# Away Messages vs COMPASS PathWaves

The clearest difference is price: COMPASS PathWaves at Free against Away Messages's $0.99. Away Messages's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

COMPASS PathWaves is free to download; Away Messages costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Away Messages ships an update weekly, COMPASS PathWaves every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Away Messages | COMPASS PathWaves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[1.5 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/away-messages/id1161989522/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **121** | — |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 8 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Michael Wildermuth](https://appshunter.io/developer/481933080) | [Compass Pathfinder Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579047336) |

## What reviewers say

### Away Messages

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/away-messages/id1161989522)

Easily generate professional-looking away messages for various situations like vacations or being out of office. While it doesn't send messages automatically due to iOS limitations, it streamlines the creation process, saving you valuable time.

**Highlights:** Create professional away messages, Set message end dates, Preset and custom message reasons, Select alternative contacts, Save previous settings, Manage custom messages

**In-app purchases:** none


### COMPASS PathWaves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-pathwaves/id6447260583)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Away Messages free?

Away Messages costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is COMPASS PathWaves free?

COMPASS PathWaves is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Away Messages or COMPASS PathWaves have ads?

Neither Away Messages nor COMPASS PathWaves shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Away Messages or COMPASS PathWaves?

Away Messages ships an update weekly, and COMPASS PathWaves every 3 weeks. Most recently, Away Messages was updated on June 11, 2026 and COMPASS PathWaves on September 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*