Comparison

Compass vs Simply North

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Magnetic compass functionality
  • Sun compass for direction finding
  • Works without magnetic interference
  • Suitable for hiking and camping
  • Utilizes device sensors
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

Simply North

This app offers a beautifully designed compass that also displays your current location, altitude, and speed. It features a clean, intuitive interface with customizable themes and haptic feedback, making it ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • True or magnetic north pointing
  • Current location display
  • Altitude and speed readings
  • Clean and intuitive UI
  • Haptic feedback
  • Dark/light mode with skins
  • Copy location/course to clipboard
Features
Read full description

Simply North is a powerful compass with a gorgeous design that feels like a work of art. Besides pointing to the true or magnetic north, Simply North also displays your current location, altitude and speed. This makes it the perfect companion for passionate hikers! With the last update we have enriched the app with an elegant new flat look, which keeps the user interface absolutely clean and intuitive. We have worked so many nights to make it pixel perfect and we hope that you love the result! More features: - simple user interface - haptic feedback - no ads or banners - tap on the coordinates to copy location + course to clipboard - built with love, like the original Apple compass - a universal app for both iPad and iPhone - dark / light mode with 3 different skins - and last but not least: retina graphics for all devices! ATTENTION: Does not work on iPod touch What press is saying: "Simply North is an outstandingly simple app and is incredibly gorgeous to look at." [beautifulpixels] "Simply North is ideal for anyone who is frequently outdoors." [Appadvice] Thanks to Apple for creating the canvas for this little artwork. Like or Follow us: http://facebook.com/simplynorthapp http://twitter.com/busybytes http://youtube.com/busybytes Help and support: contact@busybytes.com

Screenshots

Compass4 screens
Simply North4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simply North at 74% against Compass's 12%. Simply North also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (50 vs 3). Compass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#186 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Compass costs $0.99 and Simply North $1.99 up front. Simply North sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Compass asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simply North holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simply North has 50 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Compass's written reviews are positive against 74% of Simply North's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Compass ships an update every 6 months, Simply North every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Compass versus Simply North: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompassSimply North
Price$0.99 — better$1.99
Rating3.0 (3 ratings)4.1 (50 ratings) — better
Positive reviews11.6% of reviews74.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings350 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#186 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.610.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPiet JonasBusyBytes GmbH

Customer experience

Compass

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive11.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative88.4%

Simply North

All ratings50 ratings
Positive78.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative18.0%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive74.0%
Neutral4.1%
Negative21.9%

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
Show 1 more
  • 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

Simply North

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Compass

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Simply North

One-time1
  • Skin - Flat Dark$0.99

Questions

Is Compass free?
Compass costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simply North free?
Simply North costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Compass or Simply North?
Simply North is rated higher. Compass averages 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Simply North averages 4.1 from 50 ratings.
Do Compass or Simply North have ads?
Neither Compass nor Simply North shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Compass or Simply North?
Compass ships an update every 6 months, and Simply North every 5 months. Most recently, Compass was updated on September 28, 2026 and Simply North on September 25, 2026.

Other comparisons