Comparison

Explore Taipei vs Taiwan Bus

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

Taiwan Bus

This app provides real-time public transportation information for Taiwan. It helps users find bus routes, schedules, and arrival times to navigate the city efficiently. The app will be discontinued after November 30, 2026, with a recommendation to switch to Bus Tracker Taiwan.

Highlights
  • Real-time bus tracking
  • Route planning
  • Arrival time estimates
  • Public transportation information
  • English interface available
Read full description

【Important Notice】 Taiwan Bus will no longer be available for download after November 30, 2026. We recommend switching to Bus Tracker Taiwan (台灣等公車), which offers the same features in English. How to switch: 1. Download Bus Tracker Taiwan (台灣等公車) from the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id718656074 2. If the app appears in Chinese, go to 設定 (Settings) → 語言 (Language) → English. Thank you for using Taiwan Bus. 【重要公告】 Taiwan Bus 將於 2026 年 11 月 30 日後停止提供下載。建議改用「台灣等公車」(Bus Tracker Taiwan),一樣有英文介面與相同的功能。 轉移方式: 1. 從 App Store 下載台灣等公車:https://apps.apple.com/app/id718656074 2. 如果畫面顯示中文,可到「設定 → 語言」切換成 English。 感謝您一直以來的使用。

Screenshots

Explore Taipei4 screens
Taiwan Bus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Taiwan Bus at none against Explore Taipei's 1. Taiwan Bus also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Explore Taipei's advantage is ratings volume (186 vs 11) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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. Taiwan Bus asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Taiwan Bus holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Taipei has 186 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Explore Taipei's written reviews are positive against 60% of Taiwan Bus's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explore Taipei ships an update every 8 months, Taiwan Bus every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Explore Taipei versus Taiwan Bus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore TaipeiTaiwan Bus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (186 ratings)4.9 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings186 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB110 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroYahoo

Customer experience

Explore Taipei

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

Taiwan Bus

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Taipei

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

Taiwan Bus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Taipei free?
Explore Taipei is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Taiwan Bus free?
Taiwan Bus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Taipei or Taiwan Bus?
Taiwan Bus is rated higher. Explore Taipei averages 4.6 out of 5 from 186 ratings, while Taiwan Bus averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.
Do Explore Taipei or Taiwan Bus have ads?
Both Explore Taipei and Taiwan Bus show ads.
Which is updated more often, Explore Taipei or Taiwan Bus?
Explore Taipei ships an update every 8 months, and Taiwan Bus every 3 weeks. Most recently, Explore Taipei was updated on November 6, 2026 and Taiwan Bus on November 7, 2026.

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