Aena vs Renfe Cercanias
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Aena
Access real-time flight information, book parking, and reserve VIP services for 43 Spanish airports. Navigate terminals with detailed maps and receive personalized flight updates. Enjoy exclusive discounts and assistance services.
- Real-time flight tracking
- Airport terminal maps
- Official parking booking
- VIP lounge access
- Personalized flight alerts
- Barrier-free assistance
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Aena: Your official app for airports and flights in Spain Use the official Aena app to check flights in real-time, book official parking places, access VIP Lounges and other airport services at the 43 Spanish airports managed by Aena, including Madrid-Barajas (MAD), Barcelona-El Prat (BCN), Palma de Mallorca (PMI), and many more. Download it for free and enhance your airport experience with these features: Flight Planning and Tracking • Check departures and arrivals in real time up to two weeks in advance. • Scan your boarding pass to access the most important information about your flight, terminal, boarding gate, schedules and updates. Airport maps and Services • Navigate the airport with detailed maps of terminals, gates, security checkpoints, restaurants, shops, car rentals, and more. • Book and manage your official parking space and VIP services: Find your parking space, and access VIP Lounges, Fast Lane / Fast Track, and the Meet & Assist service. Benefits, Assistance and Offers • Aena Club: Exclusive discounts for members. • Real-time alerts and personalised notifications based on your location and flight. • Barrier-free service to assist people with reduced mobility or disabilities. • Chatbot to answer your questions instantly. Available in Spanish, English, Catalan, Basque, and Galician. Download the app and improve your airport experience! More information at www.aena.es/es/app-oficial.html
Renfe Cercanias
Official app for checking train schedules, alerts, lines, and maps for commuter train services across various Spanish cities. Access real-time information for your daily commute.
- Official train schedules
- Real-time alerts
- Line information
- Network maps
- Multiple city coverage
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Esta aplicación ofrece nuevas funcionalidades adaptadas a las necesidades de nuestros usuarios. • Nuevos mapas interactivos que muestran estaciones, líneas y servicios como parkings de bicicletas cercanos. • Estaciones más cercanas: se muestra siempre la estación más próxima del usuario en la pantalla de inicio y en el mapa, con los horarios de los próximos trenes. • Personalización y favoritos: permite marcar estaciones y trayectos como favoritos, para que el usuario acceda a ellos de forma directa desde la pantalla de inicio. • Widgets de trenes: permite al usuario añadir su estación principal y ver las próximas salidas directamente desde la pantalla de inicio, sin abrir la app. • Buscador con IA: incorpora un buscador inteligente que permite planificar trayectos interactuando con un lenguaje natural indicando origen, destino, fecha y hora. • Información en tiempo real: ofrece datos en tiempo real sobre trenes y trayectos. Ofrece información de los próximos trenes que salen de una estación. • Compra de billetes más rápida, fácil e intuitiva. • Seguimiento en vivo: Seguimiento en tiempo real de una planificación elegida por el usuario.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Renfe Cercanias at free against Aena's free with in-app purchases. Aena's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Aena against 4.5 for Renfe Cercanias. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 225 and 566 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of Aena's written reviews are positive against 11% of Renfe Cercanias's.
Aena ships an update every 2 weeks, Renfe Cercanias monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Aena | Renfe Cercanias |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (225 ratings) | 4.5 (566 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.1% of reviews — better | 10.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 225 | 566 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 233 MB | 308 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Aena Aeropuertos S.A. | Renfe Viajeros |
Customer experience
Aena
Renfe Cercanias
User reviews
Aena
From 225 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 📍 Accurate airport maps and navigation
- 🔔 Helpful gate change notifications
- 🅿️ Convenient parking booking functionality
- ✈️ Flight information and tracking
- 🌐 Useful for non-Spanish speakers at Spanish airports
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- ❌ Login authentication failures
- 💳 Payment processing errors
- 🔐 Complex registration process for WiFi access
- ⚠️ Poor error handling and unclear error messages
Renfe Cercanias
From 566 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy and intuitive interface
- 📱 Convenient mobile access to schedules
- 💳 Affordable ticket pricing
- 🗺️ Helpful line maps and route information
- 👥 Dedicated and professional customer service staff
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes frequently and won't open
- ⏱️ Unreliable schedule information and delays not reflected
- 🔐 Two-factor authentication code never arrives
- ⚠️ Requires printing tickets at machines despite digital purchase
- 🌍 Non-Spanish phone numbers not supported for verification
Bugs and requests
Aena
Reported bugs
18 issues- App freezes on loading screen with Aena logo
- Login credentials work on website but not in app
- Cannot add flights with January 2026 dates
- PRM assistance form submission errors at certain airports
- WiFi password loss and connection failures
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Service errors during account creation
- Parking booking form broken for single-terminal airports
- Screen freezing during transaction processing
- Keyboard not visible during login
- App crashes when accessing VIP lounge purchase
- Booking information disappears after app exit
- Unable to find booked parking without confirmation code
- Fast Lane QR codes showing as invalid
- Payment amount field non-functional
- Password character limit restrictions (max 10 characters)
- Text paste disabled in multiple form fields
- Payment method not saved properly (Via T)
- Email validation timing issues
Requested features
10 requests- Add Apple Pay payment option
- Support for all official Spanish languages
- Ability to manage and extend existing bookings
- Better WiFi connection reliability
- Improved error messages and user guidance
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- Faster email confirmation delivery
- Password paste functionality
- Terminal selection field for single-terminal airports
- Persistent booking display without requiring 'manage' action
- Comprehensive airport information (airside facilities, amenities)
Renfe Cercanias
Reported bugs
17 issues- App fails to launch and gets stuck on splash screen
- Crashes immediately after opening
- Two-factor authentication SMS codes never delivered or expire too quickly
- Login fails with 'Error: Problems getting results, service not available'
- App freezes when selecting stations or menu options
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- QR codes not recognized at turnstiles despite valid tickets
- Tickets disappear from app after updates
- Password recovery takes days or fails entirely
- App becomes unresponsive after recent updates (version 2.7)
- Slow loading times (up to 25 seconds to start)
- Cannot access stored passes and abonos
- Error codes displayed without explanation
- Station selection loops infinitely without advancing
- App incompatible with iPhone 5, iPhone 7, iPhone 11, iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15
- Payment processing errors (Error v328)
- Authentication service returns 'try again later' indefinitely
- Biometric verification setup fails
Requested features
13 requests- Real-time train arrival countdown instead of scheduled times
- Platform number display before entering station
- Apple Pay and Google Pay integration
- Direct QR code acceptance at turnstiles without printing
- Email-based two-factor authentication option
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Support for foreign phone numbers in verification
- Saved credit card as default payment method
- Dark mode option
- Multi-language support beyond Spanish-English
- Live delay notifications and service disruptions
- Ability to add tickets to Apple Wallet
- Complete station database with all lines
- Transit card integration for single fares
In-app purchases
Aena
No in-app purchases
Renfe Cercanias
No in-app purchases
