Comparison

Explore Beijing vs Bee

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Up-to-date metro map
  • Offline functionality
  • Route planner
  • GPS integration
  • Street maps for stations
  • English and Chinese support
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Bee

Rent electric scooters for short or long trips. Simply download the app, register, find a scooter, scan the QR code, and ride to your destination. Park according to local rules and end your ride.

Highlights
  • Rent electric scooters
  • Eco-friendly transportation
  • Easy registration process
  • Scan QR code to unlock
  • Park according to local rules
  • Suitable for short and long trips
Features
Read full description

Bee Scooters are here to change the way we move and the way we support our planet. Innovative, environmentally friendly, safe to use and yeah, pretty cool to look at, bee scooters are here to make a buzz! Get Started: 1. Download the app. 2. Register. 3. Find a Bee Scooter. 4. Scan the QR code. 5. Ride safely to your destination. 6. Park Scooter according to local rules. 7. End your ride. Small vehicles for small trips. Large vehicles for large trips. Over 100 million worldwide have chosen this path last year alone. Not because it was easy but because it was hard. And hard is good. Keep going, we think there are 5 Billion people coming behind you. Eco-friendly transportation for all. Meet Bee’s eco-friendly fleet An eco-friendly footprint. The unlock fee for Bee Scooter is 1,00€ and the ride costs 0,25€ per minute. Visit our website for more information, news, promotions, rules and job opportunities.

Screenshots

Explore Beijing4 screens
Bee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bee at none against Explore Beijing's 1. Bee also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Explore Beijing's advantage is ratings volume (495 vs 1). On price, update cadence, monetization model 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 Beijing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bee asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bee holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Beijing has 495 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, Bee every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Explore Beijing versus Bee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore BeijingBee
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (495 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings495 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB116 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroEVEDIMA GREECE P.C.

Customer experience

Explore Beijing

All ratings495 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral4.0%
Negative15.8%

Bee

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

Bee

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Beijing

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

Bee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Beijing free?
Explore Beijing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bee free?
Bee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Beijing or Bee?
Bee is rated higher. Explore Beijing averages 4.7 out of 5 from 495 ratings, while Bee averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Explore Beijing or Bee have ads?
Explore Beijing shows ads; Bee does not.
Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or Bee?
Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, and Bee every 6 months. Most recently, Explore Beijing was updated on October 14, 2026 and Bee on October 11, 2026.

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