Comparison

Compass vs Compass Guide

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

Head to head
About

Compass

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
Read full description

With “Compass Pro” you can orientate yourself optimally at your location. You can see the direction of the compass and match it with the satellite image or the map on the compass. That you know exactly where you are you get the street address, the exact GPS coordinates and the current height above sea level displayed. In addition, the position is displayed in What3Words (w3w) coordinates. To switch between satellite image and map view just tap the compass. You can zoom with the pinch-/spread Gesture or with the slider beneath the Address so that you can orient yourself at certain prominent points. The blue highlighted area indicates the current accuracy. Terms of Use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Compass Guide

This application provides directional guidance and heading information using your device's compass. It's designed to help users find their way in various situations.

Highlights
  • Directional finding
  • Heading information
  • Outdoor navigation aid
  • Hiking GPS support
Features
Read full description

Compass Guide is a simple, reliable digital compass for hiking, navigation, and everyday direction-finding — no account required. FIND YOUR WAY • Live compass heading in true north or magnetic north • Calibration guidance and an accuracy indicator you can trust • Your coordinates, altitude, and speed at a glance NAVIGATE TO A DESTINATION • Set a destination by map, clipboard coordinates, or manual entry • See live bearing and distance to where you're headed • Save multiple destinations with Premium SEE THE SKY • Sun and moon position markers on the dial (Premium) • Night mode with a red-tinted display to protect your night vision MAKE IT YOURS • Six compass styles: Classic, Field, Nautical, Military, Surveyor, and Minimal • Choose degrees or mils, metric or imperial units • Keep the screen on, add a haptic tick at true north, and use the built-in flashlight SHARE YOUR HEADING • Export a shareable image card with your heading and location details GO PREMIUM YOUR WAY • Unlock every feature with a one-time purchase — no subscription • Or watch a short ad anytime to unlock Premium free for 24 hours Compass Guide works fully offline for core compass features and never asks you to create an account.

Screenshots

Compass4 screens
Compass Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Compass at none against Compass Guide's shown. Compass also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 40%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Compass Guide's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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 sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Compass Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Compass holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass has 2.4K ratings behind it against 126, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Compass's written reviews are positive against 40% of Compass Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compass ships an update every 7 months, Compass Guide fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Compass versus Compass Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompassCompass Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.4K ratings) — better4.5 (126 ratings)
Positive reviews66.9% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2.4K — better126
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeter BohlAPPS BAY LIMITED

Customer experience

Compass

All ratings2,349 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews139 reviews
Positive66.9%
Neutral5.8%
Negative27.3%

Compass Guide

All ratings126 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.0%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Compass

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to remove ads
  • Customizable compass display
  • Improved calibration controls
  • Support for imperial units

Compass Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Compass

Subscriptions3
  • AdFree and Widgets for 1 month$0.991 Month
  • 3 months ad-free + Widgets$1.993 Months
  • 1 year Ad Free + Widgets$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Ad Free without limits$10.99
1 purchases

Compass Guide

One-time1
  • Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Compass free?
Compass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Compass Guide free?
Compass Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Compass or Compass Guide?
Compass is rated higher. Compass averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Compass Guide averages 4.5 from 126 ratings.
Do Compass or Compass Guide have ads?
Compass Guide shows ads; Compass does not.
Which is updated more often, Compass or Compass Guide?
Compass ships an update every 7 months, and Compass Guide fortnightly. Most recently, Compass was updated on October 24, 2026 and Compass Guide on October 25, 2026.

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