# NESW vs Compass Guide

The clearest difference is rating: NESW at 5.0 against Compass Guide's 4.5. NESW also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). Compass Guide's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 57 months) and ratings volume (126 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

NESW holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass Guide has 126 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of NESW's written reviews are positive against 40% of Compass Guide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

NESW ships an update every 57 months, Compass Guide fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NESW | Compass Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nesw-tactical-compass/id1174329659/reviews)** | [4.5 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-guidenavigation-app/id1631831937/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **126** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 57 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Solaz Dazen srl](https://appshunter.io/developer/802275887) | [APPS BAY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599035519) |

## What reviewers say

### NESW

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nesw-tactical-compass/id1174329659)

A simple, easy-to-read compass app showing heading, cardinal direction, and magnetic north. It also features a flashlight toggle for convenience during outdoor activities.

**Highlights:** Heading and cardinal direction indicator, Magnetic North pointer, Large font degree heading, Rotating compass rose, Background color change for North, Integrated flashlight toggle

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Compass Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-guidenavigation-app/id1631831937)

This app provides a reliable digital compass for outdoor navigation and everyday direction-finding. It offers live heading, coordinate display, and the ability to navigate to saved destinations. Premium features like sun/moon positions and custom styles are available.

**Highlights:** Live compass heading, Coordinate and altitude display, Navigate to destinations, Sun and moon position markers, Multiple compass styles, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NESW free?

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

### Is Compass Guide free?

Compass Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, NESW or Compass Guide?

NESW is rated higher. NESW averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Compass Guide averages 4.5 from 126 ratings.

### Do NESW or Compass Guide have ads?

Both NESW and Compass Guide show ads.

### Which is updated more often, NESW or Compass Guide?

NESW ships an update every 57 months, and Compass Guide fortnightly. Most recently, NESW was updated on November 2, 2026 and Compass Guide on November 3, 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.*