UK Bus Checker vs bluestarbuses
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
UK Bus Checker
Plan bus and public transport journeys across Great Britain. Get real-time arrival information, see how busy services are, and purchase mobile tickets. Supports buses, trains, trams, and more.
- Journey planning
- Real-time bus information
- Mobile ticket purchasing
- Live bus times
- Service occupancy indicators
- Multi-modal transport support
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The all-new Bus Checker allows you to plan journeys, see real-time bus information and buy mobile tickets all in one place, for buses right across Great Britain. Search for map locations and bus stops, plan your journey and see when the buses are coming, how busy they are - and where they’re going! It’s not just limited to buses either; with support for bus, train, tram, underground, ferry and more, UK Bus Checker can get you from A to B with ease. Experience the UK’s most popular independent bus times app today, and never be left waiting at a bus stop again. PS: Are your local bus operator’s tickets missing? You can send them an invite with just one tap.
bluestarbuses
Plan your bus journeys with mobile ticketing, live departure information, and route planning. Access timetables, save favorites, and stay updated on service disruptions.
- Mobile ticket purchase
- Live departure times
- Journey planning
- Route timetables
- Favorite stops and routes
- Service disruption alerts
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Our new app has everything you need to get around Southampton, Eastleigh, Totton and Romsey with Bluestar. It’s packed full of everything you’ll need to get mobile on the bus. Mobile Tickets: Purchase mobile tickets securely with Apple Pay or a debit/credit card and show the driver when boarding - no more searching for cash! Live Departures: Browse and view bus stops on the map, explore upcoming departures, or check out the routes from a stop to see where you could travel next. Journey Planning: Plan your commute, trip to the shops or night out with friends. It’s now even easier to plan ahead with Bluestar. Timetables: We’ve squeezed all of our routes and timetables into the palm of your hand. Favourites: You can quickly save your favourite Departure Boards, Timetables and Journeys, with quick access from one convenient menu. Disruptions: You’ll be able to keep up to date with service changes directly from our disruption feeds inside the app. As always, we welcome your feedback. You can send it to us via the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: bluestarbuses at none against UK Bus Checker's 1. bluestarbuses also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). UK Bus Checker's advantage is ratings volume (94 vs 17). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement 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. UK Bus Checker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. bluestarbuses asks for nothing beyond the download.
bluestarbuses holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UK Bus Checker has 94 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of UK Bus Checker's written reviews are positive against 43% of bluestarbuses's.
UK Bus Checker ships an update monthly, bluestarbuses fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.
| Parameter | UK Bus Checker | bluestarbuses |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (94 ratings) | 4.8 (17 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.9% of reviews | 43.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 94 — better | 17 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | UrbanThings Limited | The Go-Ahead Group plc |
Customer experience
UK Bus Checker
bluestarbuses
User reviews
UK Bus Checker
From 94 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🗺️ Real-time bus tracking and location visibility
- 🌍 Comprehensive UK-wide bus coverage
- 👴 Easy to use interface for all ages
- 💾 Ability to save favorite bus stops
- 📍 Accurate bus arrival times (when working)
Room to improve
- 📺 Intrusive full-screen unskippable ads
- ⏱️ Ads too long (30-60 seconds)
- 💰 Expensive ad-free subscription (£6.99)
- 🔴 Inaccurate real-time bus information
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
bluestarbuses
From 17 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Live bus tracking useful
- 👍 Handy app
- 👍 Helpful for planning journeys
- 👍 Great maps
Room to improve
- 👎 Buses disappear from map
- 👎 Inaccurate times and stops
- 👎 Overcharged and rude driver
- 👎 Missing features for driver accountability
- 👎 Unreliable service, buses missing
Bugs and requests
UK Bus Checker
Reported bugs
18 issues- App fails to load nearby bus stops
- Buses disappear from app 2 minutes before arrival
- Incorrect bus timing predictions (off by 5-10 minutes)
- App doesn't recognize saved bus stops
- Location placed incorrectly on map
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Bus tracking not working on map
- Unable to uninstall app
- Ad locks up app functionality
- App crashes on opening
- Timetable not updating for holidays
- Live times showing as timetable only
- Bus routes missing from certain areas
- Map too small after selecting stop
- Unable to click on specific buses to track
- Black text on red background accessibility issue
- Sign-up requirement blocking app access
- Old timetable data not being deleted
- App not locating user on restart
Requested features
17 requests- Shorter or less frequent ads
- Ad-free subscription option
- Widget support for quick access
- Apple Watch app
- Cloud synchronization for saved stops
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Real-time GPS tracking for all bus operators
- Countdown timer for bus arrivals
- Interactive route maps with stop names
- Better accessibility for screen readers
- Color-coded bus stops on map
- Full-screen map option
- Bus journey only filter option
- Direct click-to-travel functionality
- Better handling of timetable updates and cancellations
- Improved location accuracy
- Notification widget for lock screen
- Support for multiple transport modes (trams, trains)
bluestarbuses
Reported bugs
10 issues- Buses disappear from live map
- App freezes randomly
- App glitches, cannot see bus
- Bus arrival list broken, times don't update
- App doesn't load bus times
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Journey planner returns 'We are unable to complete the search RETRY'
- App logs users off
- Mobile ticket system issues with Wallet opening
- Map randomly freezes after latest update
- Feedback screen goes blank
Requested features
5 requests- Allow submission of evidence for drivers embarking early
- Bring back The Key card system
- Allow planning journeys for days other than today
- Provide single journey cost information
- Watch companion app
In-app purchases
UK Bus Checker
- Remove the Ads (discounted)$6.99
bluestarbuses
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is UK Bus Checker free?
Is bluestarbuses free?
Which has better reviews, UK Bus Checker or bluestarbuses?
Do UK Bus Checker or bluestarbuses have ads?
Which is updated more often, UK Bus Checker or bluestarbuses?
Other comparisons
