# WaterSounds vs Compass Direction

The clearest difference is review sentiment: WaterSounds at 87% against Compass Direction's 34%. WaterSounds also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Compass Direction's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months) and chart position (#193 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. WaterSounds sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Compass Direction sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

WaterSounds holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 597 and 2.7K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of WaterSounds's written reviews are positive against 34% of Compass Direction's.

WaterSounds ships an update every 3 months, Compass Direction every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WaterSounds | Compass Direction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (597 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watersounds/id1260518740/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-direction-digital/id1620523385/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 597 | **2.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.7% of reviews** | 34.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#193** |
| Size | 65 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tomohiro Ohwada](https://appshunter.io/developer/991660409) | [Rihab Mehboob](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441916319) |

## What reviewers say

### WaterSounds

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watersounds/id1260518740)

Experience healing and relaxation with a variety of soothing water sounds. This app supports background playback and features an automatic stop timer, making it ideal for sleep, meditation, or focused study.

**Highlights:** Variety of water sounds, Background playback, Automatic stop timer, Widget timer support, Healing and relaxation

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Development support | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads & Support | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Authentic, high-quality water and nature sounds
- 🎚️ Adjustable volume control for individual sounds
- 🔀 Ability to layer multiple sounds simultaneously
- ⏱️ Built-in customizable timer feature
- 😴 Effective for relaxation and sleep

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent playback - sounds don't play reliably
- 📖 Lack of help documentation or instructions
- 🔊 Volume levels vary inconsistently between sounds
- 🔋 Limited sound selection compared to user expectations

**Reported bugs**

- Sounds fail to play intermittently
- App stops working unexpectedly
- Inconsistent audio output across different sound selections

**Requested features**

- Headset play/pause button support
- AirPlay support
- Water fountain sounds (including tiered backyard fountains)
- Lake and pond sound options
- Stream and brook sound options


### Compass Direction

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-direction-digital/id1620523385)

**Currently charting:** #193 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides accurate compass headings and directions with a real-time GPS map. Easily switch between map and camera views, and access features like altitude, speed, and a torch. Enjoy a beautiful and intuitive interface with haptic feedback and accessibility support.

**Highlights:** Accurate compass headings and directions, Real-time GPS map with zoom, Altitude, latitude, and longitude display, Speedometer, Integrated torch, Switch between map and camera view

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Compass 1 Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Compass 1 Week | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Compass 1 Month | $5.99 | per month |
| Compass 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Compass 1 Year | $24.99 | per year |
| Compass 6 Months | $29.99 | per 6 months |
| Compass 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |
| Compass Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |
| Compass Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Accurate and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for specific use cases
- 👍 Visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate compass direction
- 🔒 Requires subscription to use
- 🔒 No free trial
- 🐛 Doesn't work as expected
- 🔒 Forces users to subscribe

**Reported bugs**

- Compass always showing wrong directions
- App freezes or becomes non-functional
- Restore purchase feature not working
- App crashing or not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to calibrate the compass
- Option to purchase a one-time fee instead of subscription
- Offline map support
- Ability to set waypoints and get directions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WaterSounds free?

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

### Is Compass Direction free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WaterSounds or Compass Direction?

WaterSounds is rated higher. WaterSounds averages 4.8 out of 5 from 597 ratings, while Compass Direction averages 4.6 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do WaterSounds or Compass Direction have ads?

Both WaterSounds and Compass Direction show ads.

### Which is updated more often, WaterSounds or Compass Direction?

WaterSounds ships an update every 3 months, and Compass Direction every 3 days. Most recently, WaterSounds was updated on September 20, 2026 and Compass Direction on September 24, 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.*