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June 26, 2020
New York is definitely one of the top tourist destinations in the world. The Big Apple has plenty of incredible attractions to keep any tourist interested. There are plenty of options to choose from when you want to know about the places to go in NYC.
From the Broadway Show to some of the world’s most iconic museums and from Statue of Liberty to Times Square to Central Park, The Big Apple has something in it for everybody.
But if you plan to visit New York today, you will definitely need the help of New York City apps to help you get by.
The best New York Apps are a substitute for everything from maps to train schedules to even access to finding clean restrooms.
These NYC apps are literally a lifesaver for anyone planning to visit the city and if you do not plan to use them, you will literally find yourself wasting hours of your time doing extremely rudimentary tasks like finding a taxi or looking for a cheap place to stay in.
For experienced travelers as well as first-timers, you can’t just make do with only one app. New York is too big and too complex for that. So here’s a list of the best NYC apps that you can download and use on your next trip to the Big Apple and make your stay even more enjoyable and highly comfortable.
I came up with this list on my last visit to New York as I found myself crazing up on the many big issues that needed a quick solution.
I consulted locals, visited blogs, talked to fellow travelers, and even went to app stores to find out which apps were the best for a specific purpose in NYC.
I did want to find out a super app that could help me to do everything, but I couldn’t. Instead, what I found was that, for every category, there is a specific NYC app that I needed to use in order to get by on that task.
Let’s begin our list of best NYC apps right away:
AirBnB – Best NYC App For Accommodation
This is perhaps the first NYC app you will need to download if you don’t have a place booked for you to stay in. AirBnB also helps you out if you are on tight budget.
NYC can be an expensive place to stay in if you are relying on just hotels for accommodations. Rooms often start at $100/night which is pretty expensive for most travelers. AirBnB offers a cheaper alternative and using its app in NYC can feel like you are going through bargain offers for your accommodations.
This is one of the must have NYC apps if you plan on living independently and cheaply.
Cost To Download: Free
PS: Wondering why your app isn’t taking off? It could be your framework. Read our guide on choosing the best app development framework for your business in the USA.
Citymapper New York – NYC App For Subway And Bus System Navigation
New York has a very complex bus and subway system and if you are a first-timer to this system, you can feel lost. Citymapper is a New York City app that can assist you in navigating the city’s public transit system.
This app has offline capabilities which means that you won’t need internet access to access its maps. This New York Map offline capability is essential if you want to know where things are in the city.
The Citymapper app also has an incredible feature that allows you to get real-time departures for all the buses and trains on the public transit system. Also, the app has another great feature that can help you hook up with bike shares and city cabs to make your travel faster and more comfortable.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
Exit Strategy NYC – New York City Subway App
With Exit Strategy NYC, you can not just get complete maps of the NYC subway and bus systems but you can exactly find out where the entrances and exits are to these stations.
The name of this app is an easy giveaway on what it allows you to do. It eases up your access to the public transit system, telling you where to enter, where to leave, and even where to stand on a certain platform.
This NYC app is certainly a lifesaver if you plan on living in the city for a few weeks.
You can use this app in combination with an interactive map offered by New York Pass to know all about the attractions that do not charge anything. The app will help you get around to these attractions easily.
Cost To Download: $3.99
Available On: iOS & Android
ParkMe – Best NYC App For Parking Information
If you are coming in from a different US state in your car, then I must caution you that New York is not exactly a car-friendly city. Apart from the massive traffic jams and the stringent traffic rules, you will also have to deal the dreaded parking issues.
The parking is paid in NYC, and getting a spot for yourself can be a major hassle. If you do it wrong, you might get fined or even have your vehicle impounded.
ParkMe is an essential New York City app for those with cars. The app has complete data on the parking spot availability in your nearby locations, as well as the rates these spots will charge you.ParkMe even allows you to reserve spots by prepaying for them through its payment system. The app is a lifesaver if you want to avoid parking issues in the city.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
PS: Think TikTok is dominating the app scene? You might be surprised! Discover the Top 30 TikTok Alternatives in 2025—your next favorite app could be on this list.
