Explore Beijing vs SmartShanghai
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Explore Beijing
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.
- Up-to-date metro map
- Offline functionality
- Route planner
- GPS integration
- Street maps for stations
- English and Chinese support
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Recommended by CNN and Lonely Planet, this is Beijing'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 iPhone Our gorgeous maps have been fully redesigned for all iPhone devices. Runs on all iOS10-14 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.
SmartShanghai
Access a comprehensive directory of over 16,000 Shanghai businesses, events, and classifieds. Discover nearby venues, happy hours, and essential city information. Find housing, jobs, and buy/sell items with this city guide.
- 16,000+ business directory
- Location-based venue discovery
- Curated editorial content
- Comprehensive events calendar
- Housing and job classifieds
- Buy & Sell marketplace
- Emergency contact information
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Discover and bookmark the best of Shanghai. SmartShanghai is Shanghai’s longest-running online English-language city guide. For over 20 years, our editors on the ground have been discovering, reviewing and curating the places, events and things worth knowing about. From restaurants and bars to exhibitions, concerts, family activities and hidden neighborhood spots, we help you find the best of Shanghai — and save the things you want to come back to. Discover Browse our hand-picked selection of restaurants, bars, cafés, shops and other places around Shanghai. Save Your Favorites Bookmark places, events and articles you want to come back to and build your own Shanghai list. What’s On Find things happening around the city, from live music and nightlife to exhibitions, markets, dining events and family activities. Editorial Guides, recommendations and stories from our Shanghai-based editorial team, covering the city for more than 20 years. Housing Browse apartments for rent across Shanghai, with thousands of current listings from local agencies and landlords. Tickets Discover upcoming shows and events and buy tickets directly through SmartShanghai. Essential Shanghai Practical information for living in and visiting Shanghai, including useful services and emergency information. Whether you’ve just arrived, are visiting for a few days, or have lived here for years, SmartShanghai helps you discover more of Shanghai — and keep track of the places you don’t want to forget.
Screenshots
Verdict
Explore Beijing and SmartShanghai both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Explore Beijing's written reviews are positive against 39% of SmartShanghai's. SmartShanghai's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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 Beijing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SmartShanghai asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Explore Beijing against 4.7 for SmartShanghai. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 496 and 561 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Explore Beijing's written reviews are positive against 39% of SmartShanghai's.
Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, SmartShanghai every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Explore Beijing | SmartShanghai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (496 ratings) — better | 4.7 (561 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews — better | 39.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 496 | 561 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | ExploreMetro | 上海煌飞商务咨询有限公司 |
Customer experience
Explore Beijing
SmartShanghai
User reviews
Explore Beijing
From 496 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 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
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
SmartShanghai
From 561 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Useful app for life in Shanghai
- 🚀 Comprehensive directory of venues
- 🚕 Helpful taxi address cards
- 💡 Integrates with Amap
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⚠️ Outdated and inaccurate information
- 🕰️ Slow performance and long loading times
- 🗺️ Lacking up-to-date subway map
Bugs and requests
Explore Beijing
Reported bugs
10 issues- 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
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- App fails to load at low memory
- Location services not working despite being enabled
- Email support option non-functional
- Timing data 6-10 minutes inaccurate at some stations
- Incompatibility with iOS 3.0
Requested features
11 requests- 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
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Timetable adjustments for construction projects
- Full network view in landscape orientation
- Improved language switching within app
- Accessibility features for colorblind users
- Maps.me integration for China
- Subway exit information offline
SmartShanghai
Reported bugs
4 issues- Venues randomly disappearing from the app
- Inability to access favorites after updates
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Frequent crashes and freezes
Requested features
4 requests- Improve search and filtering functionality
- Add ability to rate and review venues
- Integrate more location-based features
- Provide regular content updates
In-app purchases
Explore Beijing
- VIP mode$4.99
SmartShanghai
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Explore Beijing free?
Is SmartShanghai free?
Which has better reviews, Explore Beijing or SmartShanghai?
Do Explore Beijing or SmartShanghai have ads?
Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or SmartShanghai?
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