Viking Line vs HSL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Viking Line
Plan and manage your ferry trips with this travel companion. Book journeys, access booking details, and utilize digital loyalty cards. Enjoy convenient features like digital check-in, onboard information, and even use your phone as a cabin key on select ships.
- Book ferry trips
- Manage booking details
- Digital loyalty card
- Self-service check-in
- Onboard information
- Digital boarding passes
- Phone as cabin key
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Smooth sailing with the app The Viking Line app is helpful before, during, and after the trip. Start by booking your next trip and get all the information about it in the app. Welcome aboard Viking Line’s ships! The application enables you to: - Easily book your next trip. - Keep track of your booking details by signing up with your Viking Line Club membership number or booking number. - Use the Viking Line Club card digitally, collect Boats, and take advantage of club offers as easily as with the physical card. - Check your Boat balance, level period, and level status. - See the departure and arrival times for your booking using the travel schedule. - Skip the queues! With the app, you can easily check-in, print out your cabin card and booking card using our self-service check-in kiosks in the terminal. - Stay updated about showtimes on board. - Browse the onboard shop selection and get information about special offers. - Get detailed information about services and opening hours on board. - Do your beverage shopping in advance (Pre-order) - Get digital boarding cards for all ships and departures. - Use your phone as a cabin door key on departures on Viking Glory and Viking XPRS. The app asks for permission to use the Location services. Your permission is needed for the app to function as your cabin door key. The app will not be able to open your cabin door lock if you do not give permission for the usage of Location services. You will, however, be able to use other functions of the app normally.
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.
- Public transport ticket purchase
- Journey planner
- Real-time timetables
- Vehicle tracking
- Service disruption alerts
- Multiple payment options
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HSL at 3.9 against Viking Line's 1.9. HSL also leads on ratings volume (483 vs 9) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.6). Viking Line's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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.
HSL holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HSL has 483 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Viking Line's written reviews are positive against 14% of HSL's.
Viking Line ships an update every 6 weeks, HSL monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Viking Line | HSL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.9 (9 ratings) | 3.9 (483 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 13.0% of reviews | 14.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 483 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 94 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Viking line | Helsingin seudun liikenne |
Customer experience
Viking Line
HSL
Bugs and requests
Viking Line
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
Viking Line
No in-app purchases
HSL
No in-app purchases
