# First Bus vs UK Bus Checker

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: First Bus at none against UK Bus Checker's 1. First Bus also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and ratings volume (2.2K vs 91). UK Bus Checker's advantage is review sentiment (35% vs 23%). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. UK Bus Checker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. First Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for First Bus against 4.6 for UK Bus Checker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First Bus has 2.2K ratings behind it against 91, 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 35% of UK Bus Checker's.

First Bus ships an update weekly, UK Bus Checker monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Bus | UK Bus Checker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-bus/id566586379/reviews)** | [4.6 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uk-bus-checker/id899757264/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 91 |
| Positive reviews | 22.8% of reviews | **34.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 154 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FirstGroup Plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/566586382) | [UrbanThings Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/339540256) |

## 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


### UK Bus Checker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uk-bus-checker/id899757264)

Plan bus and public transport journeys across Great Britain. Get real-time arrival information, see how busy services are, and purchase mobile tickets. Supports buses, trains, trams, and more.

**Highlights:** Journey planning, Real-time bus information, Mobile ticket purchasing, Live bus times, Service occupancy indicators, Multi-modal transport support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove the Ads (discounted) | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Real-time bus tracking and location visibility
- 🌍 Comprehensive UK-wide bus coverage
- 👴 Easy to use interface for all ages
- 💾 Ability to save favorite bus stops
- 📍 Accurate bus arrival times (when working)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Intrusive full-screen unskippable ads
- ⏱️ Ads too long (30-60 seconds)
- 💰 Expensive ad-free subscription (£6.99)
- 🔴 Inaccurate real-time bus information
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to load nearby bus stops
- Buses disappear from app 2 minutes before arrival
- Incorrect bus timing predictions (off by 5-10 minutes)
- App doesn't recognize saved bus stops
- Location placed incorrectly on map

**Requested features**

- Shorter or less frequent ads
- Ad-free subscription option
- Widget support for quick access
- Apple Watch app
- Cloud synchronization for saved stops


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Bus free?

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

### Is UK Bus Checker free?

UK Bus Checker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, First Bus or UK Bus Checker?

First Bus is rated higher. First Bus averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while UK Bus Checker averages 4.6 from 91 ratings.

### Do First Bus or UK Bus Checker have ads?

Both First Bus and UK Bus Checker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Bus or UK Bus Checker?

First Bus ships an update weekly, and UK Bus Checker monthly. Most recently, First Bus was updated on September 26, 2026 and UK Bus Checker on September 28, 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.*