Comparison

OpenStop vs Live Departures

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

Head to head
About

OpenStop

Features
Read full description

The goal of the app is to collect barrier data in public transportation with your help and make it available on OpenStreetMap so that EVERYONE can benefit from it. By asking simple questions about stops, the app enables citizens to collect data in their surroundings in an accessible way. The data shall be the foundation for better routing especially for impaired people and lead to a renovation of non accessible stops, as well as many other things we ourselves can't even imagine right now. Thank you for your contribution to better public transportation :)

About

Live Departures

Features
Read full description

You're standing at the stop and you want to know one thing: when does the next train leave? Live Departures shows exactly that. Tap a stop, see the departures. No sign-up, no ads, no ticket shop, no detours. SWITZERLAND AND GERMANY IN ONE APP Most apps cover one country. This one covers both. A single tap in the menu switches between Switzerland and Germany — each with its own favourites. YOUR STOPS, RIGHT AT THE TOP The app remembers the stops you use, and the most recent one always sits at the top. Nothing to create, sort or manage. WHAT YOU SEE • Line, destination and departure time in real time • Delays (!) and cancellations (X) at a glance • Track, bay or pier — depending on the mode of transport • Green dot: this trip is tracked live • Intermediate stops with times — tap any train • Refreshes every 60 seconds NEARBY New city? The arrow icon finds the stops around you. THE WAY YOU LIKE IT German or English. Orange or white accent. Times as a countdown (3') or as the clock (14:32). Set once, kept for good. NO ACCOUNT, NO TRACKING No account, no analytics, no ads. Favourites and settings stay on your device. DATA SOURCES Switzerland: transport.opendata.ch — every Swiss operator Germany: Transitous — a community service built on GTFS/DELFI feeds Both public and free, no API key required. Good to know: Live Departures shows departure boards, not A-to-B journey planning. Live data needs an internet connection.

Screenshots

OpenStop4 screens
Live Departures4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Live Departures at monthly against OpenStop's every 8 months. OpenStop's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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

OpenStop ships an update every 8 months, Live Departures monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
OpenStop versus Live Departures: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenStopLive Departures
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTechnische Universitaet ChemnitzMartin Haas

In-app purchases

None

OpenStop

No in-app purchases

None

Live Departures

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenStop free?
OpenStop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Live Departures free?
Live Departures is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do OpenStop or Live Departures have ads?
Neither OpenStop nor Live Departures shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenStop or Live Departures?
OpenStop ships an update every 8 months, and Live Departures monthly. Most recently, OpenStop was updated on October 4, 2026 and Live Departures on October 15, 2026.

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