ShortLine vs Academy SilverPass
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ShortLine
Track your East-side bus arrival times with this official transit app. Select your departure and destination to get accurate arrival predictions for a smooth, hassle-free journey. This app specifically supports GWB East-side service.
- Real-time bus tracking
- Arrival time calculation
- Departure and destination selection
- GWB East-side service support
- Hassle-free travel planning
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ShortLine/Coach USA is the official app for tracking the arrival time of your East-side bus. Please choose your departure street location, time and destination location to calculate the arrival time of your ShortLine/Coach USA bus. The ShortLine/Coach USA app is all you need to ensure smooth and hassle free travel. The ShortLine/Coach USA app only supports our GWB East-side service.
Academy SilverPass
Purchase bus tickets instantly and securely from your mobile device. Plan your trips, view schedules, and track your bus in real-time. Never lose a paper ticket again with digital storage and contactless validation.
- Secure ticket purchase
- Multiple ticket options
- Use transit benefits
- Trip planning and schedules
- Real-time bus tracking
- Digital ticket storage
- Service disruption notifications
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Never wait in line to buy tickets again! The SilverPass app provides these great features to connect you to New York City: *Securely Purchase tickets from your phone or tablet instantly. Tickets available in one-way, round trip, 10-trip, 40-trip and monthly options. *Does your employer provide transit benefits? No problem, you can use benefits cards or even split two forms of payment on the app. *Plan trips, view schedules and get route itineraries all on your phone or tablet. *Our service operates from more than just park and rides. Find local bus stops here. *Get push notifications if service disruptions will impact your commute. *Ticket validation process is entirely digital and contactless. Conveniently store tickets and passes on your phone or tablet – never lose a paper ticket again! Display tickets right from your phone to board the bus . *Track bus departures. Watch your bus approach the stop on a map in real-time. *Easily contact us for route suggestions, comments or questions. Academy Bus, recognized as the largest privately owned and operated ground transportation company in the US, has been raising standards in the industry since 1968. Featured under the Academy Bus umbrella is our daily, express commuter bus service from points along the New Jersey shore to the Midtown, Port Authority Bus Terminal, and Wall Street areas in New York City.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Academy SilverPass at 3.9 against ShortLine's 1.4. Academy SilverPass also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 16 months) and review sentiment (21% vs 0%). ShortLine's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.
Academy SilverPass holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Academy SilverPass has 688 ratings behind it against 35, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of ShortLine's written reviews are positive against 21% of Academy SilverPass's.
ShortLine ships an update every 16 months, Academy SilverPass every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ShortLine | Academy SilverPass |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.4 (35 ratings) | 3.9 (688 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 20.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 35 | 688 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 172 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Saucon Technologies | Academy Bus |
Customer experience
ShortLine
Academy SilverPass
Bugs and requests
ShortLine
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Academy SilverPass
Reported bugs
3 issues- Tickets disappearing from the app
- Inability to purchase tickets through the app
- Inconsistent app performance and functionality
Requested features
5 requests- Improved in-app notifications and alerts
- More user-friendly interface and navigation
- Better integration with bus schedules and real-time updates
- Extend ticket validity time
- Provide customer support options
In-app purchases
ShortLine
No in-app purchases
Academy SilverPass
No in-app purchases
