# Planets vs Compass°

The clearest difference is ads: Planets at none against Compass°'s shown. Planets also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 18 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Compass°'s advantage is ratings volume (59K vs 969) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Compass° holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass° has 59K ratings behind it against 969, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Planets's written reviews are positive against 82% of Compass°'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Planets ships an update every 4 months, Compass° every 18 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Planets | Compass° |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (969 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets/id305793334/reviews) | **[4.8 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass/id520985073/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 969 | **59K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.3% of reviews** | 81.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 18 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 15 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Q Continuum](https://appshunter.io/developer/305793337) | [Tim O's Studios, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/412839685) |

## What reviewers say

### Planets

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planets/id305793334)

Explore the solar system with a 3D guide. Discover planets, moons, and celestial events with interactive sky views and visibility information. Perfect for budding astronomers.

**Highlights:** 3D solar system guide, 2D sky view, 3D planetarium sky view, Planet visibility times, Rotating 3D planet and moon globes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Amazing app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🌟 Accurate and informative
- 🔭 Helpful for stargazing
- 🎓 Educational for kids and adults

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🧭 Compass/orientation issues
- 🌑 Inaccurate moon phase information
- 🌍 Location/GPS issues
- 🔍 Limited search/zoom functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Moon phase information not accurate
- Compass/orientation not working correctly
- App crashes on certain devices or iOS versions
- Location/GPS not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add Pluto and other dwarf planets
- Include more detailed information on stars and constellations
- Provide notifications for celestial events
- Improve search and zoom capabilities
- Add night mode for better visibility in the dark


### Compass°

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass/id520985073)

This application provides a large, easy-to-read compass display to show your direction and heading. It utilizes your device's internal hardware for accurate estimations.

**Highlights:** Large display, Easy to read, Shows direction, Shows heading, Uses device hardware

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Accurate and reliable
- 💡 Convenient for various use cases
- 🔍 Provides clear direction information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional issues with accuracy or calibration
- 🔋 Dependent on device signal/battery
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- Compass stuck on certain directions
- App crashes or fails to load

**Requested features**

- Paid ad-free version
- Additional features like GPS integration
- Improved accuracy and reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Planets free?

Planets is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Compass° free?

Compass° is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Planets or Compass°?

Compass° is rated higher. Planets averages 4.5 out of 5 from 969 ratings, while Compass° averages 4.8 from 59K ratings.

### Do Planets or Compass° have ads?

Compass° shows ads; Planets does not.

### Which is updated more often, Planets or Compass°?

Planets ships an update every 4 months, and Compass° every 18 months. Most recently, Planets was updated on October 9, 2026 and Compass° on October 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*