Comparison

Explore Shanghai vs Beijing MRT Map

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

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.

Highlights
  • Complete subway line map
  • Multi-language support (Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English)
  • Intelligent route planning with transfers
  • Station details
  • First and last bus times
Features
Read full description

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

Explore Shanghai4 screens
Beijing MRT Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Explore Shanghai sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Beijing MRT Map asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Explore Shanghai versus Beijing MRT Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore ShanghaiBeijing MRT Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.3K ratings)4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.3K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetro炽金 练

Customer experience

Explore Shanghai

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

Beijing MRT Map

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

1 purchases

Explore Shanghai

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

Beijing MRT Map

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Shanghai free?
Explore Shanghai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Beijing MRT Map free?
Beijing MRT Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Shanghai or Beijing MRT Map?
Beijing MRT Map is rated higher. Explore Shanghai averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Beijing MRT Map averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.
Do Explore Shanghai or Beijing MRT Map have ads?
Both Explore Shanghai and Beijing MRT Map show ads.
Which is updated more often, Explore Shanghai or Beijing MRT Map?
Explore Shanghai ships an update every 2 months, and Beijing MRT Map every 3 weeks. Most recently, Explore Shanghai was updated on October 12, 2026 and Beijing MRT Map on September 19, 2026.

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