GPS Kit vs Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GPS Kit
This app provides a top-of-the-line GPS system for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals. It offers offline mapping, powerful waypoint management with photos and notes, and intelligent data collection for activities like hiking, hunting, and cycling anywhere in the world.
- Offline mapping with no data connection required
- Waypoint management with photos and notes
- Supports KML, KMZ, and GPX data import/export
- Customizable dashboard with various parameters
- Real-time navigation to waypoints
- Weather stations for point forecasts (U.S. only)
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- TIME Magazine’s 15 Fantastic Gadgets “Perfect for hiking or mountain biking.” - TUAW.com “The GPS Kit app... has a number of excellent outdoor uses, especially [for] hiking, biking or geocaching.” - NBC’s ‘The Browser’ Radio Show “Most beneficial for adventure-type guys.” _________________________________________________________ Top-of-the-line GPS system for adventurers and professionals in the great outdoors. Designed for outdoor activities such as: hiking, hunting, camping, skiing, cycling, geocaching, mountain biking, motorcycling, off-roading, fishing, and other romping in or out of the backcountry—ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. GPS Kit is a full-featured GPS system for the iPhone that combines all the functionality of expensive handheld units with the power of wireless technology. Using advanced technology optimized for the iPhone, GPS Kit offers a superbly easy-to-use system that puts data from a wide range of sensors at your fingertips. Highest Quality Mapping - Fastest maps in the App Store - Smooth, elegant interaction - Offline Mode enables use out of cell range - No data connection required if map is cached - Use your own map sources Simple, Powerful Data Handling - Mail links for Google Earth & map viewing - Full-color thumbnails of data sets - Group tracks and waypoints together - Most options for export and import of data - Open KML, KMZ, & GPX from Mail & Safari - Attach KML & GPX files to email - Export GPX & KML through iTunes - Share your adventures on Facebook and Twitter Powerful Waypoints - Add photos and notes to waypoints - Drag map to reposition as coordinates update - UTM, USNG, MGRS - Long-press to quickly drop a waypoint - Navigate to waypoints using compass - Magnetic compass (3GS, 4, iPad) - Option to use current travel direction on compass - See distance to waypoint update in real-time Weather Stations (U.S. Only) - Create "weather stations" to get point forecasts - Get data specific to your fishing hole, ski tour, etc. - Data provided by the National Weather Service - Unlimited stations Intelligent Data Collection - Uses maximum GPS accuracy - Real satellite positioning even without cell signal - Auto-segmentation of tracks for clean tracks Fully Customizable Dashboard - Gorgeous high contrast display - Huge variety of parameters and units - Time, Trip Time, Track Time - Elevation Change - Formatted Position (Lat/Lng, UTM, MGRS, USNG) - Accuracy, Speed, Odometer, Avg Speed - Max Speed, Pace, Avg. Pace - Moving Time, Stopped Time, Direction - 3-Axis Inclinometer and Glide Ratio - Customizable cell on map Loaded with Related Utilities - Elevation and speed graphs - On-map tracking controls and timer - On-map ruler - Multi-touch area measurements * Use of "Squawk!" requires an Internet connection and extended use may adversely impact battery life Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
This navigation app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for land, air, and marine use. It includes a detailed map, compass, GPS coordinates, altitude, distance, speed tracking, and route planning. Advanced features like offline maps, GPS track recording, and sensor integration are available through an upgrade.
