Theodolite vs Compass i8 (GPS Camera)
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Theodolite
This app combines a compass, inclinometer, rangefinder, GPS, and map with augmented reality features. Capture photos and videos with overlaid geographical data, and navigate using detailed offline maps. Share locations and collaborate with others for various outdoor and professional uses.
- Augmented reality viewfinder
- Compass and inclinometer
- GPS and map navigation
- Data-overlay photo/video camera
- Offline map support
- Rangefinder and nav calculator
- Coordinate system support
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Theodolite is a multi-function viewfinder that combines a compass, two-axis inclinometer, rangefinder, GPS, map, nav calculator, and geo-overlay photo/movie camera into one indispensable app. Theodolite was one of the very first augmented reality (AR) apps when it was released in 2009, and it’s been downloaded and used by millions of customers since then. Uses are endless, and the app is great for land measurements, outdoor sports, sightseeing, navigation, and finding your way around. Theodolite is a pro grade app and is used extensively by surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, competitive sportsmen, first responders, military personnel, and search and rescue workers around the world. Theodolite lets you take data-overlay photos and movies with 2X-8X zoom. Overlay geographical data, angle markings, date/time, author/company info, and project notes directly on photos and movies for later reference. The same data is written into the metadata record of images, making image files self-contained data records. Third-party apps can tap into Theodolite's advanced camera functions with a camera sharing feature. View current position on the built-in map with optional offline Outdoors maps that include topo contours, roads, trails, landmarks, campgrounds, ski lifts, and more. Live map markers continually update distance/heading relative to the current location and also show wayfinding info in the main viewfinder. Draw polygons on the map to mark things like property boundaries and trails, and import/export polygon data via KML. Share map markers and nav calculator points with other users of Theodolite via text messages or e-mail. This powerful capability opens up a wide range of collaborative uses including team land surveying, accident investigations, spotting wild fires, triangulation of landmarks, and advanced tactical observation and targeting. With an optional in-app purchase to enable team tracking, you can share location with up to 20 people on Theodolite's map. Theodolite includes features for serious users like a reference angle mode, nav calculator, map marker import/export, manual and automatic data logging with CSV and KML export, clipboard integration, %grade display, mil compass readout, optical rangefinders (including a mil-based reticle, sniper-style stadiametric graphs, and a variable 4X-24X scope), and night filters to improve use in dark conditions. Theodolite can provide location in military grid reference system (MGRS) coordinates, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, British/Irish National Grids, US National Grid, Maidenhead locator system, Map Grid of Australia, and six latitude/longitude formats. Optional US State Plane coordinates include SPCS27 and SPCS83 zones covering all US States. The optional Datum Pack adds over 230 geodetic datums to the app to improve position computation from GPS data, covering regions and countries on all continents around the world. AR Layers include navigational aids like the sun, moon, planets, and Polaris (North star), and the optional US Mountain Summits layer that shows over 70,000 US mountain summits in the viewfinder. Theodolite has been shown in Apple Keynotes, featured on the App Store, and has been a #1 selling Navigation app in App Stores around the world. Since its introduction in 2009, Theodolite has defined augmented reality navigation. The app continually introduces new technologies, pushing the limits of iOS app development and taking advantage of new hardware capabilities. Find out why Apple named Theodolite one of the most amazing apps available and showed it being used to explore the Great Wall of China. Where will you take it on your next adventure? Note: Theodolite is an iPhone app -- see “Theodolite HD” for use on an iPad. And be sure to check out the all-new "Theodolite for Watch" and put Theodolite on your wrist!
Compass i8 (GPS Camera)
Capture photos with integrated compass, GPS coordinates, and map overlays. View your images with precise location data and directionality in a built-in album, and explore them on an interactive map.
- Photos with live compass, coordinates, and map
- Real-time heading and location display
- Map overlay for capture direction and position
- Interactive map album for photos
- Up to 50x digital zoom
- Location metadata organization
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Compass i8 GPS Camera with Map, Compass & 50x Zoom Capture the moment — and the direction. Compass i8 lets you take high-zoom photos with real-time compass, GPS coordinates, and map overlay — directly embedded in each image. After capturing, view your photos in the built-in album and see exactly where and which direction they were taken on the map. Key Features: . Take photos with live compass, coordinates, and direction map . Real-time heading and location displayed on screen and in photo . Map overlay shows direction and position at the moment of capture . View your captured photos on an interactive map album . Up to 50x digital zoom for stunning clarity . Organize and review photos with rich location metadata Perfect for: . Hiking, surveying, navigation, outdoor work . Travelers needing precise location documentation . Anyone wanting to show exactly where and which way a photo was taken
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Compass i8 (GPS Camera) at Free against Theodolite's $8.99. Compass i8 (GPS Camera) also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). Theodolite's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.6) and review sentiment (88% vs 58%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Compass i8 (GPS Camera) is free to download; Theodolite costs $8.99 up front. Theodolite sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Compass i8 (GPS Camera) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Theodolite holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Theodolite has 906 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Theodolite's written reviews are positive against 58% of Compass i8 (GPS Camera)'s.
Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, Compass i8 (GPS Camera) monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Theodolite | Compass i8 (GPS Camera) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (906 ratings) — better | 3.6 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 87.8% of reviews — better | 58.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 906 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #14 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | Craig Hunter | Arman Tagvoryan |
Customer experience
Theodolite
Compass i8 (GPS Camera)
In-app purchases
Theodolite
- 1,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$0.99
- Team Tracking$1.99
- World Datum Pack$2.99
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- US Mountain Summits AR Layer$2.99
- 5,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$4.99
- 10,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$8.99
- 20,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$17.99
- US State Plane Coordinates$24.99
Compass i8 (GPS Camera)
- Remove ads!$1.99
Questions
Is Theodolite free?
Is Compass i8 (GPS Camera) free?
Which has better reviews, Theodolite or Compass i8 (GPS Camera)?
Do Theodolite or Compass i8 (GPS Camera) have ads?
Which is updated more often, Theodolite or Compass i8 (GPS Camera)?
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