Comparison

NESW vs Compass XL

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

Head to head
About

NESW

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
Read full description

NESW is a clean, fast compass app built for hikers, campers, travelers, and anyone who needs reliable direction at a glance. Get a live compass with large heading readouts, cardinal direction, and a smooth rotating dial designed for quick outdoor use. Switch between true north and magnetic north, monitor heading accuracy, and stay oriented with a minimal interface that keeps the essentials front and center. NESW goes beyond a simple compass: - Save objectives and lock onto a destination bearing - Share your current location quickly - View altitude, speed, and magnetic declination - Track direction with clear turn guidance Whether you're hiking, camping, backpacking, overlanding, boating, traveling, or navigating unfamiliar places, NESW helps you keep your bearings with less clutter and more confidence. Key features: - Large degree heading and clear cardinal direction - True north and magnetic north support - Smooth rotating compass dial - Objective pinning and bearing lock - Live location sharing - Altitude, speed, and declination readouts - Calibration and heading status guidance - Minimal design built for fast readability Great for: - Hiking and trail navigation - Camping and backpacking - Road trips and travel - Orienteering and outdoor exploration - Marine and land navigation Notes: - For best accuracy, avoid strong magnetic interference, metallic objects, and magnetic phone cases - True north accuracy may improve after location access and GPS lock are available If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for future updates, we'd love to hear from you.

About

Compass XL

This app provides a large, clear compass display for easy navigation in any environment. It offers multiple styles, North modes, and location-based place names, with offline functionality. An optional Pro upgrade unlocks ad removal, bearing lock, and specialized display modes.

Highlights
  • Large, clear compass display
  • True North and Magnetic North modes
  • Location-based place names
  • Offline functionality
  • Bearing Lock (Pro)
  • Night Vision Mode (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Know exactly where you are. Know exactly where you are heading. Compass XL gives you a large, precise compass designed for clarity and confidence in any environment. Your phone has a compass, but it is small and hard to read. Compass XL replaces it with bold, oversized displays that you can read at a glance — in bright sunlight, in darkness, or in motion. No internet required. No account needed. Open the app and go. FREE FEATURES: - Two compass styles: Classic and Minimal - True North and Magnetic North modes - Smooth, responsive heading display - Location-based place names - Dark mode support - Haptic feedback at cardinal points - Optimized for iPhone and iPad UPGRADE TO PRO: One purchase. Everything unlocked. No subscription. - Remove Ads — A clean, focused compass with nothing between you and your heading. - Bearing Lock — Lock any heading and follow it with confidence. A haptic pulse tells you when you are aligned. Stay on course without constantly watching the screen. - Night Vision Mode — A red-spectrum display that preserves your night-adapted eyes. Essential for stargazing, camping, and nighttime navigation. - Three additional compass styles: - Large Display — Maximum size for effortless reading at any distance - Military — Tactical precision with real-time altitude - Maritime — Nautical design with real-time altitude ADDITIONAL FEATURES: - GPS altitude display - Heading accuracy indicator - Magnetic declination data - Share your heading, coordinates, and location - Works entirely offline DESIGNED FOR: - Hikers, campers, and trail runners - Sailors and marine navigation - Military and tactical personnel - Stargazers and astronomers - Seniors and anyone who values readability - Surveyors and field professionals - Emergency preparedness - Everyday orientation in unfamiliar places Your direction. Your confidence. Your compass.

Screenshots

NESW3 screens
Compass XL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NESW at none against Compass XL's 1. NESW also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Compass XL's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 57 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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 XL sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NESW asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NESW holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass XL has 16 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NESW ships an update every 57 months, Compass XL every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
NESW versus Compass XL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNESWCompass XL
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings116 — better
Update frequencyEvery 57 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSolaz Dazen srlMobile Card Games & Travel Apps LLC

Customer experience

NESW

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Compass XL

All ratings15 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative6.7%

In-app purchases

None

NESW

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Compass XL

One-time1
  • Compass Pro$1.99

Questions

Is NESW free?
NESW is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Compass XL free?
Compass XL is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NESW or Compass XL?
NESW is rated higher. NESW averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Compass XL averages 4.7 from 16 ratings.
Do NESW or Compass XL have ads?
NESW shows ads; Compass XL does not.
Which is updated more often, NESW or Compass XL?
NESW ships an update every 57 months, and Compass XL every 9 days. Most recently, NESW was updated on November 2, 2026 and Compass XL on October 30, 2026.

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