# Explore Beijing vs China Steps

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: China Steps at none against Explore Beijing's 1. China Steps also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). Explore Beijing's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Explore Beijing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. China Steps asks for nothing beyond the download.

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, China Steps every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Explore Beijing | China Steps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explore-beijing/id349252601/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **495** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 54 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ExploreMetro](https://appshunter.io/developer/340706618) | [凯 廖](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896687767) |

## 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- ⚠️ Outdated map information and slow updates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


### China Steps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/china-steps/id6785785597)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Explore Beijing free?

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

### Is China Steps free?

China Steps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Explore Beijing shows ads; China Steps does not.

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

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, and China Steps every 3 weeks. Most recently, Explore Beijing was updated on October 14, 2026 and China Steps on October 3, 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.*