Comparison

SBB Mobile vs Zürich City Guide

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SBB Mobile

This app serves as a comprehensive travel companion for public transport. It allows users to plan journeys, purchase tickets, and receive real-time updates on delays and disruptions. It also offers features for managing travelcards and finding station information.

Highlights
  • Journey planning with timetable search
  • Ticket purchasing for all of Switzerland
  • Real-time trip information and service disruptions
  • Digital display of travelcards
  • EasyRide ticket calculation based on travel
  • Station navigation and map information
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

SBB Mobile: your personal travel companion for public transport. Want to know ahead of time if your train will arrive on time? Want to have quicker access to your ticket during ticket inspection? Want to be able to find your way better at the station and have reliable map information? We have good news for you! SBB Mobile can do it all. And much more. The heart of the app is the new navigation bar with the following menu points and content. Plan • Plan your journey with a simple timetable search via the touch timetable or use your current position as the origin or destination, locating it on the map. • Buy your ticket for the whole of Switzerland in just two clicks. Your travelcards on the SwissPass are applied. • Travel particularly affordably with supersaver tickets or Saver Day Passes. Trips • Save your trip and we will provide you with all the information you need during your journey under ‘Single Trips’: everything from departure and arrival times, platform information and service disruptions to train formations and walking routes. • Set up your personal commuter route under ‘Commuting’ and receive push notifications about rail service disruptions. • The app accompanies you from door to door as you travel and you will receive information about delays, disruption and interchange times via push notification. EasyRide • Check in, hop on and head off – across the entire GA Travelcard network. • EasyRide calculates the right ticket for your journey on the basis of the routes you travelled and charges you the relevant amount subsequently. Tickets & Travelcards • Show your public transport travelcards digitally with SwissPass Mobile. • It also gives you an overview of your valid and expired tickets and travelcards on the SwissPass. Shop & Services • Buy regional transport tickets and Day Passes for the GA Travelcard area of validity quickly and easily without searching the timetable. • In the ‘Services’ section, you can find lots of useful links about travel. Profile •  Straightforward access to your personal settings and our customer support. Contact us. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch: https://www.sbb.ch/en/timetable/mobile-apps/sbb-mobile/contact.html Data security and authorisations. What permissions does SBB Mobile need and why? Location For connections from your current location, the GPS function must be activated so that SBB Mobile can find the nearest stop. This also applies if you want to have the nearest stop displayed in the timetable. Calendar and e-mail You can save connections in your own calendar and send them by e-mail (to friends, an external calendar). SBB Mobile requires read and write permissions to be able to import your desired connection into the calendar. Access to the camera SBB Mobile requires access to your camera to take pictures directly in the app for your personalised touch timetable. Internet access SBB Mobile requires internet access to search the timetable as well as for ticket purchases. Memory To support offline functions, e.g. station/stop list, connections (history) and purchased tickets, SBB Mobile requires access to your device’s memory (saving app-specific settings).

About

Zürich City Guide

This digital companion helps you explore Zurich with features like a mobile city pass for public transport and attractions, online booking for tours and restaurants, and an interactive city map. Save your favorite spots and access essential travel information.

Highlights
  • Mobile Zürich Card for public transport and attractions
  • Online booking for tours, transport, and restaurants
  • Interactive city map with points of interest
  • Create personalized favorites lists
  • User profile for storing traveler details
  • Access to FAQs, seasonal tips, and contact information
Features
Read full description

Welcome to the Zürich City Guide, the digital companion for your stay in Zurich. The app contains the following features: MOBILE ZÜRICH CARD Simply purchase and present the city pass «Zürich Card» in the app. By purchasing the «Zürich Card», you can benefit from the following free special offers: • Use of all public transportation in the city center • Transfer from Zurich Airport to Zurich Main Station and vice versa • Trip up Zurich’s home mountain, the Uetliberg • Specific boat trips on the River Limmat and Lake Zurich • And many more ONLINE BOOKINGS You can book and present tickets for city tours, public transportation, or excursions in just a few steps in the app. Also, table reservations for restaurants can be made easily using the Zürich City Guide. CITY MAP On the city map you can find tourist highlights and other useful information – such as where public toilets or fountains with drinking water are located. FAVORITES Create your own favorites to compile your individual program. PROFILE The login function allows you to easily store your details and those of your fellow travelers in the app. INFORMATION In the app, you’ll find frequently asked questions, seasonal tips as well as information on public transport. You also have the possibility to reach out to the team of Zürich Tourism through the app.

Screenshots

SBB Mobile4 screens
Zürich City Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SBB Mobile at 3.8 against Zürich City Guide's 2.5. SBB Mobile also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 20%) and ratings volume (67 vs 6). Zürich City Guide's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SBB Mobile holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SBB Mobile has 67 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of SBB Mobile's written reviews are positive against 20% of Zürich City Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SBB Mobile ships an update every 3 weeks, Zürich City Guide every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
SBB Mobile versus Zürich City Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSBB MobileZürich City Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (67 ratings) — better2.5 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews61.3% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings67 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#168 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size365 MB142 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSBB AGZurich Tourismus

Customer experience

SBB Mobile

All ratings67 ratings
Positive70.1%
Neutral3.0%
Negative26.9%
Written reviews560 reviews
Positive61.3%
Neutral9.6%
Negative29.1%

Zürich City Guide

All ratings6 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

Bugs and requests

SBB Mobile

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Unexpected error messages when purchasing tickets
  • Location tracking issues causing invalid ticket activations
  • Syncing problems between app and online account
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Integrate with Apple Wallet for digital tickets
  • Add support for night trains and sleeper cars
  • Improve search and booking for multi-passenger trips
  • Provide more detailed station and platform information
  • Allow users to save and manage their travel passes

Zürich City Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SBB Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

Zürich City Guide

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SBB Mobile free?
SBB Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zürich City Guide free?
Zürich City Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SBB Mobile or Zürich City Guide?
SBB Mobile is rated higher. SBB Mobile averages 3.8 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while Zürich City Guide averages 2.5 from 6 ratings.
Do SBB Mobile or Zürich City Guide have ads?
Both SBB Mobile and Zürich City Guide show ads.
Which is updated more often, SBB Mobile or Zürich City Guide?
SBB Mobile ships an update every 3 weeks, and Zürich City Guide every 6 weeks. Most recently, SBB Mobile was updated on September 23, 2026 and Zürich City Guide on June 20, 2026.

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