Comparison

Explore Shanghai vs Shanghai Rail Map Lite

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 Rail Map Lite

Navigate Shanghai's extensive rail and subway system with this visually stunning and user-friendly route planner. Find the fastest routes, explore station details, and easily locate nearby stations using GPS. Offers day and night map modes for optimal readability.

Highlights
  • Beautiful rail map design
  • Fast route planner with transfers
  • Stations index and lookup
  • Lines overview
  • Day and night map modes
  • GPS for nearby stations
  • Rotate and zoom functionality
Features
Read full description

Rail & Subway Map is a clear and concise route map that features: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RAIL MAP - representing the state of the art in information design. ROUTE PLANNER - instantly finds the fastest route and displays it on the map including transfer stations. STATIONS INDEX - quickly jump to any station. LINES OVERVIEW - shows the order of stations on each line with transit options. DAY and NIGHT MAPS - for easy legibility switching between a light and dark version of the map is possible. This can also be done automatically depending on the time of day. GPS SUPPORT - find the station closest to you. HIGH RESOLUTION GRAPHICS - looks stunning on retina displays. ROTATE and ZOOM - hold your device any way you want. UNIVERSAL APP - optimized for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. LARGE MAP - includes the most important stations STATION LOOKUP - search for a station by name APPLE MAPS INTEGRATION - lookup your route directly from Apple Maps The LITE-Version is fully functional but needs an internet connection. If you like the app but need offline access you can get the regular version for a big discount. (Only for limited time!)

Screenshots

Explore Shanghai4 screens
Shanghai Rail Map Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shanghai Rail Map Lite at none against Explore Shanghai's 1. Shanghai Rail Map Lite also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Explore Shanghai's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 8). 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 Rail Map Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explore Shanghai holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Shanghai has 1.3K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Explore Shanghai's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shanghai Rail Map Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Explore Shanghai versus Shanghai Rail Map Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore ShanghaiShanghai Rail Map Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better4.4 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews80.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.3K — better8
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroUrban-Map

Customer experience

Explore Shanghai

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

Shanghai Rail Map Lite

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews5 reviews
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

Shanghai Rail Map Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Shanghai

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

Shanghai Rail Map Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Shanghai free?
Explore Shanghai is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shanghai Rail Map Lite free?
Shanghai Rail Map Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Shanghai or Shanghai Rail Map Lite?
Explore Shanghai is rated higher. Explore Shanghai averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Shanghai Rail Map Lite averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.
Do Explore Shanghai or Shanghai Rail Map Lite have ads?
Explore Shanghai shows ads; Shanghai Rail Map Lite does not.
Which is updated more often, Explore Shanghai or Shanghai Rail Map Lite?
Explore Shanghai ships an update every 2 months, and Shanghai Rail Map Lite every 2 months. Most recently, Explore Shanghai was updated on October 23, 2026 and Shanghai Rail Map Lite on October 22, 2026.

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