# Altimeter vs Compass Altimeter

The clearest difference is ads: Compass Altimeter at none against Altimeter's shown. Compass Altimeter also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (80% vs 56%). Altimeter's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 3). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Altimeter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Compass Altimeter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Altimeter against 4.7 for Compass Altimeter. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Altimeter has 1.3K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Altimeter's written reviews are positive against 80% of Compass Altimeter's.

Altimeter ships an update every 6 months, Compass Altimeter every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Altimeter | Compass Altimeter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/altimeter-elevation-compass/id1227302521/reviews) | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-altimeter-sun-and-moon/id6752685064/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 55.8% of reviews | **80.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 50 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Furkan Ozoglu](https://appshunter.io/developer/906666201) | [Fuzhou Knock Dream Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1478601598) |

## What reviewers say

### Altimeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/altimeter-elevation-compass/id1227302521)

Instantly discover your location, altitude, direction, and atmospheric pressure on a map. Explore nearby points of interest with photos and access detailed elevation and coordinate data. Share your adventures with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Real-time altitude and elevation data, GPS location coordinates and address, Detailed compass for direction, Atmospheric pressure readings, Explore nearby points of interest with photos, Track location and elevation changes, Share photos with location data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Altimeter Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Altimeter Pro Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Super splitter
- 👍 Simple app, that delivers
- 👍 Interesting when bushwalking
- 👍 Consistent and reliable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Can't even navigate with this spam filled app
- 🔍 Far too many ads and requests to review before getting to use the app
- 🔍 I can't even start using this before an ad pops up and I can't close it
- 🔍 Too noisy with continuous adds
- 🔍 Loud and obnoxious

**Reported bugs**

- Accuracy is not very good
- Not stable, altitude figure is constantly adjusting
- Only shows metric on Apple Watch

**Requested features**

- Show compass on watch
- Better altitude accuracy


### Compass Altimeter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-altimeter-sun-and-moon/id6752685064)

This pro-grade tool provides accurate live altitude and compass readings by fusing GPS with device sensors. It also offers sun and moon tracking, golden hour timing, and coordinate display, making it ideal for outdoor activities and photography.

**Highlights:** Live altitude with GPS and barometer fusion, Relative altitude tracking for ascent/descent, True/Magnetic North compass with haptics, Sun and moon elevation, azimuth, rise/set times, Golden/blue hour timing for photography, Coordinate display with one-tap copy, Pressure readings in various units

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Compass Altimeter Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Compass Altimeter Pro Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Compass Altimeter Pro Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Altimeter free?

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

### Is Compass Altimeter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Altimeter or Compass Altimeter?

Compass Altimeter is rated higher. Altimeter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Compass Altimeter averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Altimeter or Compass Altimeter have ads?

Altimeter shows ads; Compass Altimeter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Altimeter or Compass Altimeter?

Altimeter ships an update every 6 months, and Compass Altimeter every 3 weeks. Most recently, Altimeter was updated on November 6, 2026 and Compass Altimeter on November 5, 2026.

---

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