# Compass vs CourseSpeed

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CourseSpeed at none against Compass's 4. CourseSpeed also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 7 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Compass's advantage is ratings volume (2.3K vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Compass sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. CourseSpeed asks for nothing beyond the download.

CourseSpeed holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass has 2.3K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Compass ships an update every 7 months, CourseSpeed every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Compass | CourseSpeed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-professional/id1289069674/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coursespeed/id1358742605/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.3K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 66.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 19 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peter Bohl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1075788156) | [David Jennings](https://appshunter.io/developer/1358104370) |

## What reviewers say

### Compass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-professional/id1289069674)

This app helps you navigate by displaying your direction on a compass, overlayed on a satellite or map view. It provides your street address, GPS coordinates, and altitude, along with What3Words coordinates for precise location identification.

**Highlights:** Compass direction display, Satellite and map view overlay, Street address and GPS coordinates, Altitude display, What3Words coordinates, Zoom functionality, Accuracy indicator

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AdFree and Widgets for 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| 3 months ad-free + Widgets | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 year Ad Free + Widgets | $4.99 | per year |
| Ad Free without limits | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate compass
- 👍 Useful features like location and elevation
- 🗺️ Detailed map overlay
- 🔍 Precise direction indication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compass direction inaccurate
- 🌐 Issues with non-English language support
- 💢 Annoying ads
- 🤔 Calibration problems

**Reported bugs**

- Compass direction completely off
- App crashes on launch
- Barometric pressure widget not working
- Location tracking issues

**Requested features**

- Option to remove ads
- Customizable compass display
- Improved calibration controls
- Support for imperial units


### CourseSpeed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coursespeed/id1358742605)

This navigation app provides real-time course, speed, and position data on a clear display. It offers turn-by-turn navigation with voice prompts, map overlays, and the ability to save tracks and points of interest. Additional features include sunrise/sunset times, horizon distance calculation, and specialized functions for sailing and geocaching.

**Highlights:** Real-time course, speed, and position display, Turn-by-turn navigation with voice prompts, Map view with track history and waypoints, Save and load track history and points of interest, GPX file export for computer viewing, Sunrise/sunset times and horizon distance calculator, Anchor watch and geocaching search functions

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Compass free?

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

### Is CourseSpeed free?

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

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

CourseSpeed is rated higher. Compass averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while CourseSpeed averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Compass or CourseSpeed have ads?

Neither Compass nor CourseSpeed shows ads.

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

Compass ships an update every 7 months, and CourseSpeed every 4 weeks. Most recently, Compass was updated on September 26, 2026 and CourseSpeed on September 15, 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.*