# Spyglass vs AR

The clearest difference is rating: Spyglass at 4.7 against AR's 3.7. Spyglass also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 3). AR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spyglass sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. AR asks for nothing beyond the download.

Spyglass holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spyglass has 3.9K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 80% and 80% positive.

Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, AR every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spyglass | AR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spyglass/id332639548/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-maps/id1525163696/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **80.2% of reviews** | 80.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#148** | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 14.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pavel Ahafonau](https://appshunter.io/developer/319585607) | [Johan Gonzalez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457810405) |

## What reviewers say

### Spyglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spyglass/id332639548)

**Currently charting:** #148 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app is a comprehensive offline navigation tool for outdoor and off-road adventures. It combines a high-tech compass, GPS receiver, and augmented reality display with numerous tools for tracking, measuring, and celestial observation.

**Highlights:** Offline GPS and maps, Augmented reality display, Advanced compass and gyrocompass, Waypoint tracking and navigation, Sun, Moon, and star finder, Optical rangefinder, Camera with GPS data overlay

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spyglass Plus | $3.99 | per month |
| Spyglass Plus (Month) | $3.99 | per month |
| Spyglass Plus (Year) | $29.99 | per year |
| Spyglass Pro (Lifetime) | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Excellent navigation and mapping features
- 🔍 Highly accurate compass and location tracking
- 🔭 Useful augmented reality and sextant functions
- 📸 Ability to capture geotagged photos
- 🛠️ Comprehensive set of tools and utilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Steep learning curve and complex interface
- 🗺️ Outdated or incomplete map data in some regions
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes reported
- 💰 Subscription model for advanced features

**Reported bugs**

- Compass not always accurate or consistent
- Freezing or unresponsive issues after updates
- Difficulty syncing waypoints and locations

**Requested features**

- Improved waypoint and location management
- Larger text and UI elements for better readability
- Integration with popular mapping and navigation apps
- Offline elevation data and terrain analysis
- Apple Watch companion app for on-the-go use


### AR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ar-maps/id1525163696)

Navigate to destinations using augmented reality. This app overlays walking paths and directional arrows onto your device's camera view, guiding you to your chosen location. Simply select a point on the map or enter an address to begin.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality path visualization, MapKit, CoreLocation, and ARKit integration, Walking route guidance, Destination search by map selection or address input, AR view for real-time navigation

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spyglass free?

Spyglass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is AR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spyglass or AR?

Spyglass is rated higher. Spyglass averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while AR averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Spyglass or AR have ads?

Both Spyglass and AR show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spyglass or AR?

Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, and AR every 12 months. Most recently, Spyglass was updated on October 26, 2026 and AR on September 26, 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.*