First Bus vs Scottish Citylink
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 mobile tickets. This app offers personalized tools for a convenient travel experience, including route planning, live bus tracking, and secure payment options for digital tickets.
- Real-time bus tracking
- Journey planning and route finder
- Mobile ticket purchasing and activation
- Save favorite stops and services
- Secure payment management
- Departure board with filtering
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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.
Scottish Citylink
Book coach tickets and plan your journeys across over 200 destinations with real-time updates and easy payment options. Track your coach live and receive service notifications for a stress-free travel experience.
- Book coach tickets easily
- Real-time coach tracking
- Live departure and arrival times
- Secure payment options
- Push notifications for service updates
- Access tickets in 'My Ticket' section
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Book coach tickets and plan your travel on the brand new Citylink Travel App. Travel in comfort and style with our reliable network of coaches that connect over 200 destinations. With real-time updates, easy booking, and secure payment options, your journey will be stress-free from start to finish. Our spacious seating and onboard amenities are designed to make your trips enjoyable and memorable. Features: Buy your coach tickets easily through our app with just a few taps. Tickets booked through the app are automatically added to your My Ticket section for easy access. Use on handy coach tracker to track your coach in real-time and monitor live departure and arrival times – it really is that simple! Pay for your tickets using Google Pay, Apple Pay and by card. Push notifications for service updates, delays, and promotions. Feedback and customer service support options for reporting issues and providing suggestions. Planning a trip has never been easier. Download the app and start your journey today!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: First Bus at 4.7 against Scottish Citylink's 2.3. First Bus also leads on ratings volume (2.2K vs 6) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). Scottish Citylink's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). 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
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 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 6, 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 8% of Scottish Citylink's.
First Bus ships an update every 9 days, Scottish Citylink every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Bus | Scottish Citylink |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.2K ratings) — better | 2.3 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 22.5% of reviews — better | 8.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 143 MB | 176 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FirstGroup Plc | v-Apps UK |
Customer experience
First Bus
Scottish Citylink
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
Scottish Citylink
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Bus
No in-app purchases
Scottish Citylink
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Bus free?
Is Scottish Citylink free?
Which has better reviews, First Bus or Scottish Citylink?
Do First Bus or Scottish Citylink have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Bus or Scottish Citylink?
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