Comparison

Here Comes the Bus vs CMS ParentSquare

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

Head to head
About

Here Comes the Bus

Track your child's school bus in real-time and receive notifications about its location and their boarding/deboarding. This app ensures your child arrives at the bus stop on time and provides peace of mind regarding their safety and transportation.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus location tracking
  • Customizable map view
  • Push notification alerts
  • Student ridership tracking
  • Arrival and departure information
  • Multi-child tracking
  • Multilingual support
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

**NOTICE: In order to use the app, your school district must have a contract with Synovia Solutions and make Here Comes the Bus® and/or Student Ridership available to parents. Please contact your school district or visit www.herecomesthebus.com for more information.** Here Comes the Bus is an easy-to-use app that gives you the real-time location of your child’s bus, and alerts you when the bus is near. With Here Comes the Bus, your children will get to the bus stop not a minute too early – or a minute too late. And with Student Ridership, you’ll not only know your child got on the right bus at the right time, but that they got off the bus at the right stop. All of this equals safety for your children, and peace of mind for you. KEY FEATURES: Find your bus quickly and easily See the exact location of your child’s school bus using your own customizable map. Receive alerts via push notification -Be notified when the bus is within 2 miles of your stop, has a schedule change, and more -Receive notifications when your child gets on/off the bus, including the bus number, location and time Access arrival & departure info Confirm your child’s bus has arrived at the bus stop and at school, both before and after school. Track all of your children Have children that ride different buses? See each child's bus information within one account. App and notifications in three languages The app and notifications are available in English, Spanish and French. Know your privacy is protected Parents must obtain a private ID number, which grants access to their child’s bus only.

About

CMS ParentSquare

This app connects schools and families, providing a centralized platform for all school communications. It ensures families receive important alerts, messages from teachers, and updates, helping them stay informed and engaged with their child's education.

Highlights
  • Centralized school communications
  • Teacher messaging
  • Automated translation
  • School news and updates
  • Attendance and fee payments
  • Group conversations
Features
Read full description

What is CMS ParentSquare? CMS ParentSquare helps schools and families stay connected and informed—all in one easy place. Whether it’s a quick message from a teacher, an important alert from the district, or a reminder about tomorrow’s field trip, CMS ParentSquare makes sure families never miss a thing. Why families and teachers love CMS ParentSquare: • Simple, easy-to-use app and website • Messages are automatically translated into 190+ languages • Best-in-class safety and security practices • One place for all school updates, alerts, and messages With CMS ParentSquare, families and staff save time and stay connected—so everyone can focus on helping students succeed. CMS ParentSquare for iOS The CMS ParentSquare app makes it easy for families to stay in the loop and engage with their child’s school community. With the app, parents and guardians can: • See school news, classroom updates, and photos • Receive important notices like attendance alerts and cafeteria balances • Message teachers and staff directly • Join group conversations • Sign up for wishlist items, volunteering, and conferences • Respond to absences or tardies* • Pay school-related fees and invoices* * If included with your school's implementation

Screenshots

Here Comes the Bus4 screens
CMS ParentSquare4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CMS ParentSquare at weekly against Here Comes the Bus's every 2 months. Here Comes the Bus's advantage is ratings volume (74K vs 37) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Here Comes the Bus holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Here Comes the Bus has 74K ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Here Comes the Bus ships an update every 2 months, CMS ParentSquare weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Here Comes the Bus versus CMS ParentSquare: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHere Comes the BusCMS ParentSquare
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (74K ratings) — better4.2 (37 ratings)
Positive reviews32.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings74K — better37
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#139 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB151 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSynovia Solutions LLCParentSquare

Customer experience

Here Comes the Bus

All ratings73,957 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews329 reviews
Positive32.2%
Neutral13.4%
Negative54.4%

CMS ParentSquare

All ratings37 ratings
Positive81.1%
Neutral2.7%
Negative16.2%

Bugs and requests

Here Comes the Bus

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Bus location stuck or showing incorrect position
  • App crashing or not loading bus data
  • Student bus assignments not properly reflected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improve notification accuracy and timeliness
  • Allow customization of notification settings per child
  • Integrate with school transportation systems for better data sync

CMS ParentSquare

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Here Comes the Bus

No in-app purchases

None

CMS ParentSquare

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Here Comes the Bus free?
Here Comes the Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CMS ParentSquare free?
CMS ParentSquare is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Here Comes the Bus or CMS ParentSquare?
Here Comes the Bus is rated higher. Here Comes the Bus averages 4.5 out of 5 from 74K ratings, while CMS ParentSquare averages 4.2 from 37 ratings.
Do Here Comes the Bus or CMS ParentSquare have ads?
Neither Here Comes the Bus nor CMS ParentSquare shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Here Comes the Bus or CMS ParentSquare?
Here Comes the Bus ships an update every 2 months, and CMS ParentSquare weekly. Most recently, Here Comes the Bus was updated on September 26, 2026 and CMS ParentSquare on September 23, 2026.

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