Citi Bike – Recommended NYC App For Bikers
New York City’s official bike-share program, Citi Bike, is an incredible app for NYC if you want to use two wheelers to get around the city faster.
The app has everything you need as a bike rider like info on all docking stations near you, the ability to allow you buy a day pass and even provide you with stats and figures on your ride time.
The Citi-Bike app is easy to use and a must-have in NYC for bikers.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS, Android
NYC Ferry – Best NYC Ferry App
You know that New York has the huge Hudson River flowing right between it? Also, you have the sea. So New Yorkers have been using ferries for quite some time now.
And nowadays, they use the NYC Ferry app by Hornblowers that offers some incredible features, to navigate the ferry system in NYC. Everything from the facility to get paperless tickets to ease the boarding process to arrival and departure times are there in the app for the ferries.
The app also offers special discounts and even alerts on service status. So if you want to beat the traffic and get mesmeric views of the NYC skyline then get this app.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
PS: Need an eye-opening look at mobile trends? Discover the Mobile App Download Statistics & Usage Statistics in 2025 — the numbers will leave you speechless!
Sit or Squat – New York City App For Locating Public Restrooms
Most people will find this app ridiculous and even think on how on Earth is this an essential travel app for NYC? But trust me, your belief that you might not need this app is not true at all.
The Sit or Squat app helps you locate public restrooms and bathrooms with information on whether they are clean or not. The app displays “Green” Sit for clean washrooms and “Red” Squat signs for the less clean ones.
NYC might sound like a city where you wouldn’t have to worry about emptying your bladder, but when you want to actually do that, finding a place to do that can be an incredibly difficult thing to undertake.
The app is a genuine traveler’s app for NYC. Do download it.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
OpenTable – Top NYC App For Restaurant Reservations
In New York City, you can eat whatever you want and at whatever price you want. From the cheap food trucks that are literally everywhere in the city to all the fine dining restaurants, a traveler can literally have anything to satisfy its taste buds.
But one thing can spoil your plans and that’s reservations. NYC has an incredibly big population and that population loves to dine out. Add to that, the thousands of visitors that throng the Big Apple each day and restaurants can fill up pretty quickly.
OpenTable is a New York City App that can help you get restaurant reservations in an easy, streamlined manner. They have a comprehensive catalog of nearly all important NYC restaurants so you can use this app to book your slot in your next dine-in option a few hours in advance.
Cost To Download: Free
iTourMobile – NYC Travel App For Surrounding Events
Probably the most fascinating app on the list, the iTourMobile is an app that can provide you with incredible information on what’s going on nearby your location.
The app has GPS technology so it knows where you are and depending on that data, it can help you find out filming locations, a fancy dine out option, a great theatre play and so much more.
If you are in NYC, you will need this app while walking around the city. The app can spring up incredible surprise and perhaps even give you a chance to meet and click a selfie with your favorite superstar if the timing is right. Don’t miss out on this one definitely.
Cost To Download: Free (Includes a Paid Version For $1.99/month offering special tours)
Available On: iOS & Android
Shop Drop – Best New York City App For Shoppers Discounts
Everyone knows that New York has amazing options for shoppers in terms of designer fashion wear, athleisure, and all other kinds of clothing categories. These stores and labels often hold discount sales, but isn’t it a waste if you don’t know about them?
This is where Shop Drop comes in. As a specific New York City app, it lets you know about sample sales and discount sales around the city. The app even sends alerts so even if you don’t open the app often, you will still know if there is a great bargain nearby.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
Revolut – Recommend NYC Travel App For Bank And Cash Assistance
During travel, you have to take out money from banks, and this can be a major hassle if you are in the city for the first time. On top of this, the withdrawal fees and payment fees can be daunting on your budget. You surely wouldn’t want to deal with it if given a chance.
If you want a chance, then go for registering a bank account with Revolut. It’s an incredible, new fintech company that offers you a free bank account and lets you order your personal Visa Card through which you can make payments, withdraw money from ATMs without any charges at all, absolutely free!
