Free Citymapper: the end of Google Maps?
Sometimes the greatest danger comes from within. This is an observation that Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, could make in the face of the growing success of Citymapper. The application is carried by Amat Yusuf, a former Google, who gathered around him a plethora of former technicians from the Maps branch. The solution has become a reference for calculating urban routes in several major cities around the world such as London, Tokyo, Berlin, but also Lyon and Paris.
A complete application now free
In France, Citymapper covers several metropolises: Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lille, Nantes, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Until then, the application did not pose a real threat to Maps and Apple Plan; in question, features reserved for its premium subscribers. It was thus necessary to pay up to €99.99 per year to access the full version of the application. But, in a April 28 press releasethe company announced a major change in strategy.
🎁We’ve got some great news! Our premium CLUB features are now FREE for everyone! Try them today for a faster, safer, and more convenient commute!
Learn more:👇🏾 https://t.co/BnXCbXjb95
— Citymapper (@Citymapper) May 2, 2023
What are the free features?
Since an update deployed at the end of April, Citymapper has therefore made all these premium features available free of charge. For the user, it is now possible to personalize his journey by combining several modes of transport, optimizing it according to the weather, but also sorting the proposals according to speed or price. The icing on the cake, the application also offers a voice assistant that adapts to the style of transport, from walking to cycling to public transport.
Yes, the application becomes completely free, but this is compensated by advertisements embedded in this free Citymapper. So, to avoid being polluted by unwanted ads, the company offers a package without advertising at 1.49€ per month. Logic.
A threat to Google maps?
With this deployment of free Citymapper, the company is therefore ending a long testing phase and is now targeting a wider audience. This real mobility assistant, designed for complex journeys in urban areas, greatly exceeds the capabilities of Google Maps and could ultimately represent a real threat for the Californian giant.
However, the deployment of Citymapper is slow, mainly focused on intramural journeys in large cities. In 12 years of existence, the application has not garnered many new cities covered by its services. Google Maps thus retains an advantage by offering a more generalist experience, but adapted to all styles of travel, even in rural areas.
If you want (and can) test this free Citymapper, the application is available on iOS And android ; each version benefits from unique features, for a very high level experience in your journeys!
