Compass vs Compass_S
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Compass
This app provides a clear and easy-to-read digital compass with a large display showing your direction and heading. Its straightforward design prioritizes simplicity and usability for quick navigation.
- Large display for easy reading
- Shows direction and heading
- Simple and intuitive design
- Free to use
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Compass-Free is a super simple compass that is very easy to read with a huge display showing you the direction and heading. Its simple design makes it awesome!. Please rate us if you like it and share it with your friends!.
Compass_S
A straightforward compass app offering five distinct needle designs. It displays cardinal directions in multiple formats, including Japanese, and provides GPS coordinates like latitude, longitude, and altitude. The app includes features to help maintain accuracy and can be used for specific cultural practices.
- Five needle designs
- NESW and Japanese cardinal points
- Latitude, longitude, and altitude display
- Accuracy guidance for level positioning
- Ehomaki compass for Setsubun
- Ad-free and offline modes
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This is a simple and intuitive compass app. You can choose from five different needle designs. It displays directions in NESW and Japanese cardinal points, as well as latitude, longitude, and altitude. Please hold your smartphone flat when using the compass. Accuracy will decrease if the device is not held level. When tilted, the center icon of the needle will shift to help guide you into a level position. It can also be used as a compass to check the direction to eat "Ehomaki" during Setsubun. Displays directions like "North-northwest", "East-northeast", "South-southeast", and "West-southwest" in Japanese. Setsubun in 2026 falls on February 3rd, and the lucky direction is south-southeast. Useful as an Ehomaki compass for Setsubun. We resolved the issue where the app could be installed on devices without a magnetic sensor. Note: Since the compass relies on a magnetic sensor, it will not work on unsupported devices We have also added a function to detect environmental conditions that may affect compass accuracy and provide solutions. Now includes features to hide banner ads and use offline in mountains or at sea. Give it a try
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Compass_S at 4.6 against Compass's 3.5. Compass_S also leads on ratings volume (281 vs 17). Compass's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Compass_S holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass_S has 281 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Compass's written reviews are positive against 25% of Compass_S's.
Compass ships an update every 5 months, Compass_S every 6 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.
| Parameter | Compass | Compass_S |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (17 ratings) | 4.6 (281 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | 25.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 | 281 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 194 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aishvarya Sadasivam | hiroyuki uchida |
Customer experience
Compass
Compass_S
In-app purchases
Compass
No in-app purchases
Compass_S
No in-app purchases
