# ACE vs NCTX Buses

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NCTX Buses at 57% against ACE's 37%. NCTX Buses also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ACE ships an update every 2 months, NCTX Buses fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ACE | NCTX Buses |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.9 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nctx-buses/id952687024/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **64** |
| Positive reviews | 36.7% of reviews | **57.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 194 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AJDSL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732053146) | [Nottingham City Transport Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/463231931) |

## What reviewers say

### ACE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ace-abc-taxis/id635257539)

Easily book a taxi for immediate or scheduled pick-ups. Track your vehicle in real-time, receive status updates, and pay conveniently with cash or card. Save your favorite locations for faster bookings.

**Highlights:** Order a taxi, Cancel a booking, Track vehicle on map, Real-time notifications, Cash or card payment, Scheduled pick-ups, Favorite pick-up points

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### NCTX Buses

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nctx-buses/id952687024)

Plan your journeys, view live bus departures, and purchase mobile tickets for NCT services. Access timetables, save favorite routes, and stay updated on service disruptions.

**Highlights:** Mobile ticket purchase, Live departure times, Journey planning, Bus timetables, Save favorite routes, Service disruption alerts

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Real-time bus tracking
- 👍 Useful travel planning
- 👍 Convenient mobile tickets
- 👍 24-hour tickets save money
- 👍 Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buses often late
- 🐛 App logs users out
- 🐛 Buses disappear from tracker
- 🐛 Mobile tickets fail to scan
- 🐛 App drains phone battery

**Reported bugs**

- App keeps logging users out
- App locks users out for extended periods
- Buses not arriving on time
- Buses disappearing from the app's tracker
- Mobile tickets failing to scan

**Requested features**

- Ability to rearrange favourites
- Setting to display time of day and minutes until next bus
- Integration with Apple Wallet/Google Pay for bus passes
- Option to display cancelled buses in real-time
- Separate timetables for different route variations (e.g., 79 and 79a)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ACE free?

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

### Is NCTX Buses free?

NCTX Buses is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do ACE or NCTX Buses have ads?

Neither ACE nor NCTX Buses shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ACE or NCTX Buses?

ACE ships an update every 2 months, and NCTX Buses fortnightly. Most recently, ACE was updated on October 15, 2026 and NCTX Buses on November 1, 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.*