7 taxi apps you can use across Asia

Standing on the curb with your arm flapping in the air is so last century. The best way to get a ride now is to reach into your pocket and let an app do all the work. There are plenty of superb taxi booking apps and car-hailing apps all across Asia, though there inevitably isn’t one to rule the entire diverse continent.

That’s where this list comes in. Look for your city and you should be able to find the best taxi app for your area. If you’re in somewhere like Singapore, Tokyo, or Jakarta, there’s plenty of choice. Let’s start with the biggest app first.

1. Uber

for selected cities in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia

At the latest count, Uber is in 67 countries. The service now runs in 78 cities across Asia-Pacific – that’s up from below 20 cities towards the start of 2014.

Depending on where you live or where you’re traveling, Uber mainly offers the cheap UberX across Asia. A few smaller cities have the even cheaper UberGo, using tiny cars. Some cities have UberBlack, UberSUV, or UberXL as added options at higher prices.

Some other options have popped up recently, such as People’s Uber in China, which is like UberX except that Uber doesn’t make any profit from it.

There’s also UberTaxi, using conventional, regulated cabs, in a handful of places, such as Hong Kong, Adelaide, and Tokyo.

Uber currently accepts cash payments from passengers all across India, as well as in selected cities in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Uber has apps for iOS and Android.

2. GrabTaxi

for Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Putrajaya, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Penang,Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Singapore, Manila, Cebu, Davao City, Iloilo City, Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Jakarta.

3. Ola

4. Didi Kuaidi

5. Hailo

6. Line Taxi

7. Blue Bird