# Compass Free vs Any Text · Widgets

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Any Text · Widgets at 82% against Compass Free's 34%. Any Text · Widgets also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.1) and ads (none vs shown). Compass Free's advantage is price (Free vs $4.00) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Compass Free is free to download; Any Text · Widgets costs $4.00 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Any Text · Widgets holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Any Text · Widgets has 450 ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Compass Free's written reviews are positive against 82% of Any Text · Widgets's.

Compass Free ships an update every 22 months, Any Text · Widgets every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Compass Free | Any Text · Widgets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.00 |
| Rating | [2.1 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-free/id284735786/reviews) | **[4.6 (450 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/any-text-widgets/id1643199620/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **450** |
| Positive reviews | 34.4% of reviews | **81.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#33** |
| Size | 5 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [Sindre Sorhus](https://appshunter.io/developer/328077650) |

## What reviewers say

### Compass Free

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-free/id284735786)

This app functions as a sundial to determine cardinal directions using sunlight. Align the shadow of your finger with the app's shading to find north, south, east, and west.

**Highlights:** Measures cardinal points, Uses sunlight, Aligns finger shadow, Indicates directions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple to use
- 🌞 Works with sun position
- 🆓 Free app
- 💡 Clever concept
- 🧭 Useful for basic navigation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌤️ Requires sunlight to function
- 🌍 Not suitable for southern hemisphere
- 📍 Lacks GPS integration
- 🕰️ Doesn't adjust for daylight savings
- 🤷‍♂️ Unclear instructions

**Reported bugs**

- Causes device freezes or crashes
- Inaccurate compass readings

**Requested features**

- Add support for southern hemisphere
- Integrate with GPS for more accurate direction
- Provide night mode or moonlight option
- Improve instructions and user guidance


### Any Text · Widgets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/any-text-widgets/id1643199620)

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Display any text on your Lock or Home Screen to keep important notes, goals, or tasks visible. Customize text with Markdown and utilize 20 different widgets. Integrates with Shortcuts for powerful automations and syncs across devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Customizable text widgets, Lock Screen and Home Screen support, Markdown styling (bold, italic, strikethrough), Live Activity and StandBy support, iCloud device syncing, Shortcuts app integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Useful utility
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure and bug-free
- 💡 Great for organizing screens
- 🔒 Helpful for lost phone info

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work on some devices
- 🔒 Family sharing doesn't work
- 🔒 Text not showing on Lock Screen
- 👎 Text box too small
- 👎 Difficult to apply

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not showing on Lock Screen
- Text not updating in a timely manner
- Force show when locked doesn't work

**Requested features**

- Allow alternating/rotating text
- Add custom font support
- Provide full-width widget options
- Add custom widget background colors
- Enable editing widgets directly


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Compass Free free?

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

### Is Any Text · Widgets free?

Any Text · Widgets costs $4.00, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Compass Free or Any Text · Widgets?

Any Text · Widgets is rated higher. Compass Free averages 2.1 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Any Text · Widgets averages 4.6 from 450 ratings.

### Do Compass Free or Any Text · Widgets have ads?

Compass Free shows ads; Any Text · Widgets does not.

### Which is updated more often, Compass Free or Any Text · Widgets?

Compass Free ships an update every 22 months, and Any Text · Widgets every 6 weeks. Most recently, Compass Free was updated on September 12, 2026 and Any Text · Widgets on September 20, 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.*