Comparison

Next Departure vs NextTrain Bay Area

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Next Departure

Find the next bus or train departure from any public transportation stop in Switzerland. It uses your location to show relevant stops and departures towards your chosen destination. Customize the display with four unique styles and access information via widgets and an Apple Watch app.

Highlights
  • Real-time departure times
  • Location-based stop suggestions
  • Destination-specific searches
  • Customizable display styles
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
  • Apple Watch app
  • iCloud device synchronization
Features
Read full description

Next Departure displays the next departure times for a specific public transportation stop in Switzerland toward a destination: • Next Departure relies on the phone's location to display the most relevant stop. • The Board lists the next departures from every stop near you toward a destination. • Four styles for your trips, the Board and the widgets: Screen, LED, Paper and Split-flap. • When you add a trip, see the lines leaving your stop and every stop they serve. • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, and an Apple Watch app. • All stops are synchronized across devices using iCloud. Next Departure uses the search.ch timetable API (https://search.ch/timetable/api/help) and is only available in Switzerland.

About

NextTrain Bay Area

This app provides real-time departure information for AC Transit buses in the Bay Area. It features a clean interface for quick access to upcoming departures and live updates, making it easy for commuters to catch their bus without missing it.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus departure information
  • Favorite stop tracking
  • Live update notifications
  • Simple and clean interface
  • Pull to refresh functionality
  • No account required
Features
Read full description

Next Train Transit makes catching your AC Transit bus simple and stress-free. Get real-time departure information for your favorite stops with just a tap. Key Features: • View upcoming departures for any AC Transit stop • See real-time updates when available • Clean, simple interface designed for quick access • Pull to refresh for the latest information • No account required - just open and go Perfect for daily commuters, students, and anyone who relies on AC Transit in the East Bay. Never miss your bus again! Next Train Transit respects your privacy - we don't collect any personal information or track your location. The app simply displays publicly available transit data when you need it.

Screenshots

Next Departure4 screens
NextTrain Bay Area4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: NextTrain Bay Area at weekly against Next Departure's every 2 months. On price, rating, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Next Departure against 5.0 for NextTrain Bay Area. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Next Departure ships an update every 2 months, NextTrain Bay Area weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Next Departure versus NextTrain Bay Area: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNext DepartureNextTrain Bay Area
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJean BovetElliot Plant

Customer experience

Next Departure

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NextTrain Bay Area

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Next Departure

No in-app purchases

None

NextTrain Bay Area

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Next Departure free?
Next Departure is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NextTrain Bay Area free?
NextTrain Bay Area is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Next Departure or NextTrain Bay Area?
Next Departure and NextTrain Bay Area are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Next Departure or NextTrain Bay Area have ads?
Neither Next Departure nor NextTrain Bay Area shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Next Departure or NextTrain Bay Area?
Next Departure ships an update every 2 months, and NextTrain Bay Area weekly. Most recently, Next Departure was updated on November 4, 2026 and NextTrain Bay Area on November 5, 2026.

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