Revolut works in NYC ,and you can download its app to help you get around the issues with payment and other types of fees when dealing with banks.
Cost To Download: Free
TKTS – NYC App For Broadway Theatre
Broadway Theatre is one of the most prestigious theatres acts in the entire world, so it’s natural that a lot of people who come to New York, want to visit at least one show during their stay.
The TKTS app is the perfect way to ensure that you don’t miss out on getting a seat to a Broadway Theatre play.
If you too are an enthusiast of this world-renowned theatre and other equally prestigious ones, then you need to download TKTS app. You can buy tickets, check reviews of the performances, and get discounts on performances through this great NYC app.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
PS: Want to future-proof your app? Read why cloud-native solutions are the future of enterprise-level applications.
WhyzzExplorer – NYC App For City Exploration
This is more of a fun and recreational app for NYC travelers. WhyzzExplorer contains challenges, quizzes, trivia, and other exciting stuff related to NYC. If you are planning to visit New York City soon, then this app will definitely help you brush up your knowledge about the city and its culture.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS
Time Out New York – Best NYC Events App
Time Out New York is a special, local NYC app for travelers who want all the latest information on the fun things happening in the city while they are there.
From concerts to the latest events, this app catalogs each and everything in NYC. You can even use it to check on the schedules of these events, whether the tickets are available or even reviews on different events.
The app’s “Cheap” and “Free” filters can help you find events that you can visit on a budget too.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
Tripadvisor – New York One Day Trip Planner App
If you are visiting NYC with a group of friends or the family, then you can use the TripAdvisor app to map out points of interest and get involved in trip creations to make your stay enjoyable and memorable.
You can use the app to map out any place of interest you want to visit. The official tourism board, NYC Go, also has pre-curated trips so you can take a cue from there and create your own trips with TripAdvisor.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
Yelp – Top Review App For New York City
If you travel a lot or are a major fan of dining out, there is a high chance that you use the Yelp app to check out reviews and listings.
Yelp is certainly not the best app for any place you go in the world, but if you’re visiting a big city like New York, the Yelp app will certainly prove incredibly helpful to you.
The Yelp app is like an app that offers almost something of value in each niche that the other apps on this list feature in. You can see reviews, maps, and preview menus among many other tasks through Yelp app.
As an NYC app, Yelp is a good candidate for providing value to the traveler.
Cost To Download: Free
Available On: iOS & Android
Why Travelers and Visitors Rely on NYC Apps in 2025
New York City is one of the most visited destinations in the world, and also the most overwhelming. From packed subways and expensive cabs to countless food options and hard-to-find free Wi-Fi, the city can be as chaotic as it is exciting.
That’s why millions of travelers are turning to mobile apps as their go-to guides. Downloading NYC-specific apps that help them
- Navigate faster: Real-time subway tracking, ride-hailing integration, and offline maps simplify getting around, especially for first-timers.
- Discover authentic experiences: Apps now surface hyper-local spots from hidden speakeasies to community art events.
- Find last-minute savings: From hotel apps to dynamic discount platforms, travelers are actively using mobile tech to cut costs on accommodation, food, and activities.
- Manage logistics smarter: Whether it’s finding parking near Times Square or avoiding long restaurant queues, task-specific apps reduce stress and save time.
- Connect in their language: With translation tools, multilingual guides, and in-app help features, international visitors are more empowered than ever.
These apps aren’t just convenient — they’re essential tools that help turn chaos into comfort.
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Considering building your NYC-focused app? Whether it’s for local guides, event booking, public transit, or hospitality, TekRevol can help you validate, design, and launch a product that delivers.
As a full-cycle app development partner, we bring:
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Conclusion
The travel and tourism market is shifting fast. From navigating subway lines to finding the best street food, mobile apps have become a must-have travel companion for tourists.
As NYC tourism surges in 2025, the demand for digital-first solutions is growing. That’s where TekRevol comes in. We don’t just build apps, we create impactful digital products that enhance real-world experiences.
Whether envisioning a platform for navigation, a local discovery engine, or a booking tool for NYC-based services, TekRevol has the tools, team, and track record to bring it to life.
