First Bus vs South West Coast Path+
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.
South West Coast Path+
This app helps you plan, track, and document your journey along England's 630-mile National Trail. It features an interactive map, progress tracking, and a detailed guide to points of interest. Create a personal hiking diary and sync your data across devices for offline access.
- Interactive trail map with GPX overlay
- Progress tracking and segment distances
- Detailed guide to points of interest
- Personal hiking diary with notes
- Cloud sync across devices
- Offline map and guide access
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Explore England’s iconic 630-mile National Trail with this essential app for walkers and hikers. Whether you’re tackling the full trail or enjoying a coastal day hike, this app helps you plan, track, and document your journey along the South West Coast Path. Key features: - Interactive trail map with full GPX route overlay - Track your progress and view segment distances - Manual distance input for flexible tracking - Detailed guide to towns, villages, beaches, and points of interest - Trail stats including distance, elevation, and quick facts - Personal hiking diary with notes, dates, and location tags - Cloud sync to keep your entries across devices - Offline access to maps and guide content - Metric and imperial unit support - Secure user login for data storage Perfect for hikers, walkers, and outdoor adventurers exploring Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, and Dorset. Whether you're starting in Minehead or finishing in Poole, this app is your ideal trail companion. Download now and start your South West Coast Path adventure.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: South West Coast Path+ at 100% against First Bus's 22%. South West Coast Path+ also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). First Bus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 1). On price, monetization model and device support 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. South West Coast Path+ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. First Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.
South West Coast Path+ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of First Bus's written reviews are positive against 100% of South West Coast Path+'s.
First Bus ships an update every 9 days, South West Coast Path+ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Bus | South West Coast Path+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.2K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 22.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 150 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FirstGroup Plc | Natasha Wilson |
Customer experience
First Bus
South West Coast Path+
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
South West Coast Path+
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
First Bus
No in-app purchases
South West Coast Path+
- One-Time Unlock$4.99
Questions
Is First Bus free?
Is South West Coast Path+ free?
Which has better reviews, First Bus or South West Coast Path+?
Do First Bus or South West Coast Path+ have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Bus or South West Coast Path+?
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