Comparison

Compass∞ vs CalTopo

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

Head to head
About

Compass∞

This app provides an accurate and easy-to-read compass for outdoor activities like hiking and camping. It displays heading, magnetic north, cardinal directions, temperature, and altitude. A flashlight is also included for nighttime use.

Highlights
  • Accurate compass readings
  • Magnetic North display
  • Cardinal direction indicators
  • Weather temperature
  • Altitude display
  • Large letter readings
  • Built-in flashlight
Features
Read full description

A practical accurate compass that is easy to use and read. Great for outdoor hiking, camping, backpacking, treks, and road trips. Features -Heading -Magnetic North (screen displays red at True North) -Cardinal direction -Weather Temperature of your location (must enable location services) -Altitude -Big Letter Compass Reading -Flashlight for night time usage -FREE Speedometer, Latitude/Longitude Display, Voice Option, and Sending of Location available with in-app purchase. Speedometer displays in mph, km/hr, and knots. Latitude/Longitude displays in Lat/Long, Decimal Degrees, and UTM. Disclaimer: App will not have function properly on devices without a magnetometer, such as the iPod Touch 5th generation or below. AVOID use near metallic objects and magnetic cases to prevent interference.

About

CalTopo

Plan and navigate off-grid adventures with detailed offline maps and real-time weather forecasts. Trusted by professionals, this app offers seamless syncing and collaborative planning for backcountry pursuits.

Highlights
  • Offline map downloads
  • Satellite imagery
  • Route planning
  • GPS tracking
  • Weather forecasting
  • Collaborative map sharing
  • Slope angle shading
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

New on CalTopo: the CalTopo app is now satellite ready, allowing you to use many features of the app offline with satellite data! Take the best mapping app with you wherever you go with the CalTopo app for iOS. Trusted by professional mountain guides, avalanche educators, and search and rescue teams, CalTopo has all the features you need to plan your next off-grid pursuit. Seamless integration between CalTopo online and your mobile device allows you to access and update your maps no matter where you are. Any changes you make will automatically sync across all devices, making exporting and importing your latest map a thing of the past. The CalTopo app allows you to easily take your planning and navigation to the next level. Real time decision making in backcountry terrain is made easy with the ability to download maps and layers like slope angle shading to your device for offline use. Plan for conditions on your route with sun exposure, wind, precipitation and avalanche forecasts. View and track your location on the map using GPS, even if you are offline. Share maps with your teams or travel partners to plan collaboratively, and to ensure everyone has the necessary data. Monitor real time updates from the field, like your friends progress on a long outing with live tracking on shared maps. Plan and navigate your next adventure with the CalTopo App today! Map layers include: • MapBuilder Topo, Hybrid and Overlay • Forest Service Maps • Scanned Topos • Global Imagery • Shaded Relief • Slope Angle Shading (including high resolution elevation data where available) • Parcel data • Public Lands • Weekly Satellite Imagery • NAIP Satellite Imagery • Sun Exposure • Marine Charts • Weather Forecasting (including wind, precipitation, and temperatures) • Snow and Water Gauge Data • Fire History/Activity • And many more Support and Feature Requests: Email us at help@caltopo.com.

Screenshots

Compass∞4 screens
CalTopo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CalTopo at none against Compass∞'s 1. CalTopo also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Compass∞'s advantage is review sentiment (82% vs 56%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Compass∞ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CalTopo asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CalTopo holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.1K and 7.5K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of Compass∞'s written reviews are positive against 56% of CalTopo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compass∞ ships an update every 2 months, CalTopo every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Compass∞ versus CalTopo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompass∞CalTopo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (5.1K ratings)4.8 (7.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.9% of reviews — better56.5% of reviews
Number of ratings5.1K7.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#142 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB165 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCamera LLC(TX)CalTopo LLC

Customer experience

Compass∞

All ratings5,051 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral2.9%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews431 reviews
Positive81.9%
Neutral4.4%
Negative13.7%

CalTopo

All ratings7,461 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews131 reviews
Positive56.5%
Neutral9.9%
Negative33.6%

User reviews

Compass∞

From 5.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Accurate and reliable
  • 🔦 Useful flashlight feature
  • 💡 Helpful for navigation and orientation
  • ⭐ Great app overall

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Frequent prompts to upgrade to premium
  • 🐛 Occasional inaccuracies or inconsistencies
  • 🔋 High battery consumption

CalTopo

From 7.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful mapping features
  • 💡 Extensive data layers
  • 👍 Detailed trail and terrain information
  • 👍 Useful for SAR operations
  • 👍 Great for planning outdoor adventures

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable mobile app
  • 🐛 Maps not always loading properly
  • 🐛 Slow map rendering
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 👎 Difficult to use for casual users

Bugs and requests

Compass∞

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Compass reading sometimes off by 90 degrees
  • App crashes or freezes on certain devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add latitude and longitude display
  • Improve compass calibration
  • Reduce frequency of premium upgrade prompts

CalTopo

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Trails and tracks disappearing
  • Coordinate display issues
  • Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • Incompatibility with older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add 3D map view
  • Implement route snapping to trails
  • Improve offline map download capabilities
  • Add photo geotagging functionality
  • Implement course-up map orientation

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Compass∞

One-time1
  • Speedometer Lat/Long No Ads$9.99
None

CalTopo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Compass∞ free?
Compass∞ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CalTopo free?
CalTopo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Compass∞ or CalTopo?
CalTopo is rated higher. Compass∞ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while CalTopo averages 4.8 from 7.5K ratings.
Do Compass∞ or CalTopo have ads?
Neither Compass∞ nor CalTopo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Compass∞ or CalTopo?
Compass∞ ships an update every 2 months, and CalTopo every 2 weeks. Most recently, Compass∞ was updated on October 20, 2026 and CalTopo on October 21, 2026.

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