- GPS coordinates in 6 formats
- Advanced waypoint editor
- Speedometer with speed tracking
- Offline map downloads
- GPS track recording and sharing
- Magnetic declination calculation
- Sunset and sunrise times
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Compass 55 is an offline-capable GPS map and navigation toolkit for hiking, off-road travel, fieldwork, aviation, and marine use—with a compass, waypoints, routes, coordinate tools, and video recording. + Advanced target/waypoint editor. Can be also used as a coordinates converter. You can use map to check or set waypoint location and add photo or audio note. + Share your location via email, text message, Facebook or Twitter. This includes UTM, MGRS and Latitude/Longitude (MENU>Share my location). + You can use UTM, MGRS or Lat/Long, just pick your preference in settings (Coordinate Format). + Speedometer. Shows you the speed and pace. Speedometer also gives you options to control average and max speed and pace counters (MENU > RESET and PAUSE/RESUME counters). + Compass. Instant reaction compass, no delays. Automatically pickups the direction based on magnetic or GPS course. If you mostly walk or drive, you can change this automatic mode in app settings > Compass or GPS course. NATO mils? Same place in settings to set. + Magnetic declination δ for the current location and any location on the map (via World Magnetic Model, WMM, no need for data/internet). + Sunset and sunrise. So you can plan your travel better. + Arrow pointing to your target waypoint. Distance and bearing to it. + Create/measure routes and areas. + Barometric Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI, IVSI) in both scale and graph forms. + Integration of bluetooth sensors: Cycling cadence, Heart rate, Cycling speed. + Video recording for action and fieldwork. Add real-time G-Cross, map, QR code, and pitch & roll overlays as needed, then replay your recordings. The basic version stores one video and exports a branded 15-second clip. All above belong to a basic version. PRO Pack upgrade will add following capabilities: + Recording and sharing GPS tracks. + Moving waypoints between folders. + Showing ETA to a target as this requires GPS tracking. + Native Google map with fantastic terrain map, amazing 3D and real night mode. + Adding own/custom tile map servers. + Downloading offline maps. Offline maps import in .sqlitedb, rmaps, mbtiles formats. Support for overzoom and underzoom - offline map is shown even for zoom levels that are not downloaded. + GPX import and export for waypoints, tracks and routes. + Google Earth KML support for waypoints and tracks import/export. KMZ support for waypoints and tracks export, waypoints import. + Ground overlays. Import KMZ ground overlay or draw your own on the map in the app and share as kmz files! + CSV import/export for waypoints. + Voice coach to tell you active track distance and duration, current speed and altitude without need to open the app. + Support for Siri shortcuts in IOS 12 for starting and stopping GPS tracks. + From version 4.2 - support for OSGB (including grid shifts) and SK 42 in the coordinates converter. + Unlimited saved videos and full-length exports of stamped or original video. + BACKGROUND MODE. App will work in background automatically when tracking. You can use other apps while Compass 55 does its job in the background! + PRIVACY. Compass 55 never shares your location data with 3rd parties or ad agencies. Location data is used solely for telling you direction to a target and recording GPS tracks and never leave the app unless you decide to share by means of a track export. It always lets you know when background mode is on and never runs in background unless the track is being recorded. ! You can use this app on your iPhone as well as on any cellular iPad. **App will not work properly on iPods and wifi only iPads as they don't have GPS (external GPS module is required). As quite a lot of us are using external GPS modules, app is available for wifi only iPads and iPods. ! Please note that as with all GPS apps, continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. at Free against GPS Kit's $9.99. Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (91% vs 58%). GPS Kit's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#64 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads 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
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. is free to download; GPS Kit costs $9.99 up front. Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. GPS Kit asks for nothing beyond the download.
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 367 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of GPS Kit's written reviews are positive against 91% of Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.'s.
GPS Kit ships an update every 2 months, Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GPS Kit | Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (367 ratings) | 4.7 (1.6K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 58.3% of reviews | 90.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 367 | 1.6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Best chart rank | #64 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Garafa, LLC | Kalimex-Consulting s.r.o. @Blocoware & Stanislav Dvoychenko |
Customer experience
GPS Kit
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
User reviews
GPS Kit
From 367 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate GPS tracking
- 🗺️ Excellent offline map caching
- 💡 Comprehensive feature set
- 👍 Useful for outdoor activities
- 🚀 Stable and reliable
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs with recent iOS updates
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🚧 Outdated user interface
- 🤔 Confusing navigation and learning curve
- ⚠️ Lack of developer support and updates
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
From 1.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Best Mapping and Navigation tool
- 👍 Great, simple inexpensive GPS
- 👍 Accurate GPS and navigation
- 👍 Useful for various activities
- 👍 Offline maps and navigation
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compass direction issues
- 💡 Desire for more language support (Turkish, Polish, etc.)
- 💡 Need for more map options (Yandex, IGN, etc.)
- 💡 Improvements to interface and customization
- 💡 Difficulty with some features and learning curve
Bugs and requests
GPS Kit
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when importing/exporting data
- Inaccurate speed and distance tracking
- Disappearing waypoints and tracks
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Improved map rendering and zooming
- Customizable dashboard and data fields
- Ability to import/export GPX files
- Waypoint and route sharing features
- Altitude profile and elevation data
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
Reported bugs
3 issues- Issues with GPX file import and tracking
- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Inaccurate GPS positioning in some cases
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to download and cache more map types
- Option to show map grid coordinates
- Elevation profile for planned routes
- Apple Watch app support
- Faster map updates
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- More coordinate system options (e.g., PZ-90)
In-app purchases
GPS Kit
No in-app purchases
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
- Pro pack.$1.991 Month
- Pro pack.$9.991 Year
- Pro pack$14.99
Questions
Is GPS Kit free?
Is Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. free?
Which has better reviews, GPS Kit or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.?
Do GPS Kit or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. have ads?
Which is updated more often, GPS Kit or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.?
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