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, and downloaded transit data for exploring unfamiliar cities.
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. | ||
| CityNav AI | ✅ Nearby places, hidden gems, local tips, scam alerts | ❌ Not available |
| CityNav AI 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| Downloaded transit data | ✅ Core saved content for 28 cities | ⚠️ Requires active internet connection for most live results |
| Open CityNav on Wi-Fi before travelling so saved maps and guidance remain available when signal drops. | ||
| 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 |
CityNav reviewed the publicly available feature information for both products and checked CityNav’s own current web and mobile experience. The table focuses on traveller use cases rather than declaring one app best for every person. Features can vary by device, country and app version.
CityNav is the publisher of this comparison and therefore has a commercial interest in its own product. Citymapper has not reviewed, approved or sponsored this page. Readers should verify time-sensitive features in each provider’s current product documentation.
Walking directions, 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 AR walking navigation, an SOS emergency button, 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 keeps downloaded transit maps, station information and supported core route guidance available offline across 28 cities. Live services require internet.
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.
Downloaded CityNav transit maps, station information and supported core route guidance remain available offline across 28 cities. Live departures, disruption updates and connected services require internet.
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 CityNav AI with scam alerts and tipping etiquette. Citymapper is also excellent for transit but lacks these tourist-specific tools.
Yes. CityNav includes CityNav AI, which 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.