# Headway vs PHL Next Bus

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Headway | PHL Next Bus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headway-live-train-tracker/id6781694344/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nick Faughey](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781694346) | [Junebot, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/488580697) |

## What reviewers say

### Headway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headway-live-train-tracker/id6781694344)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Headway Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Headway Pro (1 Year) | $19.99 | per year |
| Small tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### PHL Next Bus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phl-next-bus/id6796686848)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Headway free?

Headway is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PHL Next Bus free?

PHL Next Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Headway or PHL Next Bus have ads?

PHL Next Bus shows ads; Headway does not.

### Which is updated more often, Headway or PHL Next Bus?

Headway ships an update every 2 weeks, and PHL Next Bus every 11 days. Most recently, Headway was updated on October 15, 2026 and PHL Next Bus on October 13, 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.*