Comparison

Spyglass vs GNSS View

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

Head to head
About

Spyglass

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
Read full description

Spyglass is an essential offline GPS app for outdoors and off-road navigation. Packed with tools it serves as binoculars, heads-up display, hi-tech compass with offline maps, gyrocompass, GPS receiver, waypoint tracker, speedometer, altimeter, Sun, Moon and star finder, gyro horizon, rangefinder, coordinate converter, sextant, inclinometer, angular calculator and camera. It saves your custom places and waypoints, navigates precisely to them later, shows them on maps and using real-time augmented reality displays detailed GPS info, measures distances, sizes, angles, and does a lot more. COMPASS & GYROCOMPASS Accuracy improvement techniques, special compass modes and calibration methods available in Spyglass only make it a real instrument – the most advanced and accurate digital compass. FINDER, TRACKER & AR NAVIGATION Spyglass operates in 3D and uses augmented reality to show real-time object positions, info and directions to them overlaid over camera or maps. Save current position, add points from maps, manually enter location coordinates and bearings, add stars by hand or use a built-in star catalogue. Find saved places and objects later simply by following directional arrows. Spyglass tracks multiple targets simultaneously and shows their info – distance, direction, azimuth, elevation and estimated time of arrival. Copy, paste and share locations, coordinates and map links using many supported formats. GPS, SPEEDOMETER & ALTIMETER Find and track your location and get detailed real-time GPS data – coordinates in dozens of formats, altitude, course, current, maximum and vertical speed, using imperial, metric, nautical and surveying units. OFFLINE MAPS See your and targets’ positions on maps using different map styles and alternative map providers – plan waypoints and measure distances. Offline maps optimized for retina displays are available for download. TRACK STARS, SUN AND MOON & NAVIGATE BY STARS Track positions of stars, Sun and Moon with arc second precision – use them as a reference to calibrate compass for maximum accuracy. OPTICAL RANGEFINDER Measure distances to objects in real time with a rangefinder reticle similar to sniper sights. SEXTANT, ANGULAR CALCULATOR AND INCLINOMETER Find out heights of objects and distances to them – measure visually and calculate dimensions and distances. CAMERA Take pictures overlaid with all available GPS, positional and directional data. DEMO & HELP Videos: http://j.mp/spyglass_vids Manuals: http://j.mp/spyglass_help If you need specific map sources for hiking, cycling, skiing and many more outdoor activities, feel free to enjoy Spyglass PLUS. At confirmation of the Spyglass PLUS purchase, payment will be charged to your iTunes account, and it will be charged for renewal within 24-hours before the end of the current period. Automatic renewal can be turned off at any time in your Account Settings after purchase. After the cancellation of the renewal, Spyglass Plus will expire at the end of the current period. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us at https://spyglassnav.com Privacy Policy: https://www.unblip.com/tmp/privacy_and_terms/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.unblip.com/tmp/privacy_and_terms/terms.html

About

GNSS View

Visualize the positions of satellite navigation systems like QZSS and GPS in the sky. View satellite arrangements on a radar or through augmented reality from your current location. Supports multiple satellite constellations and customizable display options.

Highlights
  • Position Radar view of satellites
  • Augmented Reality (AR) display
  • Supports QZSS, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, SBAS
  • Select specific signal satellites
  • Set elevation mask angle
  • Display HDOP and VDOP values
Read full description

This application enables you to see where the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System in the sky! ●What is QZSS? Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a Japanese satellite positioning system composed mainly of satellites in quasi-zenith orbits (QZO). Satellite positioning systems use satellite signals to calculate position information. One famous example is the American Global Positioning System (GPS) and the QZSS is sometimes called the Japanese GPS. For details, please refer to the following Website "Quasi-Zenith Satellite System". URL : https://qzss.go.jp/en ●What is GNSS View? GNSS View provides that iOS version application that is based on the website application "GNSS View". This application enables you to know position of positioning satellites such as QZSS and GPS in the specified time and location. The positioning satellites displayed in the GNSS View are not based on the satellite information directly received by the smartphone but are displayed based on the satellite arrangement calculated based on the publicly released orbit information. ●GNSS View 3 functions 【Main】 ・You can move to the Position Radar screen or AR Display screen from the application startup screen. ・You can see the operating manual and privacy policy of this application via the website. 【Position Radar】 ・It is provided radar view of positioning satellites such as QZSS and GPS as a sky plot at the specified time and location. ・Positioning satellites can be specified from QZSS, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, SBAS. ・You can also select specified signal satellites to see on the radar. ・You can see selected satellites by setting elevation mask angle. ・You can switch east and west of satellite arrangement, turn on / off rotation, and switch on / off display of satellite number. ・It displays HDOP, VDOP, the total number of satellites and the number of each positioning satellites in the satellite arrangement displayed on the radar. 【AR Display】 ・Position of positioning satellites such as QZSS and GPS on the sky from your current location is able to see through your camera at the specified time. ・In order to display satellites, it is necessary to turn on the position information of the smartphone and complete the positioning. Therefore, it may take time to display. ・Positioning satellites can be specified from QZSS, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, SBAS. ・You can also select specified signal satellites to see on the radar. ・You can see selected satellites by setting elevation mask angle. ●Supported versions ・iOS 26 ・iOS 18 ・iOS 17 ・iOS 16 ・iOS 15 ・iOS 14

Screenshots

Spyglass4 screens
GNSS View2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GNSS View at none against Spyglass's 4. GNSS View also leads on ads (none vs shown). Spyglass's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 19). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spyglass holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spyglass has 3.9K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Spyglass's written reviews are positive against 69% of GNSS View's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, GNSS View every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Spyglass versus GNSS View: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpyglassGNSS View
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3.9K ratings) — better4.3 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews — better68.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3.9K — better19
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#137 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.4 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPavel AhafonauNEC Corporation

Customer experience

Spyglass

All ratings3,864 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews435 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral4.1%
Negative15.6%

GNSS View

All ratings19 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive68.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Spyglass

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

GNSS View

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Spyglass

Subscriptions3
  • Spyglass Plus$3.991 Month
  • Spyglass Plus (Month)3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Spyglass Plus (Year)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Spyglass Pro (Lifetime)$39.99
None

GNSS View

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Spyglass free?
Spyglass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GNSS View free?
GNSS View is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Spyglass or GNSS View?
Spyglass is rated higher. Spyglass averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while GNSS View averages 4.3 from 19 ratings.
Do Spyglass or GNSS View have ads?
Spyglass shows ads; GNSS View does not.
Which is updated more often, Spyglass or GNSS View?
Spyglass ships an update every 6 weeks, and GNSS View every 7 months. Most recently, Spyglass was updated on October 27, 2026 and GNSS View on October 24, 2026.

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