Direct Ferries vs HSL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Direct Ferries
Compare and book ferry tickets for over 3000 crossings worldwide. Access real-time pricing and availability, track your ferry live, and manage bookings easily. Find ports and get instant confirmation for your travels.
- Compare ferry crossings worldwide
- Real-time pricing and availability
- Book tickets up to 12 months in advance
- Live ferry tracker
- Port finder
- Amend and cancel bookings
- Secure payment options
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Direct Ferries is the world's leading independent ferry ticket retailer. Compare and book over 3000 ferry crossings worldwide, using real-time pricing and availability, anytime, anywhere from your mobile. The Direct Ferries app is free, quick, and easy to use. With access to all ferry companies, routes, and destinations, it is the only app you need for ferry travel! Direct Ferries App Features: - Our easy comparison tool is designed to make your ferry ticket search a breeze, ensuring you always get the best deal. - Compare prices from the world's major ferry companies, including DFDS Seaways, Brittany Ferries, Irish Ferries, GNV, and more. - Whether you're a spontaneous traveller or a meticulous planner, our app allows you to book your ferry tickets as close as 2 hours before departure or up to 12 months in advance, giving you the freedom to travel on your terms. - Contact our exceptional customer support team directly through the app using our messenger service. - Receive notifications to stay up to date on the status of your sailing and conversations with our customer support team. - Save your quote to complete unfinished ferry bookings later; we'll email you the itinerary and quote so you can complete the booking when you're ready. - Use the Live Ferry Tracker feature to track your ferry an hour before departure and during the crossing. - Don't get lost; the port finder feature can help you find the ferry port. - Recall ferry bookings or quickly and easily amend and cancel your bookings. - Secure payment by PayPal, credit or debit card - Fast booking and instant email confirmation
HSL
Plan your public transport journeys in the Helsinki region, buy tickets, and get real-time updates. Access buses, trains, metro, trams, and ferries all in one place.
- Public transport ticket purchase
- Journey planner
- Real-time timetables
- Vehicle tracking
- Service disruption alerts
- Multiple payment options
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Buses, trains, the Metro, trams and ferry – all in one app. The HSL app allows you to buy public transport tickets for the Helsinki region, find the best routes using the Journey Planner, view all timetables, and receive personalized transport information. You can buy single, day and season tickets for both adults and children via the HSL app. Adult multi-journey tickets and discounted tickets for students and passengers aged 70 and over are also available via the app. You can pay using the most popular payment methods, including debit/credit cards, MobilePay, phone bill and commuter benefits. The HSL app's Journey Planner helps you find routes and informs you about the ticket needed for your journey. You can view real-time stop-specific departure and arrival times and track vehicles in real time. The app also displays any service changes and disruptions, and you can choose to receive notifications about these updates directly on your phone. More information about Helsinki region public transport: hsl.fi
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Direct Ferries at 4.7 against HSL's 3.9. Direct Ferries also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (28% vs 15%). HSL's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.4). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Direct Ferries holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 482 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Direct Ferries's written reviews are positive against 15% of HSL's.
Direct Ferries ships an update every 3 weeks, HSL monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Direct Ferries | HSL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better | 3.9 (482 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 27.6% of reviews — better | 14.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K — better | 482 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 92 MB | 94 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Direct Ferries | Helsingin seudun liikenne |
Customer experience
Direct Ferries
HSL
User reviews
Direct Ferries
From 1.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth booking process
- 🚀 Convenient app features
- 🚀 Global ferry services
- 🚀 Painless booking experience
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🔍 Lack of customer support
- 🔍 Difficult to amend bookings
- 🔍 Unreliable service
- 💰 Expensive compared to direct booking
HSL
From 482 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent app for travel in Helsinki
- 👍 Convenient and worked very well
- 🚀 Great experience, nice UI
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and annoying
- 🐛 Doesn't work with international numbers
- 🐛 Kept coming with error triangle or claiming no internet connection
- 🐛 App doesn't function, unable to purchase tickets
Bugs and requests
Direct Ferries
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes frequently
- Booking information not accurately reflected
- Inability to log in or reset passwords
- Mapping/directions feature not working properly
Requested features
4 requests- Improved customer support channels
- Ability to easily amend or cancel bookings
- More transparent pricing and booking policies
- Tighter integration with ferry operator apps
HSL
Reported bugs
4 issues- Version 4.2.0 does not work on iPhone6 (iOS 12.5.5)
- Routes go blank, nothing to go back
- Login problems, like a scam
- Unable to create account, login, or purchase tickets
Requested features
3 requests- Allow buying multiple tickets in a single purchase
- Add maps showing all routes
- Provide email verification option instead of just SMS
In-app purchases
Direct Ferries
No in-app purchases
HSL
No in-app purchases









