# First Bus vs Cardiff Bus

The clearest difference is ads: Cardiff Bus at none against First Bus's shown. Cardiff Bus also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (45% vs 23%). First Bus's advantage is ratings volume (2.2K vs 67). On price, rating, update cadence 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 Cardiff Bus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 45% of Cardiff Bus's.

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, Cardiff Bus fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | Cardiff Bus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews) | **[4.8 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardiff-bus/id670910962/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 67 |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | **45.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 149 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) | [Cardiff City Transport Services Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1324513294) |

## 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


### Cardiff Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardiff-bus/id670910962)

Plan your travel around Cardiff with real-time bus information. View live departures, plan journeys, and access timetables. Track contactless payments and save your favorite routes for easy access.

**Highlights:** Live departures, Journey planning, Timetables, Contactless journey tracking, Favorite stops and routes, Disruption alerts

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and understand
- 📍 Real-time bus tracking
- ✅ Accurate arrival/departure times
- ❤️ Useful for planning trips
- 💯 Great for disabled travelers

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Unreliable service
- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- ⏳ Inaccurate bus times
- 🚫 Buses not showing up
- 💸 Overcharging/double charging

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iOS 16.2 when zooming
- App freezes or shuts down automatically
- App not working, unable to buy tickets
- Error 504, monthly ticket not showing
- Bus tracking not working

**Requested features**

- Offline version of the app
- Show timetable for tomorrow morning
- Ability to refund or gift unused tickets
- Use phone's GPS for nearest stops
- Input destination address for journey planner


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is Cardiff Bus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First Bus or Cardiff Bus?

Cardiff Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Cardiff Bus averages 4.8 from 67 ratings.

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

First Bus shows ads; Cardiff Bus does not.

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

First Bus ships an update every 9 days, and Cardiff Bus fortnightly. Most recently, First Bus was updated on October 18, 2026 and Cardiff Bus on October 17, 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.*