# First Bus vs Bus & Tram

The clearest difference is ads: Bus & Tram at none against First Bus's shown. Bus & Tram also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). First Bus's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 233). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for First Bus against 4.8 for Bus & Tram. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 233, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 15% of Bus & Tram's.

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, Bus & Tram monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Bus & Tram |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews) | **[4.8 (233 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bus-and-tram/id6468092588/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 233 |
| Positive reviews | **22.5% of reviews** | 15.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 150 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [Lothian Buses plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/548308171) |

## 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


### Bus & Tram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bus-and-tram/id6468092588)

Plan your bus and tram journeys in Edinburgh and the Lothians with real-time arrival information. Purchase mobile tickets directly within the app and receive live updates on delays and diversions.

**Highlights:** Journey planning with interactive map, Real-time bus and tram arrival times, Mobile ticket purchasing, Live travel and service updates, Customizable route suggestions, Service notifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improved layout and UI
- 💡 Ability to purchase tickets in-app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙁 Worse than previous app
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive navigation
- 🔍 Harder to find bus schedules and routes
- 🕰️ Live departure times not accurate
- 🗺️ Poor map integration and functionality

**Reported bugs**

- App refreshes when switching away
- Address search returns irrelevant results

**Requested features**

- Bring back 'take me home' button
- Allow saving of favorite stops without login
- Integrate live departure times with route planning
- Improve map view to show bus locations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Bus & Tram free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First Bus or Bus & Tram?

Bus & Tram is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Bus & Tram averages 4.8 from 233 ratings.

### Do First Bus or Bus & Tram have ads?

First Bus shows ads; Bus & Tram does not.

### Which is updated more often, First Bus or Bus & Tram?

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, and Bus & Tram monthly. Most recently, First Bus was updated on October 29, 2026 and Bus & Tram on October 30, 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.*