# First Bus vs GoPass

The clearest difference is ads: GoPass at none against First Bus's shown. GoPass 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 (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support 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 GoPass. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GoPass has 87K ratings behind it against 2.2K, 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 50% of GoPass's.

First Bus ships an update weekly, GoPass every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | GoPass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews) | **[4.8 (87K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gopass/id673970506/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K | **87K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | **50.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#189** |
| Size | 154 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [DART/The T/DCTA](https://appshunter.io/developer/673970589) |

## 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


### GoPass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gopass/id673970506)

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

This app simplifies public transit by allowing users to purchase and store mobile tickets for multiple transit agencies. It offers real-time trip planning, navigation, and a digital wallet for convenient payments.

**Highlights:** Mobile ticketing, Real-time trip planning, Digital GoPass Wallet, Cash to mobile option, Save favorite routes

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Convenient ticket purchasing
- 👍 User-friendly app
- 🚀 Seamless trip planning
- 🚀 Reliable service
- 👍 Great customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent ride times
- 🐛 Unreliable route information
- 🐛 Buggy app performance
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Expensive fares

**Reported bugs**

- Login/registration issues
- Disappearing user profiles
- Inaccurate route planning
- Unreliable fare activation

**Requested features**

- Live bus/train tracking
- Ability to save favorite routes
- Integration with Apple Wallet
- Notifications for delays or service changes
- Printable ticket receipts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is GoPass free?

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

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

GoPass is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while GoPass averages 4.8 from 87K ratings.

### Do First Bus or GoPass have ads?

First Bus shows ads; GoPass does not.

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

First Bus ships an update weekly, and GoPass every 3 months. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 26, 2026 and GoPass on September 27, 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.*