# Celestial Navigation vs Ecliptic Compass

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Celestial Navigation at 77% against Ecliptic Compass's 0%. Celestial Navigation also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (15 vs 3). Ecliptic Compass's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Celestial Navigation costs $1.99 and Ecliptic Compass $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ecliptic Compass holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestial Navigation has 15 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Celestial Navigation's written reviews are positive against 0% of Ecliptic Compass's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Celestial Navigation ships an update every 5 days, Ecliptic Compass every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestial Navigation | Ecliptic Compass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.2 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-navigation/id1458513224/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecliptic-compass/id1584943153/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **77.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | #170 |
| Size | 51 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dr. Harald Merkel](https://appshunter.io/developer/404381431) | [wing lun tong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1372766496) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestial Navigation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-navigation/id1458513224)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

This application assists with celestial navigation by performing sextant sight reduction calculations. It displays intermediate numbers for verification and can draw lines of position on a map. Features include a perpetual nautical almanac and a star finder to identify celestial bodies.

**Highlights:** Sextant sight reduction calculations, Perpetual nautical almanac, Line of position calculation and plotting, Star Finder for celestial identification, Save and manage sextant readings, Display intermediate calculation numbers

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ecliptic Compass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecliptic-compass/id1584943153)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

This navigation app displays the ecliptic plane, Sun, Moon, and planet directions on a compass. It helps users verify compass accuracy using celestial bodies and offers manual rectification. It also generates horoscope charts and allows custom time/location views.

**Highlights:** Normal compass functionality, Ecliptic plane, Sun, Moon, planet directions, Manual compass rectification, Horoscope chart generation, Custom time and location settings, Offline location database

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestial Navigation free?

Celestial Navigation costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ecliptic Compass free?

Ecliptic Compass costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Celestial Navigation or Ecliptic Compass?

Ecliptic Compass is rated higher. Celestial Navigation averages 4.2 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Ecliptic Compass averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Celestial Navigation or Ecliptic Compass have ads?

Neither Celestial Navigation nor Ecliptic Compass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestial Navigation or Ecliptic Compass?

Celestial Navigation ships an update every 5 days, and Ecliptic Compass every 10 months. Most recently, Celestial Navigation was updated on September 24, 2026 and Ecliptic Compass on September 3, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Celestial Navigation or Ecliptic Compass?

Celestial Navigation currently peaks at #25 in the App Store charts, and Ecliptic Compass at #170. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*