Explore Beijing vs China Care Guide
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.
China Care Guide
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China Care Guide helps travelers and expats quickly find foreigner-friendly hospitals and key contact info in major cities in China. What you can do: • Browse hospitals by city • Call with one tap, copy phone numbers instantly • Open addresses in Apple Maps • View service languages and specialties • Save key info for emergencies Pro (one-time purchase) adds: • PDF export (Visit Card + Emergency Card) • Full hospital details (contacts + services) Data sources: Official government pages and hospital websites (shown inside the app). Privacy: We don’t sell personal data. Payments are processed by Apple; the app does not receive your payment details.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: China Care Guide at none against Explore Beijing's shown. China Care Guide also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months). Explore Beijing's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On price, in-app purchases 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 and China Care Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, China Care Guide every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Explore Beijing | China Care Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (495 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 495 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ExploreMetro | 林坤 敖 |
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
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- 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
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- 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
China Care Guide
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Explore Beijing
- VIP mode$4.99
China Care Guide
- Pro (Lifetime)$4.99
Questions
Is Explore Beijing free?
Is China Care Guide free?
Do Explore Beijing or China Care Guide have ads?
Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or China Care Guide?
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