# Shinkansen smartEX App vs HQEV

The clearest difference is chart position: Shinkansen smartEX App at #133 against HQEV's unranked. HQEV's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shinkansen smartEX App ships an update monthly, HQEV every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shinkansen smartEX App | HQEV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.7 (606 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shinkansen-smartex-app/id1253336330/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **606** | — |
| Positive reviews | 16.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#133** | — |
| Size | 51 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Central Japan Railway Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/454429903) | [Kitu Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/1814818597) |

## What reviewers say

### Shinkansen smartEX App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shinkansen-smartex-app/id1253336330)

**Currently charting:** #133 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Easily reserve Shinkansen seats, hotels, and activities. Enjoy discounts for early bookings and flexible changes. Access station and train service information, and use QR tickets or designated IC cards for seamless travel.

**Highlights:** Reserve Shinkansen seats, Book hotels and activities, Early booking discounts, Free reservation changes, Select seats from map, QR-Ticket and IC card boarding, Fingerprint authentication login

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### HQEV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hqev/id6751237940)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shinkansen smartEX App free?

Shinkansen smartEX App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HQEV free?

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

### Do Shinkansen smartEX App or HQEV have ads?

Neither Shinkansen smartEX App nor HQEV shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shinkansen smartEX App or HQEV?

Shinkansen smartEX App ships an update monthly, and HQEV every 6 weeks. Most recently, Shinkansen smartEX App was updated on October 29, 2026 and HQEV on October 12, 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.*