Compass Free vs Compass & GPS
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.
Compass & GPS
This utility app provides a digital compass to help you determine cardinal directions. It's useful for outdoor activities, travel, or low-visibility conditions, and also displays GPS altitude and your current location on a map.
- Digital compass
- Cardinal direction display
- GPS altitude
- Bearing (azimuth) display
- Location sharing
- Map view
- Tilt indicator
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A compass is an instrument used to determine direction. This app helps you find your bearings while hiking, traveling, or when visibility is limited due to fog. The compass app determines the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) using the Earth's magnetic field. This compass app displays GPS altitude. It also shows the bearing (azimuth) at the top of the screen. The application allows you to share your current location with others and view your position on a map. To view the aurora, use this compass app to find north in the Northern Hemisphere and south in the Southern Hemisphere. This compass app displays the tilt of the compass and helps indicate accurate directions. You can view today’s sunrise and sunset times. Select a date on the calendar to calculate the sunrise and sunset times for that date.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Compass & GPS at 4.7 against Compass Free's 2.1. Compass & GPS also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (13K vs 49). Compass Free's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 & GPS holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass & GPS has 13K ratings behind it against 49, 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 47% of Compass & GPS's.
Compass Free ships an update every 10 months, Compass & GPS every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Compass Free | Compass & GPS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (49 ratings) | 4.7 (13K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.4% of reviews | 47.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 49 | 13K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 9 days — 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 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masayuki Akamatsu | EONSOFT |
Customer experience
Compass Free
Compass & GPS
User reviews
Compass Free
From 49 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 & GPS
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Fast and accurate
- 💡 Useful for navigation
- 👍 Easy to use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Calibration issues
- 🐛 Inaccurate compass readings
- 🐛 Doesn't work on certain devices
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data sharing
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 & GPS
Reported bugs
3 issues- Compass needle stuck or not moving
- App freezes or crashes
- Inconsistent performance across devices
Requested features
3 requests- Add option to disable recalibration requests
- Improve compass accuracy and reliability
- Integrate with mapping features
In-app purchases
Compass Free
No in-app purchases
Compass & GPS
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Compass Free free?
Is Compass & GPS free?
Which has better reviews, Compass Free or Compass & GPS?
Do Compass Free or Compass & GPS have ads?
Which is updated more often, Compass Free or Compass & GPS?
Other comparisons
