Comparison

Translink Planner vs Brisbane Rail Map Lite

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

Head to head
About

Translink Planner

Plan bus, coach, and rail journeys across Northern Ireland and border regions. Get real-time travel updates, view departure boards, and purchase tickets for specific rail services. Features include interactive planning, ticket storage, and personalized alerts.

Highlights
  • Interactive journey planning
  • Purchase NI Railways tickets
  • In-app ticket wallet
  • Real-time departure boards
  • Personalized travel updates
  • Accessible planning options
Features
Read full description

Plan Northern Ireland and cross border bus, coach and rail journeys with the Translink Journey Planner. Plan from any stop, station or address, see your next departures and get the latest travel updates from Metro, Glider, Ulsterbus, Goldline, NI Railways and Enterprise services. You can also buy single, day return and 3 day select tickets for NI Railways journeys. Features include: - Fully interactive journey planning - Buy single, day return and 3 day Select tickets for NI Railways services - Store purchased tickets within the app wallet - ‘Next Service’ departure board - Plan with Park and ride and bike journeys - Personalised travel updates - Accessible planning - Interactive map planning with real-time Metro and Glider location and a tracking feature - Quick planning using your current location, favourite stops and recent searches - CO2 journey saving calculation

About

Brisbane Rail Map Lite

Navigate public transit with a beautiful, clear map and route planner. Find the fastest way to your destination, view station details, and switch between day and night modes. Includes GPS support to locate nearby stations.

Highlights
  • Beautiful and clear route map
  • Fastest route planner with transfers
  • Stations index and lookup
  • Day and night map modes
  • GPS for nearby stations
  • High-resolution graphics
  • Rotate and zoom functionality
Features
Read full description

Rail & Subway Map is a clear and concise route map that features: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RAIL MAP - representing the state of the art in information design. ROUTE PLANNER - instantly finds the fastest route and displays it on the map including transfer stations. STATIONS INDEX - quickly jump to any station. LINES OVERVIEW - shows the order of stations on each line with transit options. DAY and NIGHT MAPS - for easy legibility switching between a light and dark version of the map is possible. This can also be done automatically depending on the time of day. GPS SUPPORT - find the station closest to you. HIGH RESOLUTION GRAPHICS - looks stunning on retina displays. ROTATE and ZOOM - hold your device any way you want. UNIVERSAL APP - optimized for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. LARGE MAP - includes the most important stations STATION LOOKUP - search for a station by name APPLE MAPS INTEGRATION - lookup your route directly from Apple Maps The LITE-Version is fully functional but needs an internet connection. If you like the app but need offline access you can get the regular version for a big discount. (Only for limited time!) ========= Disclaimer: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Translink Planner4 screens
Brisbane Rail Map Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Brisbane Rail Map Lite at 50% against Translink Planner's 19%. Brisbane Rail Map Lite also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Translink Planner ships an update every 6 months, Brisbane Rail Map Lite every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Translink Planner versus Brisbane Rail Map Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTranslink PlannerBrisbane Rail Map Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (215 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews18.5% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings215 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUlsterbus LtdUrban-Map

Customer experience

Translink Planner

All ratings168 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative11.3%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive18.5%
Neutral8.9%
Negative72.6%

Brisbane Rail Map Lite

Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Translink Planner

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • App crashes on iPhone during ticket purchase
  • Password reset emails not received
  • Unable to renew or change passwords
  • Journey planner adds unnecessary stops and complications
  • Bus stops disappear when zooming in on map
Show 12 more
  • Location loading blocks text input
  • App doesn't refresh automatically without returning to start page
  • Tickets purchased not visible in app
  • Cannot book tickets for multiple passengers
  • Concession tickets unavailable on mobile
  • Inconsistent journey suggestions vs actual timetables
  • Bus times don't match timetable posters at stops
  • Cancelled buses don't show as cancelled, just disappear
  • App shows buses arriving but they never show up
  • Incorrect fare calculations and pricing display
  • Unable to access certain routes (e.g., Kilkeel from bus centre)
  • Timetable PDFs show 'page not found' error

Requested features

18 requests
  • Unified app for journey planning AND ticket purchasing
  • Live bus tracking with real-time location updates
  • Ability to view actual departure times instead of countdown minutes
  • Show actual time alongside minutes remaining
  • Complaint/feedback option for late or cancelled services
Show 13 more
  • Simple timetable view without complex journey planning
  • Live delay and cancellation notifications
  • Apple Watch compatibility
  • Exclude walking time option in journey results
  • Direct access to timetables from home page
  • Show platform/stop information for transfers
  • One-click bus tracking from schedule view
  • Ability to book tickets for groups over 10 people
  • Support for concession tickets on mobile devices
  • Better accessibility for tourists and non-locals
  • Contactless card payment on vehicles
  • Extended booking window beyond 3 weeks
  • Proper ticket visibility after purchase

Brisbane Rail Map Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Translink Planner

No in-app purchases

None

Brisbane Rail Map Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Translink Planner free?
Translink Planner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brisbane Rail Map Lite free?
Brisbane Rail Map Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Translink Planner or Brisbane Rail Map Lite have ads?
Neither Translink Planner nor Brisbane Rail Map Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Translink Planner or Brisbane Rail Map Lite?
Translink Planner ships an update every 6 months, and Brisbane Rail Map Lite every 2 months. Most recently, Translink Planner was updated on October 13, 2026 and Brisbane Rail Map Lite on October 9, 2026.

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