Comparison

Explore Beijing vs China Train Ticket for 12306官网

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

China Train Ticket for 12306官网

Book train, flight, hotel, and bus tickets with ease. Features intelligent ticket grabbing, voice assistance, and real-time travel updates. Supports multiple payment methods and electronic boarding.

Highlights
  • Voice ticket booking
  • Intelligent ticket grabbing
  • Flight, hotel, and bus booking
  • Real-time delay updates
  • Electronic ticket boarding
  • Multiple payment options
Features
Read full description

Voice ticket booking, simple and fast! Choose window seats or lower berths at will! Priority for securing lower berths during ticket grabbing! Easily handle ticket purchasing, refunds, and rescheduling! Flight tickets, hotels, and bus tickets are available in one place. Comprehensive features such as timetable, real-time delay updates, train route maps, and travel reminders. An intelligent voice assistant guides you throughout the process, making ticket booking even easier. Log in directly using your official account—no need for repeated registration! Fully supports high-speed trains, bullet trains, and regular train services. === Product Features === [Smart Ticket Grabbing] • Once your ticket preferences are set, the system automatically attempts to secure tickets 24 hours a day. • Supports multiple ticket-purchase combinations to maximize success rate. • Once the ticket is successfully booked, a notification will be sent automatically—no need to keep checking. [Payment Methods] • Supports Alipay • Supports WeChat Pay • Supports UnionPay Cloud QuickPass (Cloud Flash Pay) [Main Functions] • Full coverage of ticket purchasing, rescheduling, and refund services. • Timetable queries, real-time delay status, and train route maps. • Also supports booking of flights, hotels, and bus tickets via Ctrip integration. [Ticket Booking Process] • Register and log in to your account. • Go to Personal Center → Account Management → Frequent Passengers to add passenger information. • Identity verification (if the frequent passenger shows a green status such as "Verified," no further verification is required). • Bind your mobile number mutually (please follow the in-app instructions). • Select departure city, destination city, and departure date to search for trains. • Choose train number, seat type, passenger(s), and ticket category, then submit the order. • Order payment: Please complete payment within 10 minutes after order creation, otherwise the order will expire. • Boarding method: All booked train tickets are electronic tickets—no need to pick up a paper ticket. Use your ID to enter the station; if the ID cannot be scanned, proceed via the manual channel.

Screenshots

Explore Beijing4 screens
China Train Ticket for 12306官网4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Explore Beijing at 4.7 against China Train Ticket for 12306官网's 4.1. Explore Beijing also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 52%) and ratings volume (496 vs 39). China Train Ticket for 12306官网's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. China Train Ticket for 12306官网 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explore Beijing holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Beijing has 496 ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Explore Beijing's written reviews are positive against 52% of China Train Ticket for 12306官网's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, China Train Ticket for 12306官网 every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Explore Beijing versus China Train Ticket for 12306官网: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore BeijingChina Train Ticket for 12306官网
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (496 ratings) — better4.1 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews — better51.7% of reviews
Number of ratings496 — better39
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroBeijing Yikele Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Explore Beijing

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

China Train Ticket for 12306官网

All ratings39 ratings
Positive74.4%
Neutral12.8%
Negative12.8%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive51.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative44.8%

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

China Train Ticket for 12306官网

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Beijing

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

China Train Ticket for 12306官网

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Beijing free?
Explore Beijing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is China Train Ticket for 12306官网 free?
China Train Ticket for 12306官网 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Beijing or China Train Ticket for 12306官网?
Explore Beijing is rated higher. Explore Beijing averages 4.7 out of 5 from 496 ratings, while China Train Ticket for 12306官网 averages 4.1 from 39 ratings.
Do Explore Beijing or China Train Ticket for 12306官网 have ads?
Explore Beijing shows ads; China Train Ticket for 12306官网 does not.
Which is updated more often, Explore Beijing or China Train Ticket for 12306官网?
Explore Beijing ships an update every 4 months, and China Train Ticket for 12306官网 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Explore Beijing was updated on November 1, 2026 and China Train Ticket for 12306官网 on November 1, 2026.

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