# Explore Beijing vs MetroMan China

The clearest difference is update cadence: MetroMan China at monthly against Explore Beijing's every 4 months. MetroMan China also leads on ratings volume (2K vs 496). Explore Beijing's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 67%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Explore Beijing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MetroMan China sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. 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 4.7 for MetroMan China. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 496 and 2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Explore Beijing's written reviews are positive against 67% of MetroMan China's.

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, MetroMan China monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Explore Beijing | MetroMan China |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (496 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-beijing/id349252601/reviews)** | [4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metroman-china/id466351433/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 496 | **2K** |
| Positive reviews | **80.2% of reviews** | 66.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ExploreMetro](https://appshunter.io/developer/340706618) | [EXPANSE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1596627478) |

## 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


### MetroMan China

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metroman-china/id466351433)

Navigate China's extensive metro systems with this comprehensive transit planner. It offers accurate maps, route planning with fare and time estimates, and works offline. Supports 11 languages and covers 53 major cities across China.

**Highlights:** Updated metro maps for 2026, Offline route planner, Detailed route, time, and fare info, 11 language support, Coverage for 53 cities, Ad-free Pro version available

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Quarterly | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $5.99 | per year |
| Pro (Yearly) | $7.99 | per year |
| Pro (Lifetime) | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for travel planning
- 🚀 Efficient route planning
- 📍 Accurate metro maps
- 💡 Useful features like station exits

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 💸 Aggressive and intrusive ads
- 🙈 Difficult to close ads or navigate app
- ⚠️ Outdated metro information

**Reported bugs**

- App gets stuck on ads, making it unusable
- Crashes when switching between cities
- Metro maps not showing latest line updates
- Difficulty dismissing full-screen ads

**Requested features**

- Offline map support
- Option to disable ads or pay for ad-free version
- More up-to-date metro line information
- Landscape mode support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Explore Beijing free?

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

### Is MetroMan China free?

MetroMan China is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Explore Beijing or MetroMan China?

Explore Beijing is rated higher. Explore Beijing averages 4.7 out of 5 from 496 ratings, while MetroMan China averages 4.7 from 2K ratings.

### Do Explore Beijing or MetroMan China have ads?

Both Explore Beijing and MetroMan China show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or MetroMan China?

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, and MetroMan China monthly. Most recently, Explore Beijing was updated on October 29, 2026 and MetroMan China on October 30, 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.*