Explore Beijing vs Beijing Rail Map Lite
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.
Beijing Rail Map Lite
This app provides a clear and beautiful route map for navigating rail and subway systems. It includes a route planner, station index, line overviews, and GPS support to find nearby stations. High-resolution graphics and interactive features enhance the user experience.
- Beautiful rail map design
- Fast route planner
- Station index and lookup
- Lines overview
- GPS support for nearby stations
- High-resolution graphics
- Rotate and zoom functionality
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Rail & Subway Map is a clear and concise route map that features: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RAIL MAP - representing the state of the art in information design. ROUTE PLANNER - instantly finds the fastest route and displays it on the map including transfer stations. STATIONS INDEX - quickly jump to any station. LINES OVERVIEW - shows the order of stations on each line with transit options. GPS SUPPORT - find the station closest to you. HIGH RESOLUTION GRAPHICS - looks stunning on retina displays. ROTATE and ZOOM - hold your device any way you want. UNIVERSAL APP - optimized for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. LARGE MAP - includes the most important stations STATION LOOKUP - search for a station by name APPLE MAPS INTEGRATION - lookup your route directly from Apple Maps The LITE-Version is fully functional but needs an internet connection. If you like the app but need offline access you can get the regular version for a big discount. (Only for limited time!)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Beijing Rail Map Lite at none against Explore Beijing's 1. Beijing Rail Map Lite 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, review sentiment, update cadence 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. Beijing Rail Map Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.
Beijing Rail Map Lite 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. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Explore Beijing's written reviews are positive against 75% of Beijing Rail Map Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, Beijing Rail Map Lite every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Explore Beijing | Beijing Rail Map Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (495 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.2% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 495 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ExploreMetro | Urban-Map |
Customer experience
Explore Beijing
Beijing Rail Map Lite
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
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
Beijing Rail Map Lite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Explore Beijing
- VIP mode$4.99
Beijing Rail Map Lite
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Explore Beijing free?
Is Beijing Rail Map Lite free?
Which has better reviews, Explore Beijing or Beijing Rail Map Lite?
Do Explore Beijing or Beijing Rail Map Lite have ads?
Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or Beijing Rail Map Lite?
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