Bus Checker review

Bus Checker is a narrow tool that does one job. The US version, NYC Bus Checker, promises live times at all of New York's 15,000+ bus stops using official MTA-licensed data feeds, plus route maps for every NYC bus route so you can see exactly where a bus goes. It also plans trips by bus, subway and rail, shows real-time Citi Bike dock information and flags detours, closures and cancellations. Favorites keep regular stops one tap away. UrbanThings sells the same idea as separate apps elsewhere, including UK Bus Checker, which adds mobile tickets and shows how busy buses are across Great Britain. The downside is that fragmentation: you need a different app for each place, and the free versions carry ads, with ad removal at $8.99 in the NYC app. Recent release notes are mostly bug fixes. NYC Bus Checker holds a 4.6 rating from 3,100 ratings. We compared documented features and published prices only.

Who it is for

New York City bus riders who want a bus-only app built on official MTA data.

Price

Free with ads; Remove the Ads is listed at $8.99 on the US App Store.

Remove the Ads $8.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Live times at all of New York's 15,000+ bus stops
• Trip planning by bus, subway, rail and more
• Route maps for every NYC bus route
• Updates on detours, closures and cancellations
• Real-time Citi Bike dock information

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Built around buses rather than driving
• Strength: Uses official MTA-licensed data feeds
• Strength: Separate UK Bus Checker app covers Great Britain
• Weakness: Each city or country needs a separate app
• Weakness: Shows ads unless you pay to remove them
• Weakness: Recent updates are mostly bug fixes

Key facts

• App Store rating: 4.6 from 3.1K ratings (NYC)
• Data source: Official MTA feeds
• Ad removal: $8.99 in-app
• App size: 74.8 MB
• Age rating: 4+

Where it ranks

Bus Checker is No. 9 in our Best Map Apps for Bus Routes verdict.