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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Dianping vs Tabi

Dianping 4.7★ · Free + IAP 40
Winner Tabi
Tabi 4.8★ · Free to download 85

Tabi is better for users who want to organize personal travel and restaurant recommendations from social media, while Dianping is suitable for those seeking a comprehensive local guide within China, provided they can navigate its language and technical issues.

Full reviews: Dianping · Tabi

Tabi excels as a personal organization tool for saving and mapping recommendations from social media, praised for its ease of use and aesthetic design. Dianping, while a powerful local guide in China, faces significant criticism for its lack of English translation, registration difficulties for international users, and numerous technical bugs.

Head to head

Features and Utility edge: TabiR11R12R13R17
Dianping Dianping is a comprehensive local guide, offering information on dining, shopping, and entertainment, with users appreciating its ability to find good places and discounts R11R17R33. It's considered a 'must' for living in China and helps users find almost anything . However, some users report issues with specific features like map filtering R13, collection management R12, and the watch app .
Tabi Tabi is highly praised for its ability to save and organize places from social media, turning random scrolls into an organized, visual map . Users love its customizability for creating detailed itineraries and its map feature . It's seen as a game-changer for foodies and travelers and helps users remember places they want to visit .
Ease of Use and Accessibility edge: TabiR1R7R9R10
Dianping Dianping users frequently struggle with language barriers, reporting no way to translate the app into English R1R9R14R15. International users also face difficulties registering with non-Chinese phone numbers R10R57 and accessing content outside of China R7R48. Some find the new version difficult to use due to UI changes R13 and report issues with content loading .
Tabi Tabi is widely described as easy to use and user-friendly . Users appreciate its simple layout and the effortless process of saving places . While one user found the layout overwhelming initially , the general sentiment is that it's intuitive and convenient .
Reliability and Performance edge: TabiR6R20R22R23
Dianping Dianping is plagued by numerous technical issues and bugs. Users report the app not loading or working half the time , content failing to load after updates , and network errors even on good WiFi . Other problems include dark mode not working R6R20R22R23, issues with photo uploads , and repeated verification requests . Some users call it 'buggy' and 'poorly developed' .
Tabi Tabi generally performs well, though one user noted that importing posts can take a long time, making it difficult to use on the fly . This suggests potential for improvement in speed for certain functions, but overall, reviews do not highlight widespread reliability issues.
Price and Value tieR11R33R43R54
Dianping Dianping is free with in-app purchases and offers discounts, coupons, and free trials R11R33R43. Users appreciate these benefits, finding it a good value for daily spending R33. However, one user reported being charged more through a specific payment method R54.
Tabi Tabi is free to download, but free users have limitations, specifically 5 tabs with a 30-place limit on each R62. This limitation is a point of frustration for some free users, suggesting that full functionality might require a paid upgrade. Despite this, users find the app valuable for organizing places .
Support and Review Moderation edge: TabiR18R36R44R50
Dianping Dianping faces severe criticism regarding its review moderation and customer support. Users claim the app blocks or punishes them for giving negative reviews, deeming them 'not objective' R18R44. There are also accusations of too many fake positive reviews R50 and concerns about privacy, with claims of the app listening to user privacy R36 and violating GDPR .
Tabi Tabi reviews do not mention specific issues with support or review moderation. The app is generally seen as caring about helping people .
Pick Dianping if

you are in China and need a comprehensive local guide for dining, shopping, and entertainment, and are comfortable navigating potential language barriers and technical glitches R17.

Pick Tabi if

you want an easy-to-use, aesthetically pleasing app to save and organize restaurant and travel recommendations from social media .

Evidence note: Dianping has a much larger number of reviews, with a significant portion being negative and focused on technical issues and language barriers. Tabi has fewer reviews, but they are overwhelmingly positive, highlighting its core functionality. The free vs. paid asymmetry is present, as Dianping's negative reviews often stem from friction for non-paying or international users, while Tabi's free tier limitations are noted but don't overshadow its positive reception.

Frequently asked

Can I use Dianping in English?
No, many users report that there is no way to translate the Dianping app into English, despite some initial indications of language options R1R9R14R15.
Is Tabi free to use without limitations?
Tabi is free to download, but free users are limited to 5 tabs with a maximum of 30 places saved in each R62.
Does Dianping work outside of China?
No, some users report that Dianping does not work when traveling outside of China R48.
Can I register for Dianping with an international phone number?
No, users have reported that Dianping does not allow registration with an American or other international phone number, making it difficult for non-Chinese users to create an account R10R57.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 94 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R11] Dianping 5/5 · US Dianping never ceases to surprise! Discount packages, free trials, cash cards... · translated
  2. [R12] Dianping 3/5 · US Please improve the favorites browsing rules: In the old version, if I was located in Beijing, opening favorites would only show Beijing restaurants by default. Now, it shows favorites from all over the country, and I have to filter by city myself, which is very inconvenient. I hope this can be improved. · translated
  3. [R13] Dianping 1/5 · US The new version is really hard to use: The new version removed the ability to open the map for detailed filtering, which is very hard to use. The interface design is unreasonable; many users open the map to see areas and then apply detailed filters. The detailed filter function cannot be used when the map is open! · translated
  4. [R17] Dianping 5/5 · US Dianping brings convenience to everyone: I have been using Dianping for many years. In the early days, I used the paper version of the "Beijing Handbook." Now with Dianping, no matter where I go, I can always find good food and fun places. · translated
  5. [R1] Dianping 1/5 · US No way to translate: No way to translate app into English
  6. [R7] Dianping 1/5 · US Way too aggressive in blocking users: Can’t access a ton of pages when visiting China, and many places only have a dianping page. So I can never find good places to eat.
  7. [R9] Dianping 3/5 · US Translation: The App needs improvement for the translations, not all verbiage will translate.
  8. [R10] Dianping 1/5 · US Can’t even register: Can’t even register with an American phone number
  9. [R6] Dianping 3/5 · US Dark mode cannot be used: The latest version has a bug; dark mode cannot be used 😡😡😡 · translated
  10. [R20] Dianping 1/5 · US Where is night mode? · translated
  11. [R22] Dianping 2/5 · US It doesn't even support dark mode: Opening this app at night can blind you. It's the only mainstream app that doesn't support dark mode! · translated
  12. [R23] Dianping 5/5 · US Hope to add dark mode: As the title says · translated
  13. [R33] Dianping 5/5 · US Good app for your daily life: Recommended by my friend, I installed it and found it offered too many choices for your daily spending, great fun and good discount, including free charges for your well planned food, hotel or experience. I got used to check in this app before I move to consume, online order helped me a lot.
  14. [R43] Dianping 5/5 · US Positive feedback: Very useful information about dinning and shopping. Sometimes you can download the coupons for more discount. Recommend!
  15. [R54] Dianping 1/5 · US Disgusting app: Just delete it! When you wanna purchase something on it and it’s designed the disgusting method which will leading to the meituan yuefu which will cost more money than the regular one. Disgusting meituan
  16. [R18] Dianping 1/5 · US Very bad review software: It claims to be objective, but if you give a bad review, it bans you. If you participate, it says you're not objective; if you don't participate, it says you didn't participate and aren't objective. It's purely laughable software. · translated
  17. [R36] Dianping 1/5 · US Listening: This software listens to customer privacy. · translated
  18. [R44] Dianping 1/5 · US Not very professional: This app‘s staffs are not smart，always think fake reviews are real reviews，but punish real reviews saying they are fake review. Also worry about its security.
  19. [R50] Dianping 1/5 · US Too many fake good reviews · translated
  20. [R14] Dianping 5/5 · US English version: Cannot find where to change language to english. Is there a separate english version app?
  21. [R15] Dianping 3/5 · US Good but not language friendly: I like the app, when I first downloaded it, it says English and simplified chinese but I still can’t figure out where or how yo switch the language and same for my friends who also downloaded. I think this feature should be accessible easily because I believe many foreigners do use this app in china
  22. [R62] Tabi 3/5 · US cool but limited for free users: 5 tabs with 30 place limit on each is kinda crazy 😭 what am i supposed to do with that
  23. [R48] Dianping 1/5 · US Doesn’t work outside China: Not working when you travel outside of China
  24. [R57] Dianping 1/5 · US international consumers not accepted: I’ve tried to sign up to see reviews in China on my upcoming trip, this was the top recommended app , but it won’t let international number to register as an account. So the app is useless for anyone who does not have a Chinese passport.

Synthesized from 94 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store