Comparison

Explore Taipei vs World Transit Maps

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

Head to head
About

Explore Taipei

Navigate Taipei's subway system with an up-to-date, offline-capable map. Features include a route planner, GPS integration, and street maps for every station. Available in English and Chinese.

Highlights
  • Up-to-date metro map
  • Offline functionality
  • Route planner
  • GPS and street maps
  • English and Chinese support
  • iPhone X and iPad optimized
Features
Read full description

Recommended by CNN and Lonely Planet, this is Taipei'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 X Our gorgeous maps have been fully redesigned for the iPhone X. Runs on all iOS11+ 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

World Transit Maps

This app provides detailed railway maps for numerous countries, including high-speed trains, commuter lines, and metro systems. It features an intuitive route finder and real-time service status updates for seamless travel planning. Offline map browsing is also available.

Highlights
  • Detailed railway and metro maps
  • Intuitive route finder
  • Real-time service status updates
  • Offline map browsing
  • Covers 11 countries/regions
  • Alternative route suggestions
Features
Read full description

Well-designed railway maps integrating all railways, commuter lines and metro. ● Clarity! Railway maps It includes all stations on all lines, such as the High-speed trains, intercity, commuter, metros, and trams with the intuitive and easy-to-understand design. ● Easy! Route finder Tap a station on the map to add it to your route and we will propose the best route for you. Search results can be displayed at the same time as the railway map, so you won't get lost. ● Comforted! Service status You can quickly check the service status for each line, such as suspension and delays. If you meet any troubles, you can search for an alternative route while looking at the railway map. ● Covering 11 countries / regions around the world You can also see the world railway maps for free, which is useful for abroad travel. Great for finding access from the airport to the downtown and how to get between cities. ------------------------------ Countries / Regions ------------------------------ The coverage area will continue to expand steadily in the future. [Asia] - Hong Kong MTR, Airport Express, Hong Kong Tram, Peak Tram, Light Rail - Japan Shinkansen, JR, railways Subways in Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka etc. - Macau LRT - Malaysia KTM, KLIA Express, KL Monorail, Kuala Lumpur LRT - Singapore MRT, LRT, Sentosa Express, cable car - South Korea KTX, KORAIL, Airport Express (A'REX) Subways & metro in Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu & Busan - Taiwan High-Speed Railway (HSR), Taiwan Railway (TRA), Alishan Forest Railway Taipei & Kaohsiung Metro - Thailand State Railways (SRT), Airport Rail Link BTS (Skytrain) & MRT in Bangkok [Europe] - United Kingdom Eurostar, South Eastern High Speed, National Rail Underground (Tube), metro, tram in London, Manchester, Newcastle etc. - France Eurostar, Thalys, TGV, Ouigo, Intercités, TER, Transilien, RER Métro in Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse & Rennes Tramway in Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Grenoble, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Nantes, Caen etc. [North America] - United States Amtrak, Bright Line, Alaska Railroad, Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, PATH, NJ Transit, SEPTA, Metra, New York City Subway, CTA in Chicago, RTD in Denver, Los Angeles Metro, Muni Metro in San Francisco etc. ------------------------------ Major Functions ------------------------------ - Railway maps for multiple languages (Offline browsing is available if already downloaded) - Transit route search - Service status - Street maps - Hotel reservation - Timetable of stations (Japan Only) ------------------------------ Upgrade ------------------------------ You can now use the railway maps and the transit route search of all provided countries / regions with regardless of the free / paid plan. “Rail Map Basic” (Free) - You need to watch a video ad when switching between countries / regions. - The railway maps or other screens show ads. “Rail Map Passport” (One-time-purchase) - Fast Lane: Video ads are not displayed when switching between countries / regions. - The railway maps or other screens show ads. “Rail Map Premium” (Monthly Subscription) - Fast Lane: Video ads are not displayed when switching between countries / regions. - Ads are disappeared on the railway maps or other screen *1. *1 Some ads may be shown on the screen such as the result of transit route search or others.

Screenshots

Explore Taipei4 screens
World Transit Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: World Transit Maps at fortnightly against Explore Taipei's every 8 months. World Transit Maps also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 50%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 Taipei sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and World Transit Maps sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Explore Taipei holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 185 and 91 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Explore Taipei's written reviews are positive against 59% of World Transit Maps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explore Taipei ships an update every 8 months, World Transit Maps fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Explore Taipei versus World Transit Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore TaipeiWorld Transit Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (185 ratings) — better4.4 (91 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews59.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings185 — better91
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroTOKYO STUDIO INC.

Customer experience

Explore Taipei

All ratings185 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral4.9%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral14.3%
Negative35.7%

World Transit Maps

All ratings91 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral6.6%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive59.2%
Neutral12.8%
Negative28.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Taipei

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
4 purchases

World Transit Maps

Subscriptions1
  • Subscription / Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
One-time3
  • One time / Valid for 7 days3 variants$0.99
  • Forever$3.99
  • One time / Valid for 1 Year$4.99

Questions

Is Explore Taipei free?
Explore Taipei is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is World Transit Maps free?
World Transit Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Explore Taipei or World Transit Maps?
Explore Taipei is rated higher. Explore Taipei averages 4.6 out of 5 from 185 ratings, while World Transit Maps averages 4.4 from 91 ratings.
Do Explore Taipei or World Transit Maps have ads?
Both Explore Taipei and World Transit Maps show ads.
Which is updated more often, Explore Taipei or World Transit Maps?
Explore Taipei ships an update every 8 months, and World Transit Maps fortnightly. Most recently, Explore Taipei was updated on September 23, 2026 and World Transit Maps on September 24, 2026.

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