Comparison

NextThere vs Opal Travel

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

Head to head
About

NextThere

Get real-time public transport departure information for trains, buses, ferries, and trams. Track your journey live, receive disruption alerts, and access live service load data. Offers optional premium features like walking directions and customizable notifications.

Highlights
  • Real-time departure information
  • Live trip tracking
  • Disruption and service change alerts
  • Live train and bus load data
  • Save favorite stations and routes
  • Walking directions and boarding notifications (Pro)
  • Home/Lock Screen widgets (Pro)
Features
Read full description

If you want to know when the next train, bus, ferry or tram to your destination will arrive, you need NextThere. It's simple, fast and real-time - like having a platform indicator in the palm of your hand. It knows where you are, and with a tap you can see just the services to your destination. • Save stations, stops and routes you use public transport from and you'll see the next services due to depart • Tap on a service to track your trip live • Live train and bus load data (where available) • Detailed alerts about disruptions, service changes and trackwork • All in a simple, gorgeous interface designed for iOS • VoiceOver support NextThere covers public transport in these cities on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch - for free! Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, Alice Springs, Gold Coast, regional towns New Zealand: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch United States: California, Chicago, New York City, Boston, Portland, Seattle, Honolulu, Charlotte and Raleigh. If you want some extra awesome features, you can also subscribe to NextThere Pro: • Tap "Go" to receive walking directions and boarding/alighting notifications as your service approaches • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for nearby upcoming services • Save as many stops as you like - non-subscribers are limited to 3 saved items • Receive push notifications about incidents and disruptions so you're always up to date • View run numbers and other internal info from train, tram, ferry and bus operators • Remove all ads • Access to themes • Access to additional settings to customise the appearance and function of the app The subscription is optional and available in periods of either 1 month or 1 year. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Terms of use can be found at http://nextthere.com/support/terms.html. Check nextthere.com for details on the real-time data available in your area.

About

Opal Travel

Plan and manage your journeys across New South Wales, Australia. This official app allows you to plan trips, check fares, and manage your transport card. Get real-time updates and track your travel history all in one convenient place.

Highlights
  • Manage and top up Opal card
  • Track payment activities and fares
  • Plan public transport, cycling, walking, driving trips
  • Check real-time departure times
  • Receive live trip updates and alerts
Features
Read full description

The Opal Travel app is the official Transport for NSW app to help you get around in NSW Australia. You can plan and save your trip, check travel activities and fares, top up Opal card and more, all in one place. Download the FREE Opal Travel app now. Key features: - Manage and top up Opal card on the go: Register your Opal card to check your balance, top up or set up auto top-up. - Track Opal and Contactless payment activities: Review your Opal and contactless payment travel history and fares. - Simple trip planning: Plan your trip via public transport, cycling, walking, or driving, set your favourite trips and locations, and check public transport fares. - Check departure times at a glance: Check public transport departure times for train, metro, bus, light rail and ferry services. - Get live trip update: Receive service update, disruption and on-the-go hop off alerts for your trip. For more info, visit https://transportnsw.info/apps/opal-travel By installing Opal Travel you acknowledge and accept the Opal Travel app Terms of Use and agree to receive those Terms of Use and any amendments electronically via the Apple App Store. You acknowledge that Transport for NSW will not send you a paper copy. This application is not optimised for iPad's larger screen, which may cause visual or layout issues. For the best experience, please use an iPhone device.

Screenshots

NextThere4 screens
Opal Travel4 screens

Verdict

The call

NextThere and Opal Travel both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 69% of NextThere's written reviews are positive against 21% of Opal Travel's. Opal Travel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (473 vs 72). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. NextThere sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Opal Travel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for NextThere against 4.5 for Opal Travel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Opal Travel has 473 ratings behind it against 72, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of NextThere's written reviews are positive against 21% of Opal Travel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NextThere ships an update every 2 weeks, Opal Travel monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
NextThere versus Opal Travel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNextThereOpal Travel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (72 ratings) — better4.5 (473 ratings)
Positive reviews69.0% of reviews — better20.9% of reviews
Number of ratings72473 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size136 MB93 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAppJourney Pty LtdTransport for NSW

Customer experience

NextThere

All ratings72 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews255 reviews
Positive69.0%
Neutral11.0%
Negative20.0%

Opal Travel

All ratings473 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews474 reviews
Positive20.9%
Neutral9.3%
Negative69.8%

Bugs and requests

NextThere

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Disappearing saved stops
  • Incorrect route information
  • Live tracking not updating in real-time

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline mode for timetable access
  • Journey planning across multiple modes
  • Integration with mobile wallets/cards
  • More detailed map and station information
  • Customizable alerts and notifications

Opal Travel

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

NextThere

Subscriptions3
  • NextThere Pro - Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • NextThere Pro - Annual7 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • NextThere Pro - Family7 Days trial$19.991 Year
None

Opal Travel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NextThere free?
NextThere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Opal Travel free?
Opal Travel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NextThere or Opal Travel?
NextThere is rated higher. NextThere averages 4.6 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while Opal Travel averages 4.5 from 473 ratings.
Do NextThere or Opal Travel have ads?
Neither NextThere nor Opal Travel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NextThere or Opal Travel?
NextThere ships an update every 2 weeks, and Opal Travel monthly. Most recently, NextThere was updated on October 13, 2026 and Opal Travel on October 14, 2026.

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