# Compass Direction vs MagVar

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MagVar at 100% against Compass Direction's 34%. MagVar also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). Compass Direction's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 23 months). On device support there is nothing between them.

Compass Direction is free to download; MagVar costs $0.99 up front. Compass Direction sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. MagVar asks for nothing beyond the download.

MagVar 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Compass Direction's written reviews are positive against 100% of MagVar's.

Compass Direction ships an update every 3 days, MagVar every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Compass Direction | MagVar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-direction-digital/id1620523385/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magvar/id1670958717/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 34.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 23 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#145** | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rihab Mehboob](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441916319) | [Robert Walker](https://appshunter.io/developer/299475042) |

## What reviewers say

### Compass Direction

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

**Currently charting:** #145 Top Grossing · 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


### MagVar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magvar/id1670958717)

This navigation tool calculates magnetic variation, the difference between true and magnetic north, essential for plotting courses on maps. It's designed for pilots, sailors, cartographers, and anyone using maps and a compass.

**Highlights:** Magnetic variation calculation, True vs. magnetic north difference, Map overlay display, Accurate for 2025-2029, Declination and inclination calculation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Compass Direction free?

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

### Is MagVar free?

MagVar costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

MagVar is rated higher. Compass Direction averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while MagVar averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Compass Direction or MagVar have ads?

Compass Direction shows ads; MagVar does not.

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

Compass Direction ships an update every 3 days, and MagVar every 23 months. Most recently, Compass Direction was updated on October 15, 2026 and MagVar on October 16, 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.*