# Explore Beijing vs Beijing Metro Guide

The clearest difference is ads: Beijing Metro Guide at none against Explore Beijing's shown. Explore Beijing's advantage is ratings volume (495 vs 5) and review sentiment (80% vs 70%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Explore Beijing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Beijing Metro Guide sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Explore Beijing against 4.6 for Beijing Metro Guide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Beijing has 495 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Explore Beijing's written reviews are positive against 70% of Beijing Metro Guide's.

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, Beijing Metro Guide every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Explore Beijing | Beijing Metro Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-beijing/id349252601/reviews)** | [4.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beijing-metro-guide/id1306824480/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **495** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **80.2% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ExploreMetro](https://appshunter.io/developer/340706618) | [敏 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1233033227) |

## 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 Metro Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beijing-metro-guide/id1306824480)

Navigate Beijing's subway system with up-to-date route maps and accurate travel information. Find the fastest transfer plans, including route, time, ticket price, and distance. Offers offline functionality and nearby site information for a complete travel experience.

**Highlights:** Latest route map data, Accurate metro information, Route enquiry with transfer plans, Ticket price and distance calculation, Nearby site information, Real-time navigation, Offline functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly card | $0.99 | one-time |
| Monthly card | $2.99 | one-time |
| Quarter card | $4.99 | one-time |
| Year card | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Explore Beijing free?

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

### Is Beijing Metro Guide free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Explore Beijing or Beijing Metro Guide?

Explore Beijing is rated higher. Explore Beijing averages 4.7 out of 5 from 495 ratings, while Beijing Metro Guide averages 4.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do Explore Beijing or Beijing Metro Guide have ads?

Explore Beijing shows ads; Beijing Metro Guide does not.

### Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or Beijing Metro Guide?

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, and Beijing Metro Guide every 3 months. Most recently, Explore Beijing was updated on September 28, 2026 and Beijing Metro Guide on September 13, 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.*