MAD Next Bus vs Madison Bus Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MAD Next Bus
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
MAD Next Bus shows real-time bus arrival predictions for Madison, powered by live Madison Metro data. See nearby stops on the map, tap any stop for the next buses, and save favorites for quick access. Service alerts keep you posted on detours and delays. Rebuilt from the ground up for the latest iOS, MAD Next Bus now includes a companion Apple Watch app plus a Home Screen widget and Watch complication. Data provided by Madison Metro.
Madison Bus Tracker
Track buses in real-time with live updates on arrival times, delays, and routes. Bookmark your favorite stops for quick access to schedules and never miss your bus again.
- Real-time bus tracking
- Live arrival time updates
- Delay notifications
- Route information
- Favorite stop bookmarking
Read full descriptionHide full description
Madison Bus Tracker Never Miss Your Bus Again! your ultimate companion for seamless public transit in Madison! Track buses in real-time, and say goodbye to waiting endlessly at stops. Key Features: Real-Time Tracking: Get live updates on bus arrival times, delays, and routes—no more guessing! Favorite Stops: Bookmark your frequently used stops for instant access to schedules. This data is provided and owned by Metro Transit and we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Madison Bus Tracker at 3.8 against MAD Next Bus's 2.0. Madison Bus Tracker also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). MAD Next Bus's advantage is review sentiment (21% vs 0%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. MAD Next Bus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Madison Bus Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
Madison Bus Tracker holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 12 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of MAD Next Bus's written reviews are positive against 0% of Madison Bus Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
MAD Next Bus ships an update every 6 weeks, Madison Bus Tracker every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MAD Next Bus | Madison Bus Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (17 ratings) | 3.8 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 20.8% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Junebot, LLC | 婧嘉 郭 |
Customer experience
MAD Next Bus
Madison Bus Tracker
In-app purchases
MAD Next Bus
- MAD Next Bus - No Ads$2.99
Madison Bus Tracker
No in-app purchases
