# Compass XL vs Traffic Maps

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Traffic Maps at 66% against Compass XL's 0%. Traffic Maps also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 15 months). Compass XL's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8) and ads (none vs shown).

Traffic Maps is free to download; Compass XL costs $0.99 up front. Traffic Maps sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Compass XL asks for nothing beyond the download.

Compass XL holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Traffic Maps has 6.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Compass XL's written reviews are positive against 66% of Traffic Maps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Compass XL ships an update every 15 months, Traffic Maps monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Compass XL | Traffic Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-xl/id364361121/reviews)** | [4.7 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/traffic-maps-real-time-info/id891705758/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **6.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **66.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 2 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Piet Jonas](https://appshunter.io/developer/288060167) | [Little Mouse Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/429739400) |

## What reviewers say

### Compass XL

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-xl/id364361121)

This app provides a digital compass for iPads, utilizing the device's built-in magnetic sensor or a sun-based alternative. It's designed for outdoor enthusiasts engaged in activities like hiking and camping.

**Highlights:** Magnetic compass functionality, Sun compass for direction finding, Suitable for outdoor activities, Works on iPad devices, No magnetic anomaly interference with sun compass

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Traffic Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/traffic-maps-real-time-info/id891705758)

This app offers a dual-map view for real-time traffic monitoring, allowing you to see both your immediate surroundings and distant traffic conditions simultaneously. It provides turn-by-turn navigation, route planning, and trip recording, with optional CarPlay and Apple Watch integration.

**Highlights:** Dual-map live traffic view, Customizable map zoom and size, Turn-by-turn navigation with lane guidance, Route planning with intermediate destinations, Trip recording and playback, CarPlay and Apple Watch integration, Shortcuts automation

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Navigation | $1.99 | per month |
| Traffic Maps Pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Navigation | $9.99 | per year |
| Traffic Maps Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| Version Pro | Free | one-time |
| Version Pro | $4.99 | one-time |
| Motivating donation | $4.99 | one-time |
| Inspiring donation | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Useful
- 👍 Helpful
- 👍 Good app
- 👍 Excellent
- 👍 Great app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow and inaccurate
- 🐛 Automatic recenter feature is annoying
- 🐛 Hard to use
- 🐛 Split screen is unnecessary
- 🐛 Frequently moves map without prompting

**Reported bugs**

- Frequently moves map without prompting
- Slow and inaccurate traffic information

**Requested features**

- Widgets for real-time traffic
- Option to disable automatic recenter
- Ability to view local traffic only


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Compass XL free?

Compass XL costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Traffic Maps free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Compass XL or Traffic Maps?

Compass XL is rated higher. Compass XL averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Traffic Maps averages 4.7 from 6.5K ratings.

### Do Compass XL or Traffic Maps have ads?

Traffic Maps shows ads; Compass XL does not.

### Which is updated more often, Compass XL or Traffic Maps?

Compass XL ships an update every 15 months, and Traffic Maps monthly. Most recently, Compass XL was updated on November 1, 2026 and Traffic Maps on November 6, 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.*