# Explore Beijing vs Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com at none against Explore Beijing's 1. Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Explore Beijing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com asks for nothing beyond the download.

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Explore Beijing | Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-beijing/id349252601/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **495** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ExploreMetro](https://appshunter.io/developer/340706618) | [CIVITATIS TOURS S.L.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1199835690) |

## What reviewers say

### Explore Beijing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-beijing/id349252601)

Navigate Beijing's extensive subway system with an up-to-date, offline map and route planner. Features include GPS integration, street maps for station exits, and support for both English and Chinese.

**Highlights:** Up-to-date metro map, Offline functionality, Route planner, GPS integration, Street maps for stations, English and Chinese support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP mode | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🗺️ Comprehensive subway map with clear layout
- 🚀 Efficient route planning and transfer suggestions
- ⏱️ Accurate travel time estimates
- 📱 Offline functionality for map viewing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes after iOS updates
- ⚠️ Outdated map information and slow updates
- 📍 Location/nearest station feature unreliable
- 🔌 Requires internet for some features
- 💳 Requires separate purchases for each city

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iOS 10 and later
- Line 13 not showing as faster route option
- Missing stations (Erligou on Line 6/16)
- Daxing Airport Line missing pricing information
- Daxing Airport Line disappears in Chinese version

**Requested features**

- Station exit maps with offline access
- Detailed station layout diagrams
- Bus route integration
- First and last train time schedules in prominent position
- Station exit letter identifiers matching actual signage


### Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beijing-guide-by-civitatiscom/id1126246179)

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Explore Beijing free?

Explore Beijing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com free?

Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Explore Beijing or Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com have ads?

Explore Beijing shows ads; Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com does not.

### Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com?

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, and Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com every 3 months. Most recently, Explore Beijing was updated on September 23, 2026 and Beijing Guide by Civitatis.com on September 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*