Comparison

Busly (Legacy) vs xtBus 3

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

Head to head
About

Busly (Legacy)

Track buses in real-time with live map updates and accurate arrival predictions for over 60 agencies. Get instant notifications for delays and set reminders to never miss your bus. Optimized for iOS devices.

Highlights
  • Live bus map tracking
  • Real-time arrival predictions
  • Push notifications for delays
  • Favorite stops
  • Nearby stops finder
  • Bus departure reminders
  • Notification Center widgets
Features
Read full description

View up-to-date locations and time predictions for the buses of over 60 NextBus® agencies. LIVE MAP Get up-to-date bus positions showing exactly where each bus is along its route. PUSH NOTIFICATIONS Get real-time updates regarding delays, closures, and other important messages. FAVORITE STOPS Add stops you use often to your Favorites for quick, easy access. NEARBY STOPS See stops nearest to your current location, as well as how far they are. SET REMINDERS Easily set reminder notifications so you don't forget to catch your bus when it arrives. NOTIFICATION CENTER WIDGETS 2 Notification Center widgets for easy access to time predictions for nearby stops as well as your favorites. APPLE WATCH + IPAD Optimized for iOS 17, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. AGENCIES - Toronto Transit Commission - Jacksonville Transportation Authority - Chapel Hill Transit - Massachusetts Institute of Technology - University of California Berkeley - Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority ...And many more! If you run into any issues or have any feedback, use the in-app Support button or email support@iminichrispy.com. You can also tweet me @iMinichrispy. NextBus is a registered trademark of Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc. This app is not affiliated with NextBus and is not the official NextBus app.

About

xtBus 3

Track real-time bus arrivals across numerous transit agencies in the USA and Canada. Simply open the app and allow location access to find available routes and services in your area.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus tracking
  • Supports thousands of routes
  • Covers USA and Canada transit agencies
  • Location-based service availability
  • Ad-free option via subscription
Features
Read full description

xtBus 3 - a reborn of the popular real-time nextbus tracker for urban commuters. xtBus 3 now supports thousands of bus routes from various transit agencies across USA and Canada, including TTC, STL, SF Muni, EZRide and many more. Just open the app and grant it location permission to see if services are available in your area. The "VIP Monthly Service" is provided as an in-app purchase to customers who don't want to have advertisements displayed. The service is provided on a monthly basis. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. For details of terms of use - http://idemfactor.com/xtbus3/ And privacy policy - http://idemfactor.com/idemfactor-privacy-policy-english.html

Screenshots

Busly (Legacy)4 screens
xtBus 33 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: xtBus 3 at fortnightly against Busly (Legacy)'s every 5 months. Busly (Legacy)'s advantage is review sentiment (29% vs 20%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Busly (Legacy) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and xtBus 3 sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Busly (Legacy) ships an update every 5 months, xtBus 3 fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Busly (Legacy) versus xtBus 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBusly (Legacy)xtBus 3
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (53 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews29.4% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings53 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.1
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlex PerezIdemfactor Solutions

Customer experience

Busly (Legacy)

All ratings53 ratings
Positive71.7%
Neutral7.5%
Negative20.8%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive29.4%
Neutral11.8%
Negative58.8%

xtBus 3

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Busly (Legacy)

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99
1 purchases

xtBus 3

Subscriptions1
  • VIP Service$0.991 Month

Questions

Is Busly (Legacy) free?
Busly (Legacy) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is xtBus 3 free?
xtBus 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Busly (Legacy) or xtBus 3 have ads?
Both Busly (Legacy) and xtBus 3 show ads.
Which is updated more often, Busly (Legacy) or xtBus 3?
Busly (Legacy) ships an update every 5 months, and xtBus 3 fortnightly. Most recently, Busly (Legacy) was updated on October 20, 2026 and xtBus 3 on September 24, 2026.

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