Why I built BusSing, and why it has a subscription

Building something useful while learning

I started BusSing because my I wanted my dad to have a widget on his Homescreen and came to realise that no app out there at that point had it. Live activities did not exist too (to my knowledge) A bus app felt like a good place to put what I was learning into practice. It is something people can use on an ordinary day, on the way to school or work, or when figuring out an unfamiliar journey.

If not for anyone, for my dad because I know he will use it <3

I wanted to learn what happens after you write the code, too. Because everything Ive had the pleasure building since I started was never used by real users. I want to know what its like keeping an app working, listening to feedback and paying its bills are all part of the job. BusSing gives me a chance to learn those things while building for the community.

The app has bills, even when it is free to use

The servers and services behind BusSing cost money. So does my Apple developer account. These are real expenses I have to keep up with while I am still studying.

That is why BusSing Express has a subscription. It helps cover the ongoing costs of running the app. You get extra features, including unlimited Live Activities and location-aware widgets, and the money helps me keep the service available.

Getting rich from BusSing is not my goal. I want to learn how to grow an ethical business that can cover its costs and be useful to the people who use it. I am still figuring that out, and I think it is fair to be open about it.

See what is free and what Express adds

18 lovely people!

At the time of writing, 0.18% are paying users. It is a very small share of the people using the app, and their subscriptions help cover the costs of everything that keeps BusSing running.

If you are one of those 18 people, thank you. Your support goes towards the servers, developer account and services that people using the free app rely on too. I do not take that for granted.

If you use BusSing for free, I am glad it is useful to you. Bus arrivals, standard widgets, alight reminders and offline MRT planning are available without Express. You can keep using them without subscribing.

Because BusSing doesn't ask you to sign up with an email address, I can't reach out to each of you to say thank you. But know that I appreciate it soo soo much!

Your commute is personal

Your privacy is my first priority when making decisions about BusSing. The app does not use Google Ads, and I do not sell your personal data. Advertising that tracks people makes me uncomfortable, especially in an app you use to get around.

A record of where someone travels could reveal where they live, study or work. I do not want finding your next bus to become a reason to build an advertising profile of your movements.

Apple's tracking guidance includes sharing device location with data brokers and combining data across companies for targeted ads. Location access for a useful feature should not be treated as permission for that kind of tracking.

BusSing does not sell personal data or build advertising profiles of your movements. It does process information to run features, manage purchases and improve the app. The privacy policy explains those uses and the providers involved. I want that explanation to be easy to find.

Read the BusSing privacy policy

Apple: user privacy, data use and tracking

More about location and privacy in a bus app

Learning how to keep this going

I want BusSing to be something I can keep improving without losing sight of why I started. That means making the costs manageable, being clear about what a subscription offers and listening when something does not work for you.

Thank you for giving a student-built app a place in your day. If there is something you wish it did better, I would like to hear it.

Revanth Ravi, developer of BusSing

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