Comparison

Explore Taipei vs Sydney Rail Map Lite

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

Sydney Rail Map Lite

Navigate Sydney's rail and subway system with a beautifully designed, clear route map. Features include a route planner, station index, and GPS support to find nearby stations. Optimized for all Apple devices, it offers day and night map views for easy legibility.

Highlights
  • Beautifully designed rail map
  • Instant route planner
  • Stations index and lookup
  • Day and night map views
  • GPS support for nearby stations
  • Rotate and zoom functionality
Features
Read full description

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. DAY and NIGHT MAPS - for easy legibility switching between a light and dark version of the map is possible. This can also be done automatically depending on the time of day. 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!) ========= Disclaimer: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Explore Taipei4 screens
Sydney Rail Map Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sydney Rail Map Lite at none against Explore Taipei's 1. Sydney Rail Map Lite also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 8 months). Explore Taipei's advantage is ratings volume (186 vs 7). On price, rating, review sentiment 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 Taipei sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sydney Rail Map Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Explore Taipei against 4.6 for Sydney Rail Map Lite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Explore Taipei has 186 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Explore Taipei's written reviews are positive against 46% of Sydney Rail Map Lite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explore Taipei ships an update every 8 months, Sydney Rail Map Lite every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Explore Taipei versus Sydney Rail Map Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore TaipeiSydney Rail Map Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (186 ratings) — better4.6 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better46.2% of reviews
Number of ratings186 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExploreMetroUrban-Map

Customer experience

Explore Taipei

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

Sydney Rail Map Lite

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral7.7%
Negative46.2%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore Taipei

One-time1
  • VIP mode$4.99
None

Sydney Rail Map Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Explore Taipei free?
Explore Taipei is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sydney Rail Map Lite free?
Sydney Rail Map Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Explore Taipei or Sydney Rail Map Lite?
Explore Taipei is rated higher. Explore Taipei averages 4.6 out of 5 from 186 ratings, while Sydney Rail Map Lite averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.
Do Explore Taipei or Sydney Rail Map Lite have ads?
Explore Taipei shows ads; Sydney Rail Map Lite does not.
Which is updated more often, Explore Taipei or Sydney Rail Map Lite?
Explore Taipei ships an update every 8 months, and Sydney Rail Map Lite every 4 months. Most recently, Explore Taipei was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sydney Rail Map Lite on October 22, 2026.

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