# Railcard vs City Explorer App

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Railcard at none against City Explorer App's 9. Railcard also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). City Explorer App's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. City Explorer App sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Railcard asks for nothing beyond the download.

Railcard ships an update monthly, City Explorer App weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and August 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Railcard | City Explorer App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (7.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 43.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 43 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Rail](https://appshunter.io/developer/512167281) | [Adam Manczuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680716696) |

## What reviewers say

### Railcard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/railcard/id1246748048)

Access and display your train ticket discounts directly on your mobile device. Never forget your discount card again and save on most train fares. Supports a wide variety of railcards for different traveler needs.

**Highlights:** Store railcards on mobile, Save 1/3 on train fares, Instant digital access, Supports multiple railcard types, Ready for next train journey

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Great value
- 📱 Easy to use app
- 🚀 Fast digital delivery
- 🙌 Helpful customer service

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app/website
- 🤯 Confusing renewal process
- 📵 Unusable without internet
- 🤖 Lack of accessibility features

**Reported bugs**

- Railcard disappearing from app
- Download codes not working
- Incorrect/missing card details

**Requested features**

- Add to Apple Wallet
- Automatic renewal reminders
- Offline mode for digital cards


### City Explorer App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/city-explorer-app/id6449268372)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Standard Monthly | $17.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus Monthly | $34.99 | per month |
| Premium Standard Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus Annual | $179.99 | per year |
| Story Boost bundle 25 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Story Boost Bundle 50 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Story Boost bundle 100 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Routes Boost bundle 250 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Story Boost bundle 200 | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Railcard free?

Railcard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is City Explorer App free?

City Explorer App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Railcard or City Explorer App have ads?

Neither Railcard nor City Explorer App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Railcard or City Explorer App?

Railcard ships an update monthly, and City Explorer App weekly. Most recently, Railcard was updated on September 27, 2026 and City Explorer App on August 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*