Comparison

RTA Smart Drive vs S'hail

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

Head to head
About

RTA Smart Drive

Navigate offline with turn-by-turn directions, automatic rerouting, and speed limit alerts. Access live traffic information, points of interest, and public transport locations. Supports multiple languages and route planning.

Highlights
  • Offline navigation
  • Turn-by-turn voice/visual instructions
  • Automatic rerouting
  • Speed limit alerts
  • Live traffic information
  • Points of Interest (POI) display
  • 2D/3D map modes
Features
Read full description

RTA Smart Drive is an on-board route planning, exploration and navigation app that does not require a mobile internet connection to search and navigate. It provides turn-by-turn voice and visual instructions, automatic rerouting, speed limit alerts, and displays POIs along the route. Live Traffic lets you know where there is traffic, road works and accidents and reroutes your trip automatically. Instantly view real time traffic info and adjusted travel times on multiple saved routes. Salient Features: - 2D/3D mode allows realistic view of the map - 7 levels of POI display - 3D Landmarks in UAE - Selection for Automatic, Day or Night modes that switch color schemes for day or night time driving - Locations of Metro, Tram, Bus and Marine Stations for Dubai - Parking zones for Dubai - Regular Map Updates - User interface in Arabic and English - Voice navigation in Arabic and English - Intuitive search across the local Library of POIs - Search nearby places on Facebook and Foursquare - Live traffic information including road works and accidents - Report traffic incidents - Store your personal routes and places locally - Share your favorite places and routes with your family and friends via sms, email, face book and WhatsApp - Planning a route – app suggests upto three drive routes and a pedestrian route if possible - Avoid Tolling and unpaved road - Simulate your drive - Speed Limit alerts while driving - POI along the route Note: Continued use of any GPS application running in the background can significantly decrease battery life. We strongly suggest using a charger while using the app in your car.

About

S'hail

Navigate Dubai with ease using this comprehensive travel planner. Discover optimal public transport routes, including buses, metro, marine, and taxis. Plan your journeys, top up your nol card, and explore the city efficiently.

Highlights
  • Public transport route planner
  • Multiple transport modes
  • Real-time departure times
  • Nol card top-up
  • Guest and registered user options
  • Route cost and time comparison
Features
Read full description

RTA S’hail Every day, a smarter way. S’hail is your perfect companion when moving around Dubai. It makes travelling quick, simple and hassle free. S’hail can show you the best public transport routes to take using different modes of transportation available in Dubai, such as Buses, Marine, Metro, Tram, Taxis, e-hailing and even cycling. All of this at your fingertips, thanks to S’hail. You can use S’hail app as a guest user, but we recommend that you login or create a RTA account to benefit from all of the cool features. With its clear, user-friendly and intuitive looks, it offers you a smile with a number of ways you can travel around Dubai . Looking for the fastest or the cheapest route to your destination? or want to know the real time departure time from your locations? Maybe you just wanted to explore new places in Dubai so why not topup your nol cards before you start your journey? When in Dubai, let S’hail guide you through all of your public transport needs. Did you like S’hail? please give us a rating on app stores and also on our Happiness Meter

Screenshots

RTA Smart Drive3 screens
S'hail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RTA Smart Drive at 85% against S'hail's 11%. RTA Smart Drive also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 64) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). S'hail's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RTA Smart Drive holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RTA Smart Drive has 2.9K ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of RTA Smart Drive's written reviews are positive against 11% of S'hail's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RTA Smart Drive ships an update every 3 months, S'hail every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
RTA Smart Drive versus S'hail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRTA Smart DriveS'hail
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (2.9K ratings) — better4.3 (64 ratings)
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews — better10.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2.9K — better64
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB155 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTRANSPORT HI TECH CONSULTANTSRoads & Transport Authority

Customer experience

RTA Smart Drive

All ratings2,933 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews363 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%

S'hail

All ratings64 ratings
Positive82.8%
Neutral1.6%
Negative15.6%
Written reviews187 reviews
Positive10.7%
Neutral8.0%
Negative81.3%

Bugs and requests

RTA Smart Drive

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect route suggestions
  • Fails to avoid tolls
  • Doesn't recognize new roads

Requested features

5 requests
  • Update maps regularly
  • Add traffic and accident alerts
  • Improve search functionality
  • Implement CarPlay support
  • Add option to save favorite destinations

S'hail

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RTA Smart Drive

No in-app purchases

None

S'hail

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RTA Smart Drive free?
RTA Smart Drive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is S'hail free?
S'hail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RTA Smart Drive or S'hail?
RTA Smart Drive is rated higher. RTA Smart Drive averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while S'hail averages 4.3 from 64 ratings.
Do RTA Smart Drive or S'hail have ads?
Neither RTA Smart Drive nor S'hail shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RTA Smart Drive or S'hail?
RTA Smart Drive ships an update every 3 months, and S'hail every 6 weeks. Most recently, RTA Smart Drive was updated on October 29, 2026 and S'hail on November 1, 2026.

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