# 铁路12306 vs 广州地铁官方APP

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 广州地铁官方APP at 74% against 铁路12306's 8%. 广州地铁官方APP also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.0). 铁路12306's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

广州地铁官方APP holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 488 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of 铁路12306's written reviews are positive against 74% of 广州地铁官方APP's.

铁路12306 ships an update every 4 days, 广州地铁官方APP every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 铁路12306 | 广州地铁官方APP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12306/id564818797/reviews) | **[4.6 (488 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app/id580097761/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 488 |
| Positive reviews | 7.8% of reviews | **74.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#164** | — |
| Size | 174 MB | 235 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [中国铁道科学研究院集团有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724701688) | [广州地铁集团有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/574181980) |

## What reviewers say

### 铁路12306

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12306/id564818797)

**Currently charting:** #164 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

This official platform allows users to book train tickets directly from the China Railway. It offers features like ticket waiting lists, seat and berth selection, and intelligent transfer planning. Additionally, it provides booking for flights, bus tickets, hotels, and other travel-related services.

**Highlights:** Official train ticket booking, Ticket waiting list, Seat and berth selection, Intelligent transfer planning, Flight and bus ticket booking, Hotel and travel service booking, Accessibility features

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 📲 Works with foreign passports
- 🇨🇳 Useful for local Chinese users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🤖 Poor user experience for foreigners
- 🔒 Difficult registration process
- 💰 Overpriced tickets
- 🕰️ Slow and unresponsive

**Reported bugs**

- Registration page shows blank screen
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Incorrect time display
- Inability to search for trains

**Requested features**

- Support for Apple Pay
- 12-hour time format
- Ability to remove linked phone number
- English language support


### 广州地铁官方APP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app/id580097761)

Navigate Guangzhou's metro system with real-time information on routes, schedules, and station amenities. Discover nearby landmarks and get practical travel updates for a smoother journey.

**Highlights:** Route planning, First/last train times, Station service facilities, Station surroundings info, Real-time operational announcements, SMS sharing of travel info

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Reliable and accurate app
- 👍 User-friendly and convenient
- 👍 Helpful staff and good service
- 👍 Clean and well-managed stations
- 👍 Efficient and on-time transportation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Small and hard-to-read station names on maps
- 🔒 Proxy settings check causing inconvenience
- 🚧 Lack of support for foreigners and non-Chinese users

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Outdated line and station information
- Incompatibility with newer devices and OS versions

**Requested features**

- Improved English and multi-language support
- Larger and clearer station maps
- Seamless QR code integration for entry/exit
- Electronic receipt/fapiao generation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 铁路12306 free?

铁路12306 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 广州地铁官方APP free?

广州地铁官方APP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, 铁路12306 or 广州地铁官方APP?

广州地铁官方APP is rated higher. 铁路12306 averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while 广州地铁官方APP averages 4.6 from 488 ratings.

### Do 铁路12306 or 广州地铁官方APP have ads?

Neither 铁路12306 nor 广州地铁官方APP shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 铁路12306 or 广州地铁官方APP?

铁路12306 ships an update every 4 days, and 广州地铁官方APP every 3 weeks. Most recently, 铁路12306 was updated on October 13, 2026 and 广州地铁官方APP on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*