Comparison

GPS Status vs Compass Guide

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

Head to head
About

GPS Status

This diagnostic tool displays detailed GPS information from your device, including speed and coordinates. It helps users understand GPS functionality and troubleshoot connection issues by providing fix accuracy indicators and approximate addresses when a signal is available.

Highlights
  • Detailed GPS data readout
  • Speed and coordinates display
  • GPS Fix indicator (Excellent, Good, Poor, Bad, No Fix)
  • Approximate current address
  • Accuracy range definitions
Features
Read full description

This is a very basic diagnostic tool to allow you to have a look and see what information the GPS on your iPhone/iPad is reporting. With our CamerAlert application we received a lot of bad reviews from users who didnt fully understand how GPS works, and that it is almost impossible to get an accurate location when indoors or traveling at 125MPH in a train. The GPS needs time to work out where it is. This is where GPS Status comes in handy. You do not just get a good/bad GPS Fix indicator, you get a full readout of all the GPS data including speed and co-ordinates. If you have a GPS connection you will also get an approximation of your current address. Note that I have determined the following GPS Fix settings: - Excellent Fix = less than 10M accuracy - Good Fix = between 10 and 50M accuracy - Poor Fix = between 50 and 500M accuracy - Bad Fix = more than 50M accuracy - No Fix = nothing being reported. Most GPS issues can be resolved by getting a good GPS Fix before you start moving. This can be achieved best by having a clear view of the sky. Remenber when the GPS fails you drop back to WiFi or Cell positioning which will be wildly inaccurate. This is not a fault of the GPS applications, but the signal that your iPhone is receiving. Also you need to bear in mind that some applications may work perfectly well with a bad fix if all they need to do is find your general location to determine what is around you.

About

Compass Guide

This application provides directional guidance and heading information using your device's compass. It's designed to help users find their way in various situations.

Highlights
  • Directional finding
  • Heading information
  • Outdoor navigation aid
  • Hiking GPS support
Features
Read full description

Compass Guide is a simple, reliable digital compass for hiking, navigation, and everyday direction-finding — no account required. FIND YOUR WAY • Live compass heading in true north or magnetic north • Calibration guidance and an accuracy indicator you can trust • Your coordinates, altitude, and