# MAD Next Bus vs Transit.Tracker

The clearest difference is rating: Transit.Tracker at 4.5 against MAD Next Bus's 2.0. Transit.Tracker also leads on ratings volume (3.4K vs 17) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MAD Next Bus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Transit.Tracker sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Transit.Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Transit.Tracker has 3.4K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 21% and 20% positive.

MAD Next Bus ships an update every 6 weeks, Transit.Tracker every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 20, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MAD Next Bus | Transit.Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mad-next-bus/id579770184/reviews) | **[4.5 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transittracker/id659183692/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **3.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **20.8% of reviews** | 20.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Junebot, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/488580697) | [Raging Coders](https://appshunter.io/developer/445229278) |

## What reviewers say

### MAD Next Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mad-next-bus/id579770184)

Find nearby bus stops and get real-time arrival information for Madison Metro Transit. Use your location or map navigation to discover stops, view routes, and save your favorites. An optional in-app purchase can remove ads.

**Highlights:** Location-based bus stop identification, Real-time bus arrival information, Map navigation for stop discovery, View bus routes, Save favorite stops, Ad removal in-app purchase

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MAD Next Bus - No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### Transit.Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transittracker/id659183692)

Plan your journeys and track public transit in real-time. Find nearby stations, view departure times, and get turn-by-turn navigation. Supports numerous transit agencies across multiple metro areas.

**Highlights:** Real-time vehicle tracking, Scheduled departure times, Nearest station finder, Built-in trip planner, Multi-metro area support, Today Widget and Watch App integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Transfer Ticket | $0.99 | one-time |
| 40 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 Tokens | $1.99 | one-time |
| 180 Tokens | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ad Free | $3.99 | one-time |
| 400 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for trip planning
- 💡 Useful for commuters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate route and schedule information
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate
- 💰 Mandatory ads and paid features
- 🕰️ Unreliable real-time tracking

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes or crashes frequently
- Incorrect route and schedule data
- Issues with restoring paid upgrades
- Location services not working properly

**Requested features**

- Improve real-time bus/train tracking
- Expand coverage to more cities
- Add more customization options
- Fix bugs and crashes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MAD Next Bus free?

MAD Next Bus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Transit.Tracker free?

Transit.Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MAD Next Bus or Transit.Tracker?

Transit.Tracker is rated higher. MAD Next Bus averages 2.0 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Transit.Tracker averages 4.5 from 3.4K ratings.

### Do MAD Next Bus or Transit.Tracker have ads?

Both MAD Next Bus and Transit.Tracker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MAD Next Bus or Transit.Tracker?

MAD Next Bus ships an update every 6 weeks, and Transit.Tracker every 2 months. Most recently, MAD Next Bus was updated on August 20, 2026 and Transit.Tracker on September 21, 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.*