Comparison

Chicago Subway map vs PathReel

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chicago Subway map

Features
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Chicago rail travel in one simple app. Browse the network map, switch between color-coded rail lines, review the Chicago CTA overview, and jump into the route planner from the map screen. The app also includes airport boards for O'Hare and Midway, emergency help, and travel essentials for hotels, flights, car rentals, and tours. Current build highlights: • Chicago CTA rail maps in a clear mobile layout • 8 rail lines and 143 physical stations in this build • line filters for the CTA rail network • route planner entry from the map screen • airport access context for O'Hare via Blue Line and Midway via Orange Line • airport boards for ORD and MDW with departures and arrivals • Chicago CTA overview with transfer and service logic • emergency help with quick access to key numbers • travel essentials for stays, flights, car rentals, and tours Chicago rail map is built for visitors, commuters, and anyone who wants a simpler way to understand rail travel in Chicago.

About

PathReel

Features
Read full description

PathReel — Turn Your Journey into a Story You Can Replay Every trip leaves a trail. A walk through your neighbourhood, a weekend bike ride, a cross-country road trip, or a flight across the ocean, PathReel captures your GPS tracks, photos, and workouts, then transforms them into living memories you can replay anytime. Automatic Trip Recording PathReel intelligently detects walking, running, cycling, driving, and flying — and can switch modes automatically during the same journey. Set your home as a geofence, and PathReel will automatically start recording when you leave and stop when you return. No buttons. No reminders. Built for long trips, background GPS recording is optimized for battery efficiency and remains reliable even with the screen locked. Watch Your Life on a 3D Globe Replay your journeys on a cinematic 3D satellite globe with two unique recap modes. Media Recap Relive your travels month by month with photos, stops, and smooth cinematic camera movements that automatically adapt to your activity. Route Recap Watch a UFO travel across the globe and retrace every journey you’ve taken. A glowing beam reveals each route on the map before the UFO lifts back into the sky and flies to your next destination. Smart camera transitions automatically adjust altitude based on travel distance — from local city trips to full intercontinental flights. Walking through a city should feel different from crossing an ocean — and PathReel makes it feel that way. Export Beautiful Videos in One Tap Turn any trip into a shareable cinematic video. Export: A single adventure Your latest vacation Your entire year Any custom date range Perfect for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, WeChat, and more. New in Version 2.5.0 UFO-Powered Route Recap A brand-new cinematic playback mode with dynamic globe flyovers and adaptive altitude transitions. Route Video Recording Route Recap now supports one-tap video recording and sharing. Smoother Camera Transitions Nearby trips stay low and cinematic, while long-distance travel smoothly transitions into space-level flyovers. Game Center Leaderboards Compete globally across 15 leaderboards, including walking, driving, cycling, flights, countries visited, cities explored, streaks, and photo counts. Built for Travellers, Athletes, and Memory Keepers PathReel is for: Hikers, runners, and cyclists preserving every workout Travellers building a visual memory of everywhere they’ve been Anyone who loves year-in-review moments Creators who want cinematic travel videos without complicated editing tools Privacy First Your data belongs to you. Trips are stored locally on your iPhone Optional backup uses your personal iCloud account No third-party servers No telemetry or behavioural tracking Game Center powers leaderboards without exposing personal data Technical Highlights 3D satellite globe powered by Apple Maps Automatic city and country detection Apple Health workout import Full Dark Mode and Light Mode support Available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, and more Open PathReel today — and turn every step, mile, and flight into a story worth replaying.

Screenshots

Chicago Subway map4 screens
PathReel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Chicago Subway map at none against PathReel's shown. PathReel's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 27 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chicago Subway map ships an update every 27 months, PathReel every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Chicago Subway map versus PathReel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChicago Subway mapPathReel
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 27 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYaroslav MykolaienkoOrigin Innovation Lab Inc

In-app purchases

None

Chicago Subway map

No in-app purchases

None

PathReel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chicago Subway map free?
Chicago Subway map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PathReel free?
PathReel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Chicago Subway map or PathReel have ads?
PathReel shows ads; Chicago Subway map does not.
Which is updated more often, Chicago Subway map or PathReel?
Chicago Subway map ships an update every 27 months, and PathReel every 3 days. Most recently, Chicago Subway map was updated on October 15, 2026 and PathReel on October 18, 2026.

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