Compass vs MagVar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Compass
Provides a digital compass using your device's magnetic sensor or a sun-based calculation. Ideal for outdoor adventures like hiking and camping, offering reliable direction finding even without magnetic interference.
- Magnetic compass functionality
- Sun compass for direction finding
- Works without magnetic interference
- Suitable for hiking and camping
- Utilizes device sensors
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This application adds the a compass to your device. It either uses the built in magnetic compass (if available) or provides a sun compass (You just have to see the sun and know the time to determine the north direction). Use it for all your outdoor activities whether it's hiking, biking or for a boy scout camp. The sun compass is not affected by magnetic anomalies.
MagVar
This navigation tool calculates magnetic variation, the difference between true and magnetic north, essential for plotting courses on maps. It's designed for pilots, sailors, cartographers, and anyone using maps and a compass.
- Magnetic variation calculation
- True vs. magnetic north difference
- Map overlay display
- Accurate for 2025-2029
- Declination and inclination calculation
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MagVar is targeted towards anyone interested in navigation. This includes, pilots of aircraft, captains of sea going vessels, cartographers, engineers and surveyors. Anyone who uses maps and a compass will find the declination calculation (also referred to magnetic variation) very useful. (Declination is the difference between true and magnetic north and used when plotting a course on a map.) MagVar calculates the magnetic flux density for any location on the Earth and then uses this data to calculate magnetic variation. The model is accurate for dates ranging from January 1, 2025 up through December 31, 2029. Using the model, the app calculates declination and inclination. As the user pans the map, the magnetic variation is calculated and graphically shown as a map overlay.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MagVar at 100% against Compass's 12%. MagVar also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0). Compass's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 23 months). 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
Compass costs $0.99 and MagVar $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MagVar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Compass's written reviews are positive against 100% of MagVar's.
Compass ships an update every 6 months, MagVar every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Compass | MagVar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | $0.99 |
| Rating | 3.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 23 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #189 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Piet Jonas | Robert Walker |
Customer experience
Compass
MagVar
Bugs and requests
Compass
Reported bugs
6 issues- Compass needle doesn't move
- Inaccurate direction readings
- App doesn't work on iPhone/iPod Touch
- App is slow
- App uses location services and Google Maps, subject to distortions
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- App doesn't work on overcast days or at night
Requested features
2 requests- Add text to main display indicating "Point iPhone at the sun"
- Remove unnecessary website buttons
MagVar
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Compass
No in-app purchases
MagVar
No in-app purchases
