Comparison

Compass Direction vs FSnav

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Compass Direction

Get precise heading and live location data for instant direction finding. This simple and reliable tool is essential for outdoor adventures, helping you navigate with confidence.

Highlights
  • Precise heading detection
  • Live location data
  • Simple interface
  • Reliable navigation
  • Outdoor adventure essential
Features
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Compass Direction-Live Finder: Precise Navigation! Find your direction instantly with Compass Direction-Live Finder! Get accurate heading and live location data. Simple, reliable, and essential for outdoor adventures. Navigate with confidence! Download now.

About

FSnav

Features
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FSnav is a VFR navigation app for private pilots: moving map, flight planning, a complete flight briefing pack, weather and a worldwide weather globe, live airspace, logbook, augmented reality. COUNTRIES • France: official SIA data, updated every AIRAC cycle, readable offline. • United States (new): official FAA data every cycle, Sectional and TAC charts, live TFRs, NOAA weather. US NOTAMs coming. THE MAP • Airspace (Class B/C/D, CTR, TMA, LTA, FIR, FIS sectors, P, R, D, MOA, military routes, RMZ/TMZ, TRA) with floors and ceilings, a ceiling filter, and the list of airspace you are in while flying. • Live: military route activations (AZBA), SUP AIP zones, NOTAMs on the map and in the airfield sheet (France), TFRs (US), SIGMET. • Warnings in words before you enter an airspace (“TMA in 4 min, climbing”). • Airfields, true-scale runways, taxiways, holding points, windsocks turned to the measured wind, fuel. • Obstacles, power lines, nature reserves, sensitive sites, built-up areas. • OACI and VAC charts (France), Sectional and TAC charts (US), georeferenced and readable offline. Terrain, night mode, satellite. • 3D airspace view, an (i) sheet for every layer, augmented reality (tags on the camera image). • Your points, layers (KML, GPX, GeoJSON, MBTiles) and documents, synced between your devices. NAVIGATION • Plan on the map, direct-to, drag and drop. Import and export GPX, KML, FPL, PLN. • Nav log: headings, drift, ground speed, times, fuel, estimated and actual times. • Vertical profile: terrain, minimum safe altitude, airspace, obstacles. • Route weather analysis with suggested routes around bad weather. • Engine-failure approach patterns for training (power-off 180 in the US). • Traffic: portable ADS-B/FLARM receivers (GDL 90: SkyEcho, Stratux, PilotAware, Sentry, Stratus) with conflict assessment. FLIGHT BRIEFING PACK Your whole preparation in one PDF, sections and order of your choice. • Sun times and aeronautical night, airfields with NOTAMs and VAC charts, nav log, fuel plan, profile. • METAR and TAF at your estimated time, Vigilance, SIGMET, TEMSI, WINTEM; airspace crossed, active military areas, NOTAMs along the route. WEATHER • France: Météo-France radar, lightning, satellite, stations, METAR and TAF, Vigilance, TEMSI and WINTEM charts; AROME and GFS forecasts. • United States: NOAA radar, lightning, GOES satellite, METAR and TAF, AIRMET, SIGMET, PIREP; HRRR, NBM and GFS forecasts. • Wind at every level, clouds, precipitation, visibility, gusts, storm risk, 0 °C level, icing. SIGMETs and AIRMETs decoded into plain words. • Offline weather box prepared before the flight. WEATHER GLOBE The whole world’s weather on a 3D globe. • Observed: infrared, visible and water vapour satellite in a loop, lightning, storm cells, deep convection, worldwide SIGMETs, tropical cyclones. • Forecast: surface, FL180 and FL300 wind, clouds, precipitation, temperature, CAPE, gusts, 0 °C level, icing and turbulence, up to 5 days, animated. FLIGHT REPLAY • GPS track recorded automatically, replay with instruments, past flights shared as an image or GPX. LOGBOOK, AIRCRAFT, KNOWLEDGE • Logbook: hours, landings, recent experience (FCL.060, FCL.740), your flying club’s minima, CSV export. • My aircraft: profile, fuel plan, weight and balance on the flight manual envelope. • Knowledge (France): the FFA VFR pilot memo and FCL.055 English preparation. SUBSCRIPTION 7-day free trial with every feature, then a yearly or monthly subscription. FSnav is an aid to flight preparation and monitoring: official documents (AIP, charts, flight manual) remain the reference. Your recorded flights and logbook stay on your phone. Data sources and licences: fsnav.flightshared.com/en/sources Terms of Use (Apple standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://fsnav.flightshared.com/en/privacy

Screenshots

Compass Direction4 screens
FSnav4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: FSnav at none against Compass Direction's shown. FSnav also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 112 months). Compass Direction's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compass Direction ships an update every 112 months, FSnav every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Compass Direction versus FSnav: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompass DirectionFSnav
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (15 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 112 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB99 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAishvarya SadasivamFlightShared

In-app purchases

None

Compass Direction

No in-app purchases

None

FSnav

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Compass Direction free?
Compass Direction is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FSnav free?
FSnav is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Compass Direction or FSnav have ads?
Compass Direction shows ads; FSnav does not.
Which is updated more often, Compass Direction or FSnav?
Compass Direction ships an update every 112 months, and FSnav every 4 days. Most recently, Compass Direction was updated on October 24, 2026 and FSnav on October 29, 2026.

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