Comparison

PlaceTrack vs Virtual Compass º

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

Head to head
About

PlaceTrack

This app provides comprehensive location journaling and sharing for families. It tracks speed, altitude, and activity, with optional real-time sharing and directions to loved ones' locations. It also supports GPX track import and comparison.

Highlights
  • 24/7 location journaling
  • Real-time family tracking
  • Speed, altitude, and activity data
  • GPX track import and overlay
  • Street-level image viewing
  • Optional safe location sharing
Features
Read full description

PlaceTrack is a modern, cross-platform, full-featured location journaling and sharing app, available for iPhone, Apple Watch, and other platforms, and also offering compatibility with Car Play. It keeps a history of your locations 24/7 with almost no impact on battery life, capturing data on speed, course, altitude, and user activity. Additionally, its optional sharing features allow you to track your loved ones, monitor their travelling speed, get directions to their current location, and view street-level images of any place they are or they have been. You can also overlay and compare your location or your contacts' locations against a GPX track. This can be imported from files, Strava, or Apple Watch workout routes, as the app integrates seamlessly with HealthKit. In short: - personal location journaling h24 - Apple Watch and CarPlay compatibility - context data: location data can include location history, speed and course, altitude, whether you’re walking, running, moving in a vehicle or resting - Healthkit/Apple Watch and Strava integration for GPX import - optional safe location sharing with the people you trust, in real time - GPX merge, map overlay and export - POIs (Point of Interest) support and sharing - live data: force a contact’s device to immediately send a fresh location - passive and battery friendly: run in the background with no noticeable impact on battery life, location is periodically updated as the device moves - you are in control: set who sees your current location or who has access to your location history with fine-grained access controls Other features: - excellent battery usage: PlaceTrack uses SLC mode (Significant Location Change) and region monitoring, NOT continuous background. PlaceTrack is suspended in the background most of the time and is woken up only when you move significantly (detected using cell towers signal); most of the time it just sleeps and the GPS hardware is powered off to preserve battery. Install the app and forget about it - save your location history for later viewing - optionally share your recent location or location history with authorized PlaceTrack contacts - forced contact location updates: you can ask for a live location update from a contact and the backend platform will silently ask your contact device for a new location update - delayed sync: stores your locations when network is unreachable and pushes them to the PlaceTrack servers when you're back online - in-app streetview images - track overlays: import route data from Apple Watch, Strava and GPX files - location sharing works using address book phone numbers: your phone number is authenticated through an sms code on your first activation - your data, including your phone number and location, is always sent on a secure connection (ssl) and is never shared with any third party

About

Virtual Compass º

This app overlays a precise compass and GPS coordinates onto your camera's view, offering real-time direction and location tracking. Navigate easily by seeing your heading and position directly on your surroundings.

Highlights
  • Real-time compass direction
  • Real-time compass heading
  • GPS coordinates display
  • Camera viewfinder integration
  • Instant GPS readings
Features
Read full description

Virtual Compass is a camera compass that accurately navigates users through virtual navigation and compass direction. Just open the app and see an accurate compass heading and compass direction displayed over what is in front of you. Your GPS coordinates are always displayed as well, so you can always identify where you are, making it easier to navigate using the virtual compass. Virtual Compass includes: -accurate realtime compass direction in big bold font -accurate realtime compass heading -your real time GPS coordinates -easy-to-use view finder (via your phone's camera) to accurately identify compass direction and compass heading. -instant gps readings -camera compass Get an accurate virtual compass reading instantly!

Screenshots

PlaceTrack4 screens
Virtual Compass º3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Virtual Compass º at Free against PlaceTrack's $5.99. Virtual Compass º also leads on ratings volume (308 vs 2). PlaceTrack's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On review sentiment, in-app purchases, 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

Virtual Compass º is free to download; PlaceTrack costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PlaceTrack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Virtual Compass º has 308 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 55% and 56% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlaceTrack ships an update every 4 weeks, Virtual Compass º every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
PlaceTrack versus Virtual Compass º: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlaceTrackVirtual Compass º
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.6 (308 ratings)
Positive reviews55.2% of reviews55.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2308 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNico TranquilliVillegas Ventures LLC

Customer experience

PlaceTrack

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive55.2%
Neutral7.8%
Negative37.1%

Virtual Compass º

All ratings308 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

PlaceTrack

Reported bugs

67 issues
  • Network status error
  • Crashing issues
  • App closes when accessing contacts
  • AutoCheck-In Setup Failed error
  • GPS always active
Show 62 more
  • Background checkins not functional
  • App crashes
  • Background updates not working
  • Cannot log in to Google with 2-step auth
  • Application specific passwords do not work
  • Known bug for weeks, no response to support emails
  • App updated, but not fixed
  • Updates only every 3-6 hours
  • Background updates not working on 3G
  • Background updates don't work
  • App freezes and stops updating
  • Location updates only when far away
  • App self restarts a lot
  • Map not showing
  • Does not detect cell tower switching properly
  • Location delayed
  • Buttons are a tad small
  • Crashes constantly
  • Does not update location in background
  • Updates location only when about 6 blocks away
  • App updates location only when opening app
  • Stops updating in iOS 4.1
  • Map not showing
  • Does not detect cell tower switching properly
  • Location delayed
  • Buttons are a tad small
  • Crashes constantly
  • Does not update location in background
  • Updates location only when about 6 blocks away
  • App updates location only when opening app
  • Stops updating in iOS 4.1
  • Background updates don't work
  • App freezes and stops updating
  • Location updates only when far away
  • App self restarts a lot
  • Map not showing
  • Does not detect cell tower switching properly
  • Location delayed
  • Buttons are a tad small
  • Crashes constantly
  • Does not update location in background
  • Updates location only when about 6 blocks away
  • App updates location only when opening app
  • Stops updating in iOS 4.1
  • SMS code not received
  • Account locked
  • Network status error
  • Crashing issues
  • App closes when accessing contacts
  • AutoCheck-In Setup Failed error
  • GPS always active
  • Background checkins not functional
  • App crashes
  • Background updates unreliable
  • Login problems
  • No refund
  • UI has only 1 language
  • Not working anymore
  • Useless application
  • Not secure
  • Account locked
  • SMS code not received

Requested features

17 requests
  • Introduce metric system option
  • More website tracking options
  • Update to work with Google+ location
  • iPad version
  • Send location when power status changes
Show 12 more
  • Enable different set of options when plugged in
  • Email locations in Google Earth format
  • More settings parameters
  • Add avatar functionality
  • Larger map view
  • Force manual sync intervals
  • Scheduled updates (20-30 min)
  • More battery life settings (customizable)
  • Push notifications for nearby friends
  • Manual check-in option
  • Open in maps button
  • Visualisation of the entire route

Virtual Compass º

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

PlaceTrack

No in-app purchases

None

Virtual Compass º

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PlaceTrack free?
PlaceTrack costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Virtual Compass º free?
Virtual Compass º is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PlaceTrack or Virtual Compass º?
PlaceTrack is rated higher. PlaceTrack averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Virtual Compass º averages 4.6 from 308 ratings.
Do PlaceTrack or Virtual Compass º have ads?
Virtual Compass º shows ads; PlaceTrack does not.
Which is updated more often, PlaceTrack or Virtual Compass º?
PlaceTrack ships an update every 4 weeks, and Virtual Compass º every 6 months. Most recently, PlaceTrack was updated on October 14, 2026 and Virtual Compass º on September 30, 2026.

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