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Maps & Navigation · head to head

Citymapper vs ORBCOMM

Citymapper logo

Citymapper

Maps & Navigation

The ultimate urban mobility app for city commuters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ORBCOMM logo

ORBCOMM

Maritime & Shipping

IoT solutions for maritime asset tracking

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Citymapper has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Citymapper citymapper's own App Store listing states live transit and turn-by-turn features work only in a named list of specific cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and dozens of other listed cities), not globally, per the developer's own description.; ORBCOMM satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
  • They diverge on capability: Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Citymapper and ORBCOMM actually diverge.

Attributes where Citymapper and ORBCOMM differ
AttributeCitymapperORBCOMM
Starting priceFree$25/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIos, Android, WebSatellite, Web
CategoryMaps & NavigationMaritime & Shipping
Founded20111995

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Citymapper

  • Multi-modal routing
  • Real-time departures
  • Live bus tracking
  • Disruption alerts
  • Walking directions
  • Uber
  • Lyft
  • Lime

Only in ORBCOMM

  • Satellite tracking
  • Container monitoring
  • Cold chain monitoring
  • Fleet telematics
  • TMS systems
  • ERP platforms
  • Warehouse management
  • Api support

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Citymapper

  • Daily commutingnot ORBCOMM
  • City explorationnot ORBCOMM
  • Trip planningnot ORBCOMM
  • Mobility as a servicenot ORBCOMM

ORBCOMM

No use cases recorded yet. See the ORBCOMM review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Citymapper

  • Citymapper's own App Store listing states live transit and turn-by-turn features work only in a named list of specific cities (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and dozens of other listed cities), not globally, per the developer's own description.

ORBCOMM

  • Satellite latency of approximately 600 milliseconds limits real-time applications
  • Higher cost per message compared to terrestrial cellular IoT solutions
  • Coverage remains near-global rather than fully global in all remote regions

Pricing, plan by plan

Citymapper

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Multi-modal routing
    • Real-time departures
    • Basic navigation
  • Citymapper Premium$4.99/month
    • Live location sharing
    • Weather integration
    • Widgets

ORBCOMM

$25/month
  • Fleet Manager$99/month
    • Real-time tracking
    • Geofencing
    • Reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Citymapper if

  • You need multi-modal routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want real-time departures.
Citymapper review

Choose ORBCOMM if

  • You need satellite tracking.
  • You work on Satellite, Web.
  • You also want container monitoring.
ORBCOMM review

Questions people ask

Is Citymapper or ORBCOMM better?
Neither clearly leads. Citymapper starts at Free and ORBCOMM at $25/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Citymapper or ORBCOMM?
Citymapper has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Citymapper and $25/month for ORBCOMM.
Does Citymapper or ORBCOMM run on more platforms?
Citymapper runs on Ios, Android, Web. ORBCOMM runs on Satellite, Web.
Can I use Citymapper for free?
Yes. Citymapper has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ORBCOMM starts at $25/month.
What is Citymapper best used for?
Citymapper is most often used for daily commuting, city exploration, trip planning, mobility as a service. Of those, daily commuting and city exploration are not what ORBCOMM is typically brought in for.
What can Citymapper do that ORBCOMM cannot?
Citymapper covers Multi-modal routing, Real-time departures, Live bus tracking, Disruption alerts. ORBCOMM covers Satellite tracking, Container monitoring, Cold chain monitoring, Fleet telematics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ORBCOMM: What is ORBCOMM's satellite coverage?

ORBCOMM's OGx service provides nearly global coverage across over 160 countries using a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites for two-way messaging and IoT data services.

Source
ORBCOMM: How does satellite IoT compare to cellular connectivity?

ORBCOMM satellite offers immunity from cellular blind spots, network outages, congestion, and weather-related disruptions. However, satellite connectivity introduces approximately 600 milliseconds of round-trip latency.

Source
ORBCOMM: What can ORBCOMM monitor in containers?

ORBCOMM's CT 1010 device provides sensor-based monitoring for container fire detection, unauthorized access alerts, damage detection, and asset visibility, with real-time satellite-based tracking.

Source
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