Comparison

Finnair vs HSL

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

Head to head
About

Finnair

Manage your entire travel experience from flight preparation to arrival. Access digital boarding passes, receive real-time flight updates, and customize your journey with upgrades and extra services. Book new flights, track loyalty points, and access customer support.

Highlights
  • Digital boarding pass
  • Real-time flight notifications
  • Flight upgrades and extras
  • Flight booking
  • Loyalty program management
  • Airport services
Features
Read full description

The Finnair app is a travel companion designed to give you peace of mind throughout your journey, from preparing for the flight to landing at the destination. CHECK-IN AND BOARDING PASS You can check in for your flights to most destinations, keep your boarding pass in the app and save it in your Wallet. FLIGHT INFORMATION You will be notified of boarding, delays, and other important moments during your journey. The app also easily stores your flight details, from baggage allowance to dietary restrictions, in one place. UPGRADE YOUR EXPERIENCE We offer Business Class upgrades, Premium Economy seats and other extra services through the app, so you can customise the flight to your needs. You can pay with Apple Pay, credit card, vouchers or Avios. BOOK FLIGHTS Discover new destinations and offers through the Finnair app and automatically add the flights to your app. ACCESS FINNAIR PLUS Keep an eye on your Avios, recent transactions and tier benefits. Adding the flight to the app while logged in ensures you get all the Avios you're entitled to. Remember to join Finnair Plus if you're not a member yet - or use the app anonymously if you wish. CUSTOMER CARE Get in touch with our customer care experts through the call centre or Facebook Messenger. AIRPORT SERVICES Reserve parking and check the terminal maps through the app. When you arrive to Helsinki-Vantaa airport, we'll let you know where to find your luggage. We are continuously working on new features to support you during your travels.

About

HSL

Plan your public transport journeys in the Helsinki region, buy tickets, and get real-time updates. Access buses, trains, metro, trams, and ferries all in one place.

Highlights
  • Public transport ticket purchase
  • Journey planner
  • Real-time timetables
  • Vehicle tracking
  • Service disruption alerts
  • Multiple payment options
Read full description

Buses, trains, the Metro, trams and ferry – all in one app. The HSL app allows you to buy public transport tickets for the Helsinki region, find the best routes using the Journey Planner, view all timetables, and receive personalized transport information. You can buy single, day and season tickets for both adults and children via the HSL app. Adult multi-journey tickets and discounted tickets for students and passengers aged 70 and over are also available via the app. You can pay using the most popular payment methods, including debit/credit cards, MobilePay, phone bill and commuter benefits. The HSL app's Journey Planner helps you find routes and informs you about the ticket needed for your journey. You can view real-time stop-specific departure and arrival times and track vehicles in real time. The app also displays any service changes and disruptions, and you can choose to receive notifications about these updates directly on your phone. More information about Helsinki region public transport: hsl.fi

Screenshots

Finnair4 screens
HSL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Finnair at 4.2 against HSL's 3.9. Finnair also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). HSL's advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Finnair holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 493 and 481 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Finnair's written reviews are positive against 14% of HSL's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Finnair ships an update every 2 weeks, HSL monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Finnair versus HSL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFinnairHSL
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (493 ratings) — better3.9 (481 ratings)
Positive reviews17.5% of reviews — better14.1% of reviews
Number of ratings493 — better481
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB94 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFinnair PlcHelsingin seudun liikenne

Customer experience

Finnair

All ratings493 ratings
Positive79.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative17.2%
Written reviews285 reviews
Positive17.5%
Neutral8.4%
Negative74.0%

HSL

All ratings481 ratings
Positive70.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative26.2%
Written reviews163 reviews
Positive14.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative81.0%

User reviews

Finnair

From 493 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Sleek design
  • 👍 Functional app
  • 💡 Apple Wallet integration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 👎 Useless without Finnair account
  • 🔍 Limited functionality for non-members
  • 🕰️ Slow and unresponsive
  • 🤔 Confusing user experience

HSL

From 481 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent app for travel in Helsinki
  • 👍 Convenient and worked very well
  • 🚀 Great experience, nice UI

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and annoying
  • 🐛 Doesn't work with international numbers
  • 🐛 Kept coming with error triangle or claiming no internet connection
  • 🐛 App doesn't function, unable to purchase tickets

Bugs and requests

Finnair

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues
  • Booking disappears after exiting app
  • Incorrect flight information displayed
  • Seat selection problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add to Apple Wallet option
  • Guest/non-member access
  • Improved check-in and booking flow
  • Better flight status updates

HSL

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Version 4.2.0 does not work on iPhone6 (iOS 12.5.5)
  • Routes go blank, nothing to go back
  • Login problems, like a scam
  • Unable to create account, login, or purchase tickets

Requested features

3 requests
  • Allow buying multiple tickets in a single purchase
  • Add maps showing all routes
  • Provide email verification option instead of just SMS

In-app purchases

None

Finnair

No in-app purchases

None

HSL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Finnair free?
Finnair is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HSL free?
HSL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Finnair or HSL?
Finnair is rated higher. Finnair averages 4.2 out of 5 from 493 ratings, while HSL averages 3.9 from 481 ratings.
Do Finnair or HSL have ads?
Both Finnair and HSL show ads.
Which is updated more often, Finnair or HSL?
Finnair ships an update every 2 weeks, and HSL monthly. Most recently, Finnair was updated on September 24, 2026 and HSL on September 22, 2026.

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