Comparison

Saudia vs darb | درب

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

Head to head
About

Saudia

This travel app allows users to book flights, manage trips, and check in for flights seamlessly. It also provides access to loyalty program information and allows for the purchase of ancillaries like extra baggage and seat upgrades.

Highlights
  • Book flights and purchase ancillaries
  • Online check-in and digital boarding passes
  • Manage bookings and change seats
  • ALFURSAN member dashboard
  • Store passenger details and bookings offline
  • Book hotels and rent cars
Features
Read full description

The Saudia mobile app offers travelers a sleek and superior experience to Book, Manage Trips, Check-In and more. ALFURSAN members have access to a dashboard with key account information at their fingertips – making the app the ultimate traveler companion. FEATURES BOOKING FLIGHTS & PURCHASING ANCILLARIES - Book your flights quickly and seamlessly. - All of your passengers' details are stored on your phone. - Purchase extras such as Extra Legroom Seats, WiFi, Fast Track and Extra Baggage. - Pay with Visa, Master Card, American Express, MADA or SADAD. CHECK-IN - Check-in online and obtain your boarding pass. You have the option to view the digital boarding pass directly in the App or receive it via SMS or email as a digital copy. - Check-in all your passengers while on the move up to 60-minutes before departure time. - Boarding passes are stored on your phone offline. - Enhance your trip with ease, now you can book a hotel, rent a car, and more - all in one convenient place! ALFURSAN Dashboard - ALFURSAN fast enrollment after completing passengers' details during flight booking. - Retrieve and update your own ALFURSAN profile. - Retrieve your miles and rewards. - Retrieve your flight history. MY BOOKINGS & MORE - Retrieve your bookings made outside the app easily and store them on your phone offline. - From changing seats to adding baggage, you can now manage everything in one place! - Streamline your journey using simplified rebooking flow and easily purchase add-ons. - Make an offer to upgrade your cabin through booking management.

About

darb | درب

Navigate Riyadh's public transport network with ease. Plan your journeys using metro and bus, track buses in real-time, and purchase digital tickets. This app offers a comprehensive solution for exploring the city's transit options.

Highlights
  • Trip Planning
  • Live Bus Tracker
  • Metro and Bus Lines
  • Bus on Demand Service
  • Park & Ride Integration
  • Digital Ticketing
  • Account Management
Features
Read full description

darb is Riyadh Public Transport's official app – your all-in-one companion for getting around the city. Plan trips, buy passes, and track your ride in real time across the Metro, Bus, Bus on Demand and Park & Ride.​ One app connects every part of your journey. From the first mile to the last, darb helps you move through Riyadh seamlessly.​ ​ What you can do with darb:​ * Plan your trip in seconds: type a location, pick a station, or use your saved favorites​ * Buy passes your way: choose 2-hour, 24-hour, 7-day, or 1-month passes in the app or at stations​ * Ride first-class or regular: pick the option that suits you​ * Explore every line in detail: see metro and bus stations, routes, and amenities before you travel​ * Cover the first and last mile: book Bus on Demand, free with your metro or bus ticket​ * Track buses live: follow your ride on the map with real-time arrival times​ * Park for free: use Park & Ride with your darb card​ * Review your history: access purchases and past trips anytime​ * Manage your account: update your details in a few taps​ Built for every rider in Riyadh: darb works fully in both Arabic and English. We keep improving performance and reliability based on rider feedback – thank you for being part of the journey.​ Download darb and get where you're going.​

Screenshots

Saudia4 screens
darb | درب4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Saudia at 4.7 against darb | درب's 2.6. Saudia also leads on review sentiment (39% vs 13%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, 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

Saudia holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Saudia has 59K ratings behind it against 395, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Saudia's written reviews are positive against 13% of darb | درب's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Saudia ships an update every 3 weeks, darb | درب every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Saudia versus darb | درب: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSaudiadarb | درب
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (59K ratings) — better2.6 (395 ratings)
Positive reviews38.8% of reviews — better13.1% of reviews
Number of ratings59K — better395
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size459 MB143 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSAUDI AIRLINES AIR TRANSPORT COMPANY OF A SINGLE-PERSON COMPANYRoyal Commission for Riyadh City

Customer experience

Saudia

All ratings59,228 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews603 reviews
Positive38.8%
Neutral7.1%
Negative54.1%

darb | درب

All ratings395 ratings
Positive37.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative59.7%
Written reviews251 reviews
Positive13.1%
Neutral12.4%
Negative74.5%

User reviews

Saudia

From 59K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Smooth and easy to use app
  • 🕰️ Convenient for booking and managing flights
  • 🤝 Helpful and friendly staff
  • 🍽️ Good in-flight experience with quality food and service

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and glitchy app with frequent crashes
  • ⏱️ Slow and unresponsive performance
  • 🤖 Lack of human touch in customer service
  • 💳 Issues with payment processing and seat selection
  • 🧳 Problems with baggage handling and lost luggage

darb | درب

From 395 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick response from customer service
  • 👍 Easy to use and user-friendly
  • 🚀 Convenient commute experience
  • 👍 Good start, but needs improvement

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Constant technical issues and bugs
  • 🐛 Slow and laggy performance
  • 🐛 Unreliable ticket purchase and activation
  • 🐛 Confusing and unintuitive interface
  • 🐛 Lack of integration with Google Maps

Bugs and requests

Saudia

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to log in to Alfursan account
  • Boarding pass not working with Apple Wallet
  • Seat selection not working properly
  • Booking process getting stuck or not completing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add multi-destination booking option
  • Integrate Apple Pay and other digital wallets
  • Improve Alfursan loyalty program integration
  • Enhance mobile app functionality to match website

darb | درب

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to register or log in
  • Purchased tickets not showing up in the app
  • QR code not working or getting rejected
  • App crashing or freezing frequently
  • Incorrect or missing route and station information

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add Apple Pay and digital wallet integration
  • Improve search functionality and route planning
  • Provide real-time bus tracking and updates
  • Integrate with Google Maps for better navigation
  • Simplify registration and login process
Show 1 more
  • Enhance user experience and interface design

In-app purchases

None

Saudia

No in-app purchases

None

darb | درب

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Saudia free?
Saudia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is darb | درب free?
darb | درب is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Saudia or darb | درب?
Saudia is rated higher. Saudia averages 4.7 out of 5 from 59K ratings, while darb | درب averages 2.6 from 395 ratings.
Do Saudia or darb | درب have ads?
Neither Saudia nor darb | درب shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Saudia or darb | درب?
Saudia ships an update every 3 weeks, and darb | درب every 2 weeks. Most recently, Saudia was updated on October 16, 2026 and darb | درب on October 10, 2026.

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