# 铁路12306 vs tripAI

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 铁路12306 at none against tripAI's 6. 铁路12306 also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and chart position (#193 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. tripAI sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. 铁路12306 asks for nothing beyond the download.

铁路12306 ships an update every 4 days, tripAI every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 铁路12306 | tripAI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.1 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12306/id564818797/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 7.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#193** | — |
| Size | 174 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [中国铁道科学研究院集团有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1724701688) | [深圳搜旅智慧科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689868385) |

## What reviewers say

### 铁路12306

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

**Currently charting:** #193 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


### tripAI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tripai/id6449613210)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 日卡 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vip会员月卡 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Vip季卡 | $29.99 | one-time |
| Vip年卡 | $59.99 | one-time |
| Vip豪华年卡 | $99.99 | one-time |
| Vip超级年卡 | $149.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 铁路12306 free?

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

### Is tripAI free?

tripAI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do 铁路12306 or tripAI have ads?

Neither 铁路12306 nor tripAI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 铁路12306 or tripAI?

铁路12306 ships an update every 4 days, and tripAI every 6 weeks. Most recently, 铁路12306 was updated on October 24, 2026 and tripAI on October 17, 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.*