Comparison

Metro NYC Map vs NYC Underground

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

Head to head
About

Metro NYC Map

Read full description

Interactive map of NYC Subway

About

NYC Underground

This app provides real-time New York City subway arrival information and a comprehensive subway map. It offers live train times, station locations, and nearby station rankings, all without requiring an account or displaying ads.

Highlights
  • Real-time train arrivals
  • Full MTA subway map
  • Location on map
  • Nearby stations ranking
  • Automatic arrival refresh
  • Offline map functionality
Features
Read full description

NYC Underground turns your iPhone into a fast, native New York City subway companion. The complete MTA subway map is bundled right into the app: pinch to zoom anywhere, tap any station, and see real-time train arrivals the instant you look. No account, no sign-up, no ads. Your location never leaves your device. FEATURES • The whole subway map: the full New York City subway map is built in and renders at high resolution. Smooth pinch-to-zoom and pan, even at street level. • Real-time arrivals: tap any station to see live train times, straight from the MTA's official real-time feeds, grouped by direction with colored line bullets. • Your location on the map: an optional GPS dot shows exactly where you are on the subway map, so you always know which station is closest. • Nearby stations: one tap shows the closest stations ranked by distance, each with live arrivals. • All 445 stations: every line, every borough, with proper station complexes and direction labels sourced from official MTA data. • Always current: arrivals refresh automatically every 30 seconds. No API key, no login, nothing to configure. PRIVATE BY DESIGN NYC Underground does not collect analytics, has no trackers, and requires no account. Your GPS location is used only on your device to place the dot on the map and find nearby stations; it is never transmitted anywhere. The app's only network requests are to the MTA's public real-time data feeds. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open the app, the subway map loads instantly. 2. (Optional) Allow location to see your position and nearest stations. 3. Tap any station to see real-time arrivals by direction. 4. Tap the location banner for a ranked list of nearby stations. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone running iOS 18 or later. • An internet connection for live arrival times (the map itself works offline). NYC Underground is an independent app and is not affiliated with, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) or New York City Transit. "MTA", the subway map, and the route symbols are trademarks of their respective owners and are used here only to describe and display the transit system this app helps you navigate. Real-time and schedule data is provided by the MTA under its open-data program.

Screenshots

Metro NYC Map4 screens
NYC Underground4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NYC Underground at Free against Metro NYC Map's $0.99. NYC Underground also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.2). Metro NYC Map's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases 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

NYC Underground is free to download; Metro NYC Map costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Metro NYC Map ships an update daily, NYC Underground every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Metro NYC Map versus NYC Underground: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetro NYC MapNYC Underground
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.218.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRazvan IVANkitdesai, LLC

In-app purchases

None

Metro NYC Map

No in-app purchases

None

NYC Underground

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Metro NYC Map free?
Metro NYC Map costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NYC Underground free?
NYC Underground is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Metro NYC Map or NYC Underground have ads?
Neither Metro NYC Map nor NYC Underground shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Metro NYC Map or NYC Underground?
Metro NYC Map ships an update daily, and NYC Underground every 3 weeks. Most recently, Metro NYC Map was updated on October 7, 2026 and NYC Underground on October 25, 2026.

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