# 铁路12306 vs 铁友火车票

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 铁友火车票 at 91% against 铁路12306's 8%. 铁友火车票 also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.0). 铁路12306's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

铁友火车票 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 338 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 8% of 铁路12306's written reviews are positive against 91% of 铁友火车票's.

铁路12306 ships an update every 4 days, 铁友火车票 monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 铁路12306 | 铁友火车票 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12306/id564818797/reviews) | **[4.9 (338 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id668955847/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 338 |
| Positive reviews | 7.8% of reviews | **91.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | **#169** | — |
| Size | 174 MB | 167 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, 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) | [Shanghai xuntu piaowu daili co.,ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/879994157) |

## What reviewers say

### 铁路12306

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

**Currently charting:** #169 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


### 铁友火车票

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id668955847)

This app helps you monitor train ticket availability and automatically purchase tickets when they become available. It also offers intelligent travel planning, online ticket booking, and provides information on discounted hotels and flights.

**Highlights:** Ticket grabbing monitoring, Ticket availability monitoring, Intelligent travel planning, Online ticket purchase, Online ticket refund/change, Hotel and flight booking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very user-friendly
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💯 Reliable ticket booking
- 💡 Innovative抢票 (ticket grabbing) feature
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Random charges and fees
- 😞 Difficulty in booking tickets
- 💸 Unclear additional fees
- 😠 Frustrating user experience
- ⚠️ Inconsistent success rate

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Network errors when searching for bus tickets
- Random charges and fees
- Unclear additional fees
- Difficulty logging in

**Requested features**

- Support for Taiwanese resident permits
- More payment options for international users
- Faster response times
- Improved ticket grabbing success rate
- Clearer explanation of fees


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 铁路12306 free?

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

### Is 铁友火车票 free?

铁友火车票 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, 铁路12306 or 铁友火车票?

铁友火车票 is rated higher. 铁路12306 averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while 铁友火车票 averages 4.9 from 338 ratings.

### Do 铁路12306 or 铁友火车票 have ads?

铁友火车票 shows ads; 铁路12306 does not.

### Which is updated more often, 铁路12306 or 铁友火车票?

铁路12306 ships an update every 4 days, and 铁友火车票 monthly. Most recently, 铁路12306 was updated on September 27, 2026 and 铁友火车票 on September 26, 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.*