# Compass Free vs Compass°

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Compass Free | Compass° |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-free/id284735786/reviews) | **[4.8 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass/id520985073/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **59K** |
| Positive reviews | 34.4% of reviews | **81.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | **Every 18 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 5 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [Tim O's Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/412839685) |

## 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


### Compass°

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass/id520985073)

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.

**Highlights:** Large display, Easy to read, Shows direction, Shows heading, Uses device hardware

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Accurate and reliable
- 💡 Convenient for various use cases
- 🔍 Provides clear direction information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional issues with accuracy or calibration
- 🔋 Dependent on device signal/battery
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- Compass stuck on certain directions
- App crashes or fails to load

**Requested features**

- Paid ad-free version
- Additional features like GPS integration
- Improved accuracy and reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Compass Free free?

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

### Is Compass° free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Compass Free or Compass°?

Compass° is rated higher. Compass Free averages 2.1 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Compass° averages 4.8 from 59K ratings.

### Do Compass Free or Compass° have ads?

Both Compass Free and Compass° show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Compass Free or Compass°?

Compass Free ships an update every 22 months, and Compass° every 18 months. Most recently, Compass Free was updated on September 12, 2026 and Compass° on October 2, 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.*