Comparison

Explore Hong Kong vs MTR Mobile

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Explore Hong Kong

Navigate Hong Kong's extensive metro system with this comprehensive offline map and route planner. Discover nearby streets and exits from every station, and find your nearest station using GPS. Enjoy free updates and an ad-supported experience, with an option to upgrade for enhanced features.

Highlights
  • Up-to-date metro map
  • Offline functionality
  • Route planner
  • GPS station finder
  • Integrated street maps
  • English and Chinese support
Features
Read full description

Recommended by CNN and Lonely Planet, this is Hong Kong'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 iOS11-14 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 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

MTR Mobile

Enhance your travel experience with real-time train arrival times, car occupancy information, and suggested routes. Earn points for rewards by traveling, shopping, or playing games within the app.

Highlights
  • Real-time train arrival times
  • Car occupancy information
  • Suggested routes for frequent destinations
  • Earn MTR Points for travel and purchases
  • Redeem points for free rides and rewards
  • In-app games to earn points
Features
Read full description

MTR Mobile新面貌 全面提升出行體驗! 【旅程更便捷】 ◆ 想更準確預時間出口?行程指南提供預計行程時間!搜尋路綫後,一個版面睇晒下班車到站時間同車廂載客量等資訊,預計時間更Easy! ◆ 想更快搵到常去目的地嘅資訊?喺主頁就睇到前往常去目的地建議路綫、實時列車到站時間等資訊,省卻繁複搜尋步驟,等你可以捉緊每分每秒! ◆ 想掌握最新生活資訊?MTR Mobile提供港鐵服務資訊、港鐵優惠,以及同生活息息相關嘅專題文章,令你日常生活更精彩。 【邊搭邊賺MTR分】 ◆ 想賺分換獎賞?日常無論搭港鐵、喺港鐵商場或車站商店消費,甚至經MTR Mobile買車票同港鐵精品都賺到分,輕鬆消費就換到免費車程同不同驚喜獎賞! ◆ 等緊車有乜玩?「FUN分遊戲」正式上線,一齊邊玩邊賺分,換領獎賞更容易! 各種全新體驗,令出行更便捷,獎賞更豐富! ◆ 為支援將於2026年11月推出之「減碳賞」步行挑戰活動,MTR Mobile需要存取你的步數資料,以計算及記錄你在活動中的步行進度及獎賞。你的健康數據只會用於相關活動功能及獎賞計算用途。 你可到 https://www.mtr.com.hk/mtrmobile/ch 查看更多MTR Mobile最新資訊。 MTR Mobile's New Look: Enhancing Your Travel Experience! A More Enjoyable Journey ◆ Want to better plan your journey? Trip Planner provides estimated journey times, plus next train arrival times and car occupancy information on a single screen, making journey planning a breeze! ◆ Need quick access to your frequent destinations? The homepage shows suggested routes and next train arrival times to your frequent stations, saving you from repeated searches and helping you make the most of every minute! ◆ Looking for the latest news? MTR Mobile offers MTR service updates, promotions, and lifestyle articles to make your daily life more exciting. Earn MTR Points While You Travel ◆ Want to earn points for fabulous rewards? Whether you're taking the MTR, shopping at MTR Malls or Station Shops, or buying tickets and MTR souvenirs through MTR Mobile, you can earn MTR Points and redeem them for free rides and exciting rewards. ◆ Looking for something to do while commuting? Game Arcade is now live, allowing you to play games and earn MTR Points, making rewards even easier to redeem. Experience the new features for a more rewarding journey with MTR Mobile! Health Data Access ◆ To support the Carbon Wallet Steps Challenge campaign to be released in November 2026, MTR Mobile needs access to your step count data to calculate and track your progress and rewards. Your health data will only be used for campaign-related functions and reward calculation purposes. Visit https://www.mtr.com.hk/mtrmobile/en for more information about MTR Mobile.

Screenshots

Explore Hong Kong4 screens
MTR Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Explore Hong Kong at 77% against MTR Mobile's 39%. Explore Hong Kong also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3). MTR Mobile's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Explore Hong Kong sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MTR Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explore Hong Kong holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 324 and 494 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Explore Hong Kong's written reviews are positive against 39% of MTR Mobile's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explore Hong Kong ships an update every 5 months, MTR Mobile monthly. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Explore Hong Kong versus MTR Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore Hong KongMTR Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (324 ratings) — better4.3 (494 ratings)
Positive reviews77.1% of reviews — better39.4% of reviews
Number of ratings324494 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB392 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroMTR Corporation Limited

Customer experience

Explore Hong Kong

All ratings321 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral4.4%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive77.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative20.0%

MTR Mobile

All ratings493 ratings
Positive84.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews287 reviews
Positive39.4%
Neutral10.1%
Negative50.5%

User reviews

Explore Hong Kong

From 324 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🗺️ Excellent route planner
  • 🇨🇳 Up-to-date for China
  • 🌐 Bilingual (English/Chinese)
  • 💻 Website available on PC

Room to improve

  • ❓ No more fare displayed
  • 😠 Ads are disliked
  • 🐛 Speech bubble won't close
  • 🗺️ Street map shows only station, not exits
  • 🌐 Street maps require online connection

MTR Mobile

From 494 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent navigation
  • 🗺️ Helpful map features
  • ⏱️ Accurate trip planning
  • 🌍 Useful for tourists

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🕰️ Slow performance
  • 📺 Intrusive ads
  • 🤯 Overly complicated UI
  • 🚫 Lack of offline functionality

Bugs and requests

Explore Hong Kong

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Speech bubble on main screen won't close
  • Street map only shows station location, not exits
  • Street maps rely on Google Maps and require online connection
  • Horizontal screen display is not good

Requested features

8 requests
  • Tokyo version needed
  • More cities in China
  • Add bus/ferry times
  • Add train times for every station
  • GPS for transfer reminders
Show 3 more
  • Show all station exits on street map
  • Offline street maps
  • Enhanced version covering other HK transit

MTR Mobile

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Journey planner not working
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices
  • Unreliable station data updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Offline map support
  • Customizable UI
  • Real-time service updates
  • Improved accessibility

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Hong Kong

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

MTR Mobile

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Hong Kong free?
Explore Hong Kong is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MTR Mobile free?
MTR Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Hong Kong or MTR Mobile?
Explore Hong Kong is rated higher. Explore Hong Kong averages 4.6 out of 5 from 324 ratings, while MTR Mobile averages 4.3 from 494 ratings.
Do Explore Hong Kong or MTR Mobile have ads?
Both Explore Hong Kong and MTR Mobile show ads.
Which is updated more often, Explore Hong Kong or MTR Mobile?
Explore Hong Kong ships an update every 5 months, and MTR Mobile monthly. Most recently, Explore Hong Kong was updated on November 10, 2026 and MTR Mobile on November 10, 2026.

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