Side by side
Citymapper vs Alipay
Citymapper
63 positive (98%) · 0 mixed (0%) · 1 negative (2%)
Trust + time weighted: +97%
Top excerpts
Download and use Citymapper. It’s fantastic, and free! Google maps is good too but Citymapper really makes travel so much easier. You can pick whether you want to walk, bike, car, bus, train, etc and it tells you exactly where to go and gives multiple options, showing how far you have to walk, and even suggests where to sit on the train (front or back, for example). Can’t recommend it enough.
If check Citymapper or Google maps for public transport options and compare them
You can see why we recommend Citymapper.
The app 'Citymapper' was perfect to plan my travel within the city, be it for tramways or buses or MRT, and I highly recommend downloading it if you're making a trip to HK anytime soon.
Download the free CityMapper app for the best journey planning.
Alipay
29 positive (97%) · 1 mixed (3%) · 0 negative (0%)
Trust + time weighted: +96%
AI summary — not a quote
Alipay is considered an essential 'super app' for travelers in mainland China, where digital payments have largely replaced cash. Users report it is highly reliable for everything from luxury mall purchases to street food, and it serves as a central hub for essential services like ride-hailing, public transport, and translation.
Pros
- Supports international credit cards and registration with foreign phone numbers
- All-in-one functionality including Didi (ride-hailing), metro cards, and restaurant ordering
- Widely accepted across China, even by small street vendors
- Includes built-in translation features for text, voice, and images
Cons
- The interface and setup process can be clunky at times
- Requires invasive identity verification, including passport and face scans
Top excerpts
1. Download every single app you can for China: WeChat, AliPay, Amap, DiDi, Baidu for starters, Meituan, EleMe for food delivery and a good translate app apart from Google (microsoft should work, even deepseek). REGISTER for these apps BEFORE reaching China, so put your passport details, put your credit card info and all of that.
You need WeChat and Alipay. I just got back from China and there was ZERO places taking cash, I travelled Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing and Dujiangyan
Amap, Alipay, AND WeChat all have ride hailing built in.
for foreign people Alipay can be linked with any International Card now, you can also register with a foreign number.
Download AliPay and link your credit cards in advance, else you want be able to pay for anything, you can also generate a metro card within the app. There is a Didi mini-app within AliPay so you can easily order a car if needed.