Compass Free vs Compass°
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Compass Free
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.
- Measures cardinal points
- Uses sunlight
- Aligns finger shadow
- Indicates directions
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Compass is a measuring instrument which indicates true direction under the sunlight. Put your finger in the middle of the compass and line it's shadow up with the app's shading.
Compass°
This application provides a large, easy-to-read compass display to show your direction and heading. It utilizes your device's internal hardware for accurate estimations.
- Large display
- Easy to read
- Shows direction
- Shows heading
- Uses device hardware
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This app is a super simple compass that is very easy to read with a huge display showing you the direction and heading. This software is provided as is and uses the device's internal hardware to estimate direction. By continuing to use this app you agree to our Terms of Service.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Compass° at 82% against Compass Free's 34%. Compass° also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.1) and ratings volume (59K vs 50). Compass Free's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Compass° holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass° has 59K 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 Compass°'s.
Compass Free ships an update every 22 months, Compass° every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Compass Free | Compass° |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (50 ratings) | 4.8 (59K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.4% of reviews | 81.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 50 | 59K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | Every 18 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masayuki Akamatsu | Tim O's Studios, LLC |
Customer experience
Compass Free
Compass°
User reviews
Compass Free
From 50 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple to use
- 🌞 Works with sun position
- 🆓 Free app
- 💡 Clever concept
- 🧭 Useful for basic navigation
Room to improve
- 🌤️ Requires sunlight to function
- 🌍 Not suitable for southern hemisphere
- 📍 Lacks GPS integration
- 🕰️ Doesn't adjust for daylight savings
- 🤷♂️ Unclear instructions
Compass°
From 59K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Accurate and reliable
- 💡 Convenient for various use cases
- 🔍 Provides clear direction information
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional issues with accuracy or calibration
- 🔋 Dependent on device signal/battery
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive
Bugs and requests
Compass Free
Reported bugs
2 issues- Causes device freezes or crashes
- Inaccurate compass readings
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for southern hemisphere
- Integrate with GPS for more accurate direction
- Provide night mode or moonlight option
- Improve instructions and user guidance
Compass°
Reported bugs
2 issues- Compass stuck on certain directions
- App crashes or fails to load
Requested features
3 requests- Paid ad-free version
- Additional features like GPS integration
- Improved accuracy and reliability
In-app purchases
Compass Free
No in-app purchases
Compass°
No in-app purchases
