Situate vs Realtime Trains
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Situate
Access detailed visitor attraction information and guides. The app uses Bluetooth and GPS to automatically deliver content as you approach or move within a venue, even when running in the background. Enjoy interactive maps and background audio playback.
- Automatic content delivery via GPS/Bluetooth
- Background location tracking for notifications
- Interactive maps with points of interest
- Background audio playback control
- Access content outside of venues
- Power-efficient location scanning
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The Situate app will allow you to access details about visitor attractions that have been added to the Situate platform. As new visitor attractions are added you will automatically see them listed in the Situate app, and will be able to access all available content at no charge. The app is Bluetooth Beacon and GPS enabled. For visitor attractions that use beacon technology or GPS you will be shown content automatically as you move around the venue. Please note that you do not have to be in the venue in order to access any of the content in the app. The app also uses GPS and Bluetooth Low Energy to determine your location when the app is running in the background. It will trigger notifications when you are close to a venue. We have used GPS and Bluetooth Low Energy in a power-efficient way: such as only performing Bluetooth Low Energy scans when you are close to a venue. However, as with all apps that use location, please note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Also the app will continue playing an audio on background if it was playing when the app was open and you will be able to control the play/pause from the phones playback controls. For venues that have set up GPS locations to trigger content we provide an interactive map. This marks all the points of interest on the map and allows you to click straight through to content. It also highlights your current position.
Realtime Trains
Access live train times and real-time locations across Great Britain's mainline railway network. This app provides detailed information, including onboard amenities and non-passenger train movements, for professional travelers and enthusiasts alike. Get ahead of the rush with accurate, independently processed data.
- Live train times
- Real-time train location
- Onboard amenities information
- Detailed mode for enthusiasts
- Non-passenger train tracking
- Favorite stations and routes
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Shhh, it's the secret that no-one else wants you to know about. Get ahead of the rush when boarding your trains at some of the busiest stations. We're Realtime Trains, and we're Great Britain's largest independent service for train times - used by millions every year. And we're back - finally - with our new app. Get live train times from any mainline railway station, see where your train is and what's available onboard. Favourite your frequently used stations, routes and services. See train information in far more detail than any other app with our detailed mode! For the professional travellers and enthusiasts, you can even see non-passenger trains like freight and empty stock - so you can really tell if there's a steam train coming... or what's in the way. From Penzance to Thurso, and Arisaig to Lowestoft, we cover the entire mainline railway network with live, up to date, train information. Unlike many other apps, we process data from Network Rail and signalling systems ourselves rather than just showing everything the industry wants to tell you. We're not funded by the rail industry: we pride ourselves on being as accurate as we can be. We started Realtime Trains from a frustration of missing trains and incorrect information and are still at it nearly 15 years later. However, if you spot an issue as they do happen sometimes - let us know and we'll do our best to make sure it doesn't happen again!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Situate at none against Realtime Trains's shown. Situate also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and device support (3 vs 1). Realtime Trains's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (60% vs 50%). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Situate against 5.0 for Realtime Trains. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Situate's written reviews are positive against 60% of Realtime Trains's.
Situate ships an update every 2 months, Realtime Trains weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Situate | Realtime Trains |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 17.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Llama Digital | Swlines Ltd |
Customer experience
Situate
Realtime Trains
In-app purchases
Situate
No in-app purchases
Realtime Trains
No in-app purchases









