Comparison

Explore Shanghai vs Shanghai Map and Walks

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

Head to head
About

Explore Shanghai

Navigate Shanghai's metro system with an up-to-date, offline map and route planner. Features include GPS station finder, integrated street maps for exits, and support for English and Chinese.

Highlights
  • Up-to-date metro map
  • Offline functionality
  • Route planner
  • GPS nearest station finder
  • Integrated street maps
  • English and Chinese support
Features
Read full description

Recommended by CNN and Lonely Planet, this is Shanghai's best subway map! Up-to-date with all the metro lines; Works offline; Routeplanner, GPS, Street maps; English and Chinese included. Download the app completely free! The free app is ad-supported. Upgrade to VIP features if you'd like to get extra features, remove ads and support future development! WHY EXPLOREMETRO? 1. Fully up-to-date Accurate metro map, includes every station on every line. Free updates for future station openings and timetable changes. 2. Designed for the latest devices Our gorgeous maps have been fully redesigned for the latest iOS devices. Runs on all iOS11-14 devices. 3. Designed for iPad Specially redesigned interface for the larger iPad screen with split screen. Drag and drop station names, tips, maps and timetables into other apps. 4. Street maps for every station Need to get your bearings at a station? Integrated Street maps show you metro exits and nearby streets for every station. 5. Route-planner A really easy route-planner. Get route and time information for any journey with just three taps. 6. "Find my nearest station" Using your GPS, see a list of the closest metro stations to your current location. 7. Works offline Everything works without an Internet connection. Search stations and plan routes on the go. UPGRADE TO VIP FOR EVEN MORE FEATURES I've been developing this app for more than 10 years. Upgrading to VIP helps support future development of the app. VIP users get additional features, like NO ADS, accurate prices for every journey, first/last train times, offline street maps, tips at every station, and a general warm fuzzy feeling. REVIEWS CNN Travel: "These maps are very easy on the eye and simple to navigate. They work offline and also include free updates of stations that have yet to be completed, operating hours and schedules." Lonely Planet: "Easy to use, up to date and work offline. Very handy, especially when they've run out of paper maps at the stations." SUGGESTIONS We'd love to hear your comments and suggestions on ways to improve the app. Please contact us via support@exploremetro.com, as we can't respond to comments left in the reviews. -- Shanghai Shentong Metro Group Co. , Ltd requires that we add the following disclaimer: "Explore Shanghai is not the official App of Shanghai Metro, and it is in no way associated with Shanghai Shentong Metro Group Co. , Ltd., nor does it pretend to represent them"

About

Shanghai Map and Walks

Explore Shanghai with self-guided walks featuring attractions and hidden gems. This app provides a detailed city map with search and location bookmarking, allowing you to track your steps and share photos. It works offline, making it ideal for travelers.

Highlights
  • Self-guided city walks
  • Detailed offline city map
  • Search and location bookmarking
  • Movement tracking
  • Photo sharing
  • Works offline
Features
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Lose Yourself Without Getting Lost. This handy application presents you several self-guided walks featuring the best of the city, from world famous attractions to hidden gems. There simply is no better way to see a city on foot, at your own pace and at a cost that is only a fraction of what you would normally pay for a guided tour. This app comes with a detailed and fully functional city map to help you explore the city and locate the sights of interest. City map functions included in this app are: street name and business (restaurants, cafes, etc.), search, location bookmarking, `Findme` (iPhone and iPad 3/4G model), movement tracking (iPhone and iPad 3/4G model), and more. You can track your steps, take photos along the way, and then share your tracks and photos with friends. Sightseeing walks included in this application are: * City Orientation Walk I (9 sights) * Places of Worship (5 sights) * Children's Entertainment (5 sights) * Huangpu District (10 sights) * The Bund Sightseeing Tour (11 sights) * Luwan District (8 sights) * Shanghai Museums (5 sights) * Old City of Shanghai (8 sights) * City Orientation Walk II (9 sights) No Data Plan or Internet is Needed, and No Roaming either. All the data used in this app is built into the software, so there is no need for internet access or cellular data plan. No need to pay costly roaming charges when traveling to foreign cities. The app works with your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. All the navigation features related to the city walks are disabled in this Lite version, which means that you can view the walk details (sight descriptions and photos), but NO navigation assistance is provided to guide you from one sight to the next. Download the Lite version if you want to use the city map or learn about the city walks. However, if you want to join the walks, it is highly recommended that you download a Full Version of this app. The Full Version includes detailed walk route maps to guide you from one sight to the next. Please visit our website at www.GPSmyCity.com to find city walks for over 470 cities worldwide. Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. This app gives you the option to turn off the GPS tracking in the background to prolong the battery life.

Screenshots

Explore Shanghai4 screens
Shanghai Map and Walks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Explore Shanghai at 80% against Shanghai Map and Walks's 33%. Explore Shanghai also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 1). Shanghai Map and Walks's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence 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. Explore Shanghai sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shanghai Map and Walks asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explore Shanghai holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Shanghai has 1.3K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Explore Shanghai's written reviews are positive against 33% of Shanghai Map and Walks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Explore Shanghai versus Shanghai Map and Walks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore ShanghaiShanghai Map and Walks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews80.5% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1.3K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.09.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB91 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroGPSmyCity.com, Inc.

Customer experience

Explore Shanghai

All ratings1,320 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews266 reviews
Positive80.5%
Neutral6.8%
Negative12.8%

Shanghai Map and Walks

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

Explore Shanghai

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes and freezes on certain devices
  • Nearest station feature not working
  • Inaccurate route planning and travel times

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline street maps with station exits
  • Chinese character support for station names
  • Integration with Google Maps for directions
  • Customizable route planning options
  • Closure times for specific metro lines

Shanghai Map and Walks

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Shanghai

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

Shanghai Map and Walks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Shanghai free?
Explore Shanghai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shanghai Map and Walks free?
Shanghai Map and Walks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Shanghai or Shanghai Map and Walks?
Explore Shanghai is rated higher. Explore Shanghai averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Shanghai Map and Walks averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Explore Shanghai or Shanghai Map and Walks have ads?
Explore Shanghai shows ads; Shanghai Map and Walks does not.
Which is updated more often, Explore Shanghai or Shanghai Map and Walks?
Explore Shanghai ships an update every 2 months, and Shanghai Map and Walks every 2 months. Most recently, Explore Shanghai was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shanghai Map and Walks on September 21, 2026.

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