NESW vs Compass XL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Heading and cardinal direction indicator
- Magnetic North pointer
- Large font degree heading
- Rotating compass rose
- Background color change for North
- Integrated flashlight toggle
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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.
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.
- Large, clear compass display
- True North and Magnetic North modes
- Location-based place names
- Offline functionality
- Bearing Lock (Pro)
- Night Vision Mode (Pro)
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Compass XL sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NESW asks for nothing beyond the download.
NESW holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. 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.
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.
| Parameter | NESW | Compass XL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.7 (16 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 16 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 57 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Solaz Dazen srl | Mobile Card Games & Travel Apps LLC |
Customer experience
NESW
Compass XL
In-app purchases
NESW
No in-app purchases
Compass XL
- Compass Pro$1.99








