AIA Guide to Boston vs Only In Boston
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AIA Guide to Boston
Explore Boston's architecture and urban landscape with this comprehensive digital guide. Discover over 1,200 landmarks, historical buildings, and parks, with GPS-enabled features and integrated directions. Perfect for residents and visitors interested in design and history.
- 1,200+ landmarks, buildings, and parks
- Neighborhood and architect guides
- GPS-enabled site discovery
- Integrated directions
- Walking and site tours
- Color images and descriptions
Read full descriptionHide full description
Published in three prior paper editions, the AIA Guide to Boston been called "the best [field guide] of its kind on the continent." This new digital version adds more than 500 new sites along with color images from leading photographers. This is the first AIA Guide anywhere to be published as a mobile app. It's: Effortless to carry. If you have your phone, you have the Guide (now the equivalent of a 500+ page book!) Smart. Using GPS, the app can find the guides closest to you Connected. Directions are available with a tap, and live links to online resources provide more depth instantly Up-to-date. New sites and guides are added to the app as the city grows and evolves. The Guide features: Descriptions, stories, and photos of more than 1,200 contemporary landmarks, historical buildings, urban features, and parks across the metro area In-depth guides to neighborhoods, architects, styles, and award winners Walking and site tours around prime destinations including Downtown, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Harvard, MIT, and emerging districts. Follow the Freedom Trail and Walk to the Sea with new eyes, focusing on the old and new architecture along the way. For residents and visitors, architects and design lovers, builders and students, the AIA Guide to Boston offers a unique, fun new way to explore the nation's oldest major city.
Only In Boston
Enhance your Boston experience with real-time transit information, local recommendations, trending news, and exclusive contests. Discover the best of the city, whether you're a tourist or a resident.
- Real-time MBTA transit tracking
- Local Boston recommendations
- Trending local news feed
- In-app contests and promotions
- Twitter and Top 3 content integration
Read full descriptionHide full description
The official Only In Boston (OIB) mobile application is now available for iOS on the AppStore. OIB aims to enhance the city experience for tourists and residents in Boston alike. The application can: 1. Locate MBTA stops and arrivals of all transits (Bus,Subway, and Commuter Rail) in real time based on your current location 2. Find the best recommendations OIB has to offer in and around Boston. 3. Scroll and Navigate trending topics and local news via the OIB Twitter Account and the OIB Top 3 4. View & enter for OIB contests and in-app promotions that will give you incentives to travel the city! OIB has become one of the biggest social media personalities with over: - 500k+ followers on Twitter - 200k+ followers on Instagram
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Only In Boston at every 5 weeks against AIA Guide to Boston's every 8 months. Only In Boston also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (724 vs 16). On price, review sentiment, ads 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.
Only In Boston holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Only In Boston has 724 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of AIA Guide to Boston's written reviews are positive against 75% of Only In Boston's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
AIA Guide to Boston ships an update every 8 months, Only In Boston every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AIA Guide to Boston | Only In Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (16 ratings) | 4.8 (724 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 724 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 150 MB | 85 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thomas Pounds | Only In Boston, LLC |
Customer experience
AIA Guide to Boston
Only In Boston
In-app purchases
AIA Guide to Boston
No in-app purchases
Only In Boston
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is AIA Guide to Boston free?
Is Only In Boston free?
Which has better reviews, AIA Guide to Boston or Only In Boston?
Do AIA Guide to Boston or Only In Boston have ads?
Which is updated more often, AIA Guide to Boston or Only In Boston?
Other comparisons
