplorer.app/new/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: First Bus at none against City Explorer App's 9. City Explorer App's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. City Explorer App sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. First Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.
First Bus ships an update every 9 days, City Explorer App weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Bus | City Explorer App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 149 MB | 99 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FirstGroup Plc | Adam Manczuk |
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
City Explorer App
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Bus
No in-app purchases
City Explorer App
- Premium Standard Monthly3 Days trial$17.991 Month
- Premium Plus Monthly3 Days trial$34.991 Month
- Premium Standard Annual7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Premium Plus Annual7 Days trial$179.991 Year
- Story Boost bundle 25$2.99
- Story Boost Bundle 50$3.99
- Story Boost bundle 100$4.99
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- Routes Boost bundle 250$4.99
- Story Boost bundle 200$9.99
Questions
Is First Bus free?
Is City Explorer App free?
Do First Bus or City Explorer App have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Bus or City Explorer App?
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