Comparison

Compass_S 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_S

A straightforward compass app offering five distinct needle designs. It displays cardinal directions in multiple formats, including Japanese, and provides GPS coordinates like latitude, longitude, and altitude. The app includes features to help maintain accuracy and can be used for specific cultural practices.

Highlights
  • Five needle designs
  • NESW and Japanese cardinal points
  • Latitude, longitude, and altitude display
  • Accuracy guidance for level positioning
  • Ehomaki compass for Setsubun
  • Ad-free and offline modes
Read full description

This is a simple and intuitive compass app. You can choose from five different needle designs. It displays directions in NESW and Japanese cardinal points, as well as latitude, longitude, and altitude. Please hold your smartphone flat when using the compass. Accuracy will decrease if the device is not held level. When tilted, the center icon of the needle will shift to help guide you into a level position. It can also be used as a compass to check the direction to eat "Ehomaki" during Setsubun. Displays directions like "North-northwest", "East-northeast", "South-southeast", and "West-southwest" in Japanese. Setsubun in 2026 falls on February 3rd, and the lucky direction is south-southeast. Useful as an Ehomaki compass for Setsubun. We resolved the issue where the app could be installed on devices without a magnetic sensor. Note: Since the compass relies on a magnetic sensor, it will not work on unsupported devices We have also added a function to detect environmental conditions that may affect compass accuracy and provide solutions. Now includes features to hide banner ads and use offline in mountains or at sea. Give it a try

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

Compass_S4 screens
Compass Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Compass_S at none against Compass Guide's 1. Compass_S also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Compass Guide's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (40% vs 25%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Compass_S asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Compass_S against 4.5 for Compass Guide. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 281 and 126 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of Compass_S's written reviews are positive against 40% of Compass Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compass_S ships an update every 6 months, Compass Guide fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Compass_S versus Compass Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompass_SCompass Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (281 ratings) — better4.5 (126 ratings)
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews40.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings281 — better126
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size194 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerhiroyuki uchidaAPPS BAY LIMITED

Customer experience

Compass_S

All ratings281 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral5.3%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Compass Guide

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

In-app purchases

None

Compass_S

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Compass Guide

One-time1
  • Premium$2.99

Questions

Is Compass_S free?
Compass_S is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Compass Guide free?
Compass Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Compass_S or Compass Guide?
Compass_S is rated higher. Compass_S averages 4.6 out of 5 from 281 ratings, while Compass Guide averages 4.5 from 126 ratings.
Do Compass_S or Compass Guide have ads?
Both Compass_S and Compass Guide show ads.
Which is updated more often, Compass_S or Compass Guide?
Compass_S ships an update every 6 months, and Compass Guide fortnightly. Most recently, Compass_S was updated on October 19, 2026 and Compass Guide on October 15, 2026.

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