# NextThere vs Opal Travel

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | NextThere | Opal Travel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextthere/id870393074/reviews)** | [4.5 (473 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-travel/id941006607/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 72 | **473** |
| Positive reviews | **69.0% of reviews** | 20.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 136 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AppJourney Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/500551669) | [Transport for NSW](https://appshunter.io/developer/471886039) |

## What reviewers say

### NextThere

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextthere/id870393074)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NextThere Pro - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| NextThere Pro - Annual | $12.99 | per year |
| NextThere Pro - Family | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate real-time tracking
- 👍 Helpful and easy-to-use interface
- 🚌 Great for planning public transport trips
- ⭐️ Reliable and informative app
- 💻 Useful desktop and mobile experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- ⚠️ Inaccurate departure/arrival times
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific routes/stops
- 🔄 Inconsistent app performance updates

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opal-travel/id941006607)

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:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


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