Explore Shanghai vs Beijing MRT Map
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Up-to-date metro map
- Offline functionality
- Route planner
- GPS nearest station finder
- Integrated street maps
- English and Chinese support
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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"
Beijing MRT Map
This travel app provides a comprehensive Beijing subway map and intelligent route planning. It offers detailed station information, including first and last bus times, to help you navigate the city efficiently. Supports multiple languages for a user-friendly experience.
- Complete subway line map
- Multi-language support (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English)
- Intelligent route planning with transfers
- Station details
- First and last bus times
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Beijing subway route inquiry App, a good helper for travel route inquiry. 1. Exquisite and complete subway line map, supporting Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and English. 2. Easy-to-use subway line viewing, quickly browse Beijing subway lines, and easily plan your itinerary without flipping through maps. 3. Intelligent route planning, one-click inquiry of transfer plans, and quick transfer plans save you time and effort. 4. Check the site details and the first and last bus time details. 5. More surprises are waiting for you to discover.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Beijing MRT Map at none against Explore Shanghai's 1. Beijing MRT Map also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). Explore Shanghai's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 5). On price, rating, ads 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
Both are free to download. Explore Shanghai sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Beijing MRT Map asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Explore Shanghai against 4.8 for Beijing MRT Map. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Shanghai has 1.3K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Explore Shanghai ships an update every 2 months, Beijing MRT Map every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Explore Shanghai | Beijing MRT Map |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.3K ratings) | 4.8 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1.3K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 53 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ExploreMetro | 炽金 练 |
Customer experience
Explore Shanghai
Beijing MRT Map
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
Beijing MRT Map
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Explore Shanghai
- VIP mode$4.99
Beijing MRT Map
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Explore Shanghai free?
Is Beijing MRT Map free?
Which has better reviews, Explore Shanghai or Beijing MRT Map?
Do Explore Shanghai or Beijing MRT Map have ads?
Which is updated more often, Explore Shanghai or Beijing MRT Map?
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