Compass Free vs CompassPro
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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You can find directions without a magnetic compass, as long as there is sunlight. Hold your finger upright at the center of the screen and turn your device. Just line up the white line with your finger's shadow, and the correct directions are shown. It needs neither GPS nor a network connection and works completely standalone. Just make sure your device's clock is set correctly.
CompassPro
This navigation app offers 100% offline reliability with cached maps, advanced route planning, and 3D map visualization. It provides precise real-time heading, coordinates, and altitude data, making it ideal for various outdoor and urban exploration activities.
- 100% Offline Reliability
- Advanced Waypoint & Route Planning
- 3D Map Visualization
- Elevation Difference View
- Precision Display
- Custom 'Expeditions'
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CompassPro: The Essential Navigation Toolkit. Unparalleled accuracy and reliability. No clutter, no ads. Just a professional-grade navigation system designed for the backcountry, open waters, or urban exploration. FEATURES: 100% Offline Reliability: Cache maps before you go. Access full navigation (maps, coordinates, and routes) with zero cell service. Advanced Waypoint & Route Planning: Long-press to add waypoints. Link them into custom "Expeditions" with real-time path updates. 3D Map Visualization: Seamlessly switch between 3D and flat views to better understand the terrain and elevation ahead. Elevation Difference View: Instantly compare your current altitude to any waypoint to plan smarter ascents and descents. Precision Display: A crystal-clear display for real-time heading, degrees, and cardinal points, plus exact latitude, longitude, and altitude data. USERS: Hikers & Backpackers: Navigate trails with confidence using offline topo maps. Sailors & RVers: Stay oriented on open water or remote roads. Urban Explorers: Navigate new cities and save custom locations. Surveyors & Geocachers: Professional-grade GPS precision for technical work. SUBSCRIPTIONS: 7-day free trial to start Two ways to subscribe: Monthly for $2.99 or Yearly for $29.99 Cancel Anytime Subscription required for full app access Download CompassPro today and get the precision navigation you can trust, 24/7. Privacy Policy: https://www.blackoakled.com/pages/privacy-policy-for-compass-pro-for-explorers Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: CompassPro at 80% against Compass Free's 34%. CompassPro also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.1) and ads (none vs shown). Compass Free's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (49 vs 5). On price and iOS requirement 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. CompassPro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Compass Free asks for nothing beyond the download.
CompassPro holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass Free has 49 ratings behind it against 5, 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 80% of CompassPro's.
Compass Free ships an update every 10 months, CompassPro every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Compass Free | CompassPro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (49 ratings) | 4.6 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.4% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 49 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masayuki Akamatsu | BlueCrest Group, LLC |
Customer experience
Compass Free
CompassPro
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
CompassPro
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Compass Free
No in-app purchases
CompassPro
- Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$59.991 Year






