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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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++
This utility app provides essential tools for explorers, including a compass, altitude display, ruler, and an integrated map. Its beautiful design makes it suitable for both novice and experienced users.
- Compass
- Altitude display
- Ruler
- Integrated map
- Beautifully designed interface
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Compass++ is the perfect app for any explorer. Both experts and beginners alike will find features they love in a beautifully designed canvas. Compass++ includes a compass, of course, a display of your current altitude, a ruler for those emergencies and a map tucked below. Special thanks to icons8. Looking for some awesome icons? Check out https://icons8.com!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Compass++ at 3.6 against Compass Free's 2.1. Compass++ also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months). Compass Free's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (34% vs 13%). On price 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. Compass++ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Compass Free asks for nothing beyond the download.
Compass++ holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass++ has 464 ratings behind it against 49, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Compass Free's written reviews are positive against 13% of Compass++'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Compass Free ships an update every 10 months, Compass++ monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Compass Free | Compass++ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (49 ratings) | 3.6 (464 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.4% of reviews — better | 12.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 49 | 464 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masayuki Akamatsu | KleinCodes, LLC |
Customer experience
Compass Free
Compass++
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++
From 464 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Map feature is okay
- 👍 Shows altitude and other features
- 👍 Great compass application
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compass does not work
- 🐛 Altitude is inaccurate
- 🐛 Compass needle doesn't turn
- 🐛 Compass needle points randomly
- 🐛 App shows user is always going north
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
9 issues- Compass does not work
- Compass needle doesn't turn
- Altitude is wrong
- App shows user is always going north
- Compass is not pointing north
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- Compass readings are inconsistent
- Compass does nothing, just a picture
- Screen just sits there, doesn't work
- App doesn't provide direction
Requested features
2 requests- Instructions on how to set up/calibrate
- Map shows all roads
In-app purchases
Compass Free
No in-app purchases
Compass++
- Remove Ads$0.99
