Headway vs PHL Next Bus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Headway
Track passenger trains from nine U.S. railroads in real-time on a single map. See live positions, delay status, and scheduled times for your commute or travel. Bookmark favorite trains and stations for quick access.
- Live train positions on map
- Real-time delay status
- Detailed train route information
- Station departure boards
- Bookmark trains and stations
- Filter and sort by route/line
- Dark Mode and Dynamic Type
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Headway puts live passenger trains from 18 U.S. rail agencies on one map. Whether you're catching the Acela home, riding the LIRR out to Montauk, or waiting on a Metro-North train upstate, you'll see exactly where your train is and whether it's on schedule. AGENCIES COVERED Amtrak (nationwide), Brightline, Caltrain, Metra, Metrolink, MARC, SEPTA Regional Rail, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), MBTA Commuter Rail, Tri-Rail, RTD Denver, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Metro-North, NJ Transit, Austin CapMetro Rail, Utah FrontRunner, Chicago South Shore Line, and Nashville WeGo Star. Choose which ones you follow in Settings. WHAT YOU CAN DO • See every active train across the agencies you follow, updating in near real time • See a train's live speed as it moves, where the agency reports it • Check any train's 7-day on-time record and typical delay • Color-coded delay status at a glance — green, yellow, orange, red • Tap any train for its full route, stops, scheduled vs. actual times, and live position • Browse stations with live departure boards — what's coming, and when • Bookmark your regular trains and stations for one-tap status checks • Filter and sort by route, line, or delay • Search by train number or route name • Choose between standard, satellite, and hybrid Apple Maps • Full Dark Mode and Dynamic Type support PRIVACY Your location stays on your device — if you grant location permission, your position is rendered locally and never leaves your phone. Headway has no accounts, no third-party analytics, and no advertising. If the app crashes, it sends Apple's anonymous diagnostic report to help us fix bugs — no identity, no location, no usage history. Full policy at axismaps.ai/headway/privacy. ABOUT THE DATA Train positions, schedules, and delays come from each agency's public real-time feed. Headway doesn't alter train positions or times — what you see is what the agency is publishing. Headway is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these agencies.
PHL Next Bus
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PHL Next Bus shows real-time arrival predictions for SEPTA in one fast, simple app — buses and trolleybuses, the Metro network (Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line, Norristown High Speed Line and the trolleys), and Regional Rail. Open the map to see stops around you, tap any stop for the next arrivals, and save the stops you use most as favorites for instant access. Regional Rail stations show live departures with line, destination and track. Includes a companion Apple Watch app plus a Home Screen widget and Watch complication, so your next ride is always a glance away. Data provided by SEPTA.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PHL Next Bus at none against Headway's 5. PHL Next Bus also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Headway's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Headway sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. PHL Next Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.
Headway ships an update every 2 weeks, PHL Next Bus every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Headway | PHL Next Bus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nick Faughey | Junebot, LLC |
In-app purchases
Headway
- Headway Pro (Monthly)$2.991 Month
- Headway Pro (1 Year)$19.991 Year
- Small tip$1.99
- Medium tip$4.99
- Large tip$9.99
PHL Next Bus
No in-app purchases






