Citymapper is an excellent transit app primarily designed for daily commuters in major cities. CityNav is built specifically for tourists — adding AR walking navigation, SOS emergency alerts, full driving directions, and offline transit data that works when you're off the beaten path.
Try CityNav Free →| Feature | CityNav | Citymapper |
|---|---|---|
| AR walking navigation | ✅ Camera-overlay with live compass arrows | ❌ Not available |
| CityNav uses your camera to display live directional arrows on the street in front of you. | ||
| SOS emergency button | ✅ GPS location sent via SMS to contacts | ❌ Not available |
| Essential safety feature for solo travellers — unique to CityNav. | ||
| AI Tourist Guide | ✅ Nearby places, hidden gems, local tips, scam alerts | ❌ Not available |
| CityNav's AI guide gives you insider knowledge Citymapper can't. | ||
| Virtual Passport | ✅ Auto-stamps every city you navigate through | ❌ Not available |
| Collect city stamps as you explore — a travel memory built in. | ||
| Driving navigation | ✅ Full Waze-style turn-by-turn with manoeuvre icons | ❌ No driving mode at all |
| CityNav covers walking, driving, transit and AR in one app. | ||
| Live disruption alerts | ✅ Real-time TfL service status on every route | ✅ Excellent real-time disruptions |
| Both apps warn you about delays before you travel. | ||
| Route comparison | ✅ Fastest / Fewest Changes / Least Walking | ✅ Multiple route options with clear trade-offs |
| CityNav now surfaces multiple alternatives with change count and walking distance. | ||
| Offline transit data | ✅ 28 cities, full data pre-loaded, no signal needed | ⚠️ Requires active internet connection |
| CityNav works on a plane or with no roaming data. | ||
| Tourist pass tips | ✅ Best-value pass recommended per city | ❌ Not provided |
| CityNav tells you which pass saves most money as a tourist. | ||
| City coverage | ✅ 28 major tourist cities, deep data | ✅ 100+ cities (broader) |
| Citymapper covers more cities; CityNav goes deeper on tourist needs. | ||
| Free to use | ✅ Core navigation free; premium from £1.99 | ✅ Free with optional paid tier |
Walking directions, driving navigation, offline transit maps for 28 cities, and an SOS emergency button — all in one tourist-focused app. No download required.
Open CityNav — Free →CityNav is purpose-built for tourists, adding features Citymapper does not have: AR walking navigation, an SOS emergency button, full driving directions, and tourist-specific transit pass recommendations. Citymapper has broader city coverage and is excellent for commuters; CityNav prioritises the needs of visitors exploring an unfamiliar city.
Yes. CityNav includes fully offline transit data for all 28 supported cities, with no mobile data required. This makes it especially useful for international travellers using a foreign SIM or avoiding roaming charges.
Yes. CityNav has a dedicated SOS emergency button that sends your live GPS location via SMS to up to three emergency contacts. This feature is unique to CityNav and is not available in Citymapper.
No — Citymapper does not offer driving navigation. CityNav includes full Waze-style turn-by-turn driving directions with speed alerts and rerouting, in addition to walking, transit, and AR navigation. This makes CityNav the more versatile option for tourists who may rent a car or use a taxi.
No — Citymapper requires an active internet connection for all features. CityNav works fully offline for transit route planning in all 28 supported cities, which is a significant advantage for international travellers avoiding roaming charges.
Citymapper covers over 100 cities globally, which is broader than CityNav's 28. However, CityNav goes deeper on tourist-specific features in each city: offline transit data, AR walking navigation, transit pass recommendations, scam alerts, and an SOS emergency button. Citymapper is stronger for daily commuting; CityNav is stronger for tourist exploration.
CityNav is the better choice for first-time tourists in London. It covers the Tube, Overground, Elizabeth line, and buses offline, recommends the Oyster daily cap strategy, includes AR walking arrows for navigating unfamiliar streets around landmarks, and provides an AI guide with scam alerts and tipping etiquette. Citymapper is also excellent for transit but lacks these tourist-specific tools.
Yes. CityNav includes an AI Tourist Guide that detects your current city and provides nearby attraction recommendations, city-specific scam alerts, local tipping customs, currency conversion, and a day-trip itinerary builder. None of these features are available in Citymapper.