# CourseSpeed vs Compass Direction

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CourseSpeed at none against Compass Direction's 9. CourseSpeed also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Compass Direction's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 weeks) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 2). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Compass Direction sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. CourseSpeed asks for nothing beyond the download.

CourseSpeed holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass Direction has 2.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

CourseSpeed ships an update every 4 weeks, Compass Direction every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CourseSpeed | Compass Direction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coursespeed/id1358742605/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-direction-digital/id1620523385/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **2.7K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 34.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#193** |
| Size | 12 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Jennings](https://appshunter.io/developer/1358104370) | [Rihab Mehboob](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441916319) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Compass Direction

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

**Currently charting:** #193 Top Grossing · Navigation, #196 Top Free · 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 CourseSpeed free?

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

### Is Compass Direction free?

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

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

CourseSpeed is rated higher. CourseSpeed averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Compass Direction averages 4.6 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do CourseSpeed or Compass Direction have ads?

Compass Direction shows ads; CourseSpeed does not.

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

CourseSpeed ships an update every 4 weeks, and Compass Direction every 3 days. Most recently, CourseSpeed was updated on October 2, 2026 and Compass Direction on October 13, 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.*