Explore Beijing vs Bee
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
Read full descriptionHide 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.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Explore Beijing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bee asks for nothing beyond the download.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Explore Beijing | Bee |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (495 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 495 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 116 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ExploreMetro | EVEDIMA GREECE P.C. |
Customer experience
Explore Beijing
Bee
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
Bee
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Explore Beijing
- VIP mode$4.99
Bee
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Explore Beijing free?
Is Bee free?
Which has better reviews, Explore Beijing or Bee?
Do Explore Beijing or Bee have ads?
Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or Bee?
Other comparisons















