# BusBus NYC vs RealTime Transit

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RealTime Transit at none against BusBus NYC's 1. BusBus NYC's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BusBus NYC sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RealTime Transit asks for nothing beyond the download.

BusBus NYC holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BusBus NYC has 73 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

BusBus NYC ships an update every 2 weeks, RealTime Transit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BusBus NYC | RealTime Transit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busbus-nyc/id568911309/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realtime-transit/id1540406664/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 73.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 15 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [MGS Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681684076) | [Aidin Tajadod](https://appshunter.io/developer/1121008033) |

## What reviewers say

### BusBus NYC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busbus-nyc/id568911309)

Track the real-time location of MTA buses in New York City. See exactly where your bus is on its route. Data availability is dependent on MTA's rollout of live tracking for all bus lines.

**Highlights:** Real-time bus location tracking, View bus routes, MTA bus data integration, Live updates

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BusBus Ad Free | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and straightforward interface
- 📍 Real-time bus tracking
- 🗺️ Visual representation of buses
- 💡 Unique feature to see run numbers
- ✅ Essential for many users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Significant lag and slowness
- 📍 Inaccurate bus locations (behind true location)
- ❓ No visual indicator for loading
- ❌ Missing many local bus routes
- ❌ Buses sometimes don't show up

**Reported bugs**

- Map is slow to load buses
- No visual indicator for loading status
- Buses appear several stops behind true location
- BxM (1&2) buses don't show in the Bronx
- Some local buses are missing (Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island)

**Requested features**

- Tagging or highlighting specific buses
- Addition of all routes, including local buses
- Refresh button that works consistently
- Option to type bus numbers
- Reduce refresh time for quicker updates


### RealTime Transit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realtime-transit/id1540406664)

Get real-time arrival predictions for buses and subways. Quickly check your favorite transit station's status to see if you'll make your connection. Supports numerous transit agencies across North America.

**Highlights:** Real-time arrival predictions, Supports multiple transit agencies, Quick station status checks, Extensive coverage in North America, Updates on transit schedules

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BusBus NYC free?

BusBus NYC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is RealTime Transit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BusBus NYC or RealTime Transit?

BusBus NYC is rated higher. BusBus NYC averages 4.0 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while RealTime Transit averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do BusBus NYC or RealTime Transit have ads?

Both BusBus NYC and RealTime Transit show ads.

### Which is updated more often, BusBus NYC or RealTime Transit?

BusBus NYC ships an update every 2 weeks, and RealTime Transit every 2 months. Most recently, BusBus NYC was updated on October 26, 2026 and RealTime Transit on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*