Comparison

FlixBus vs WESTlink

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

Head to head
About

FlixBus

Book affordable bus and train tickets across Europe, Turkey, Brazil, and the USA. Your mobile ticket, trip information, and real-time tracking are all within the app. Receive important updates via push notifications for a seamless travel experience.

Highlights
  • Book bus and train tickets
  • Mobile ticket (no printing)
  • Real-time trip tracking
  • Push notifications for updates
  • Manage luggage and bicycle spaces
  • On-board amenities (Wi-Fi, snacks)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Looking for a smarter way to book bus tickets? FlixBus makes bus travel simple, affordable and easy, with cheap bus tickets, live bus tracking and modern buses on routes across the US. Need a bus from New York to Boston, Washington, D.C. to New York or Houston to Dallas? FlixBus has a reserved seat with your name on it. Book in seconds and pay your way. Why travellers choose FlixBus - Comfortable bus seats with extra legroom, free WiFi and power outlets - Cheap bus tickets with clear, transparent prices - A reserved seat on every booking, with optional seat selection - Real-time bus tracking, so you always know where your bus is - Mobile tickets and mobile boarding, just show the QR code, even offline - Apple Pay and secure card payment - 24/7 customer support Track my bus, live The app shows real-time bus tracking and real-time updates, so you know when your bus arrives and never miss it. Book bus tickets in seconds Enter your route, compare options and prices, pick your seat, pay securely with Apple Pay or card, and get mobile tickets ready to scan at boarding. You can book both FlixBus and Greyhound tickets in our app. Popular US bus routes New York to Boston, Washington, D.C. to New York, New York to Philadelphia, Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Houston to Dallas and many more. New routes added often. Download FlixBus and book your next bus trip.

About

WESTlink

Book a shared on-demand bus service for flexible travel in the West of England. This app connects you to destinations not easily served by traditional routes, planning efficient journeys based on passenger demand. Enjoy guaranteed seating and fare prices comparable to existing bus services.

Highlights
  • On-demand bus booking
  • Shared rides
  • Flexible routes
  • Real-time arrival notifications
  • Book up to 5 passengers
  • Zone-based service
Features
Read full description

Get on board WESTlink, your new shared on-demand bus service in the West of England. WESTlink is a new type of bus service and meets the needs of people who may not be in easy reach of existing bus routes or rail lines, or where no service currently exists. Space on the bus can be easily booked by the app, which plans a route based on where other passengers are going so that it can pick up and drop off more people to places nearby. Passengers will be collected and dropped off from some existing bus stops, and also ‘virtual’ bus stops. The service will link passengers to major bus and rail services for their onward journey, and also some key destination points. It runs without a fixed timetable or route and is booked ‘on demand’ or up to a day in advance. The service will operate within 3 zones: North, South and the Future Transport Zone, covering the vast majority of the West of England region, outside of Bristol and Bath city centres. When you book, the service will allocate you to the most efficient pick up and drop off nearest to your start and end destinations, depending on the route and requests from other users. You can book on demand or up to a day in advance for yourself and up to 4 passengers. Using the app will also notify the arrival time of the vehicle, so there is no need to leave home before necessary. Everyone will have a guaranteed seat as they are prebooked. Ticket prices will match fares on West of England buses. All concessionary passes are accepted on this service. HOW TO USE Create an account. Download the WESTlink app and follow the simple signup steps. Book a ride. Enter your pick up and drop off addresses, choose the ride that works best for you, and tap Book ride. Meet your driver. Check the app to find exactly where to meet the vehicle. It may be a short walk from where you are, but your designated pickup point helps to cut down on detours and make your journey faster! View a map of the zones and find out more information about WESTlink at www.westlink.app

Screenshots

FlixBus4 screens
WESTlink4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: FlixBus at 95K against WESTlink's 2. FlixBus also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (37% vs 22%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WESTlink holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FlixBus has 95K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of FlixBus's written reviews are positive against 22% of WESTlink's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FlixBus ships an update every 8 days, WESTlink every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
FlixBus versus WESTlink: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlixBusWESTlink
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (95K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews — better22.2% of reviews
Number of ratings95K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#88 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size154 MB129 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlix SEVia Transportation, Inc.

Customer experience

FlixBus

All ratings94,922 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews985 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral5.7%
Negative56.9%

WESTlink

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral8.3%
Negative69.4%

Bugs and requests

FlixBus

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App issues with payments and ticket booking
  • Inconsistent bus amenities (WiFi, charging, etc.)

Requested features

3 requests
  • Better communication on delays and changes
  • More detailed route and stop information
  • Improved customer support channels

WESTlink

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

FlixBus

No in-app purchases

None

WESTlink

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FlixBus free?
FlixBus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WESTlink free?
WESTlink is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FlixBus or WESTlink?
WESTlink is rated higher. FlixBus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 95K ratings, while WESTlink averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do FlixBus or WESTlink have ads?
Neither FlixBus nor WESTlink shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FlixBus or WESTlink?
FlixBus ships an update every 8 days, and WESTlink every 5 weeks. Most recently, FlixBus was updated on October 27, 2026 and WESTlink on October 21, 2026.

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