# Norway Lights vs Ruter

The clearest difference is rating: Ruter at 4.8 against Norway Lights's 1.5. Ruter also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 20%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 30 months). Norway Lights's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Ruter holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ruter has 3.8K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Norway Lights's written reviews are positive against 51% of Ruter's.

Norway Lights ships an update every 30 months, Ruter weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Norway Lights | Ruter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/norway-lights/id717106363/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruter/id993620197/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | **50.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Visit Norway](https://appshunter.io/developer/717106366) | [Ruter As](https://appshunter.io/developer/581486549) |

## What reviewers say

### Norway Lights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/norway-lights/id717106363)

This travel guide provides a user-friendly forecast for experiencing the northern lights in Norway. It offers a 3-day extended forecast, hourly predictions, and recommendations on the best times and locations to see the aurora borealis. The app also includes tips for photography and travel planning.

**Highlights:** 3-day extended forecast, Hourly forecast, Northern light activity recommendations, Aurora facts, Interactive map, Photography tips

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ruter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruter/id993620197)

Plan your journeys and purchase tickets for public transport in Oslo and Akershus. This app provides real-time departure information, route planning, and allows you to see vehicle locations and crowding levels. It also offers options for renting e-scooters, e-bikes, and city bikes.

**Highlights:** Plan journeys from A to B, Buy tickets for public transport, Real-time departure times, Live vehicle tracking, See crowding information, Rent e-scooters and bikes

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Smooth and easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for navigating public transport
- 🚀 Provides real-time updates on bus/train arrivals
- 💡 Allows purchasing tickets within the app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with account registration, especially for non-Norwegian phone numbers
- 🐛 Unreliable real-time arrival information
- 🔍 Lack of support for train and ferry travel
- 🤔 Confusing to determine the right ticket to purchase

**Reported bugs**

- Tickets disappearing after phone restart
- Verification codes not being received
- App crashing or freezing on older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually reorder shortcut stations
- Offline support for proof of fare
- Improved walking directions between connections
- Support for international credit cards and Apple Pay


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Norway Lights free?

Norway Lights is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ruter free?

Ruter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Norway Lights or Ruter?

Ruter is rated higher. Norway Lights averages 1.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Ruter averages 4.8 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do Norway Lights or Ruter have ads?

Neither Norway Lights nor Ruter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Norway Lights or Ruter?

Norway Lights ships an update every 30 months, and Ruter weekly. Most recently, Norway Lights was updated on October 10, 2026 and Ruter on November 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*