# Spyglass vs Compass Direction

Spyglass and Compass Direction both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Spyglass's written reviews are positive against 34% of Compass Direction's. Compass Direction's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spyglass sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Compass Direction sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Spyglass against 4.6 for Compass Direction. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 2.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Spyglass's written reviews are positive against 34% of Compass Direction's.

Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, Compass Direction every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spyglass | Compass Direction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spyglass/id332639548/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-direction-digital/id1620523385/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 2.7K |
| Positive reviews | **80.2% of reviews** | 34.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#144** | #172 |
| Size | 66 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pavel Ahafonau](https://appshunter.io/developer/319585607) | [Rihab Mehboob](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441916319) |

## What reviewers say

### Spyglass

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

**Currently charting:** #144 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


### Compass Direction

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-direction-digital/id1620523385)

**Currently charting:** #172 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides accurate compass headings and directions with a real-time GPS map. Easily switch between map and camera views, and access features like altitude, speed, and a torch. Enjoy a beautiful and intuitive interface with haptic feedback and accessibility support.

**Highlights:** Accurate compass headings and directions, Real-time GPS map with zoom, Altitude, latitude, and longitude display, Speedometer, Integrated torch, Switch between map and camera view

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Compass 1 Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Compass 1 Week | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Compass 1 Month | $5.99 | per month |
| Compass 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Compass 1 Year | $24.99 | per year |
| Compass 6 Months | $29.99 | per 6 months |
| Compass 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |
| Compass Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |
| Compass Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Accurate and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for specific use cases
- 👍 Visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate compass direction
- 🔒 Requires subscription to use
- 🔒 No free trial
- 🐛 Doesn't work as expected
- 🔒 Forces users to subscribe

**Reported bugs**

- Compass always showing wrong directions
- App freezes or becomes non-functional
- Restore purchase feature not working
- App crashing or not loading properly

**Requested features**

- Ability to calibrate the compass
- Option to purchase a one-time fee instead of subscription
- Offline map support
- Ability to set waypoints and get directions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spyglass free?

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

### Is Compass Direction free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Spyglass or Compass Direction?

Spyglass is rated higher. Spyglass averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Compass Direction averages 4.6 from 2.7K ratings.

### Do Spyglass or Compass Direction have ads?

Both Spyglass and Compass Direction show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spyglass or Compass Direction?

Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, and Compass Direction every 3 days. Most recently, Spyglass was updated on October 22, 2026 and Compass Direction on October 21, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Spyglass or Compass Direction?

Spyglass currently peaks at #144 in the App Store charts, and Compass Direction at #172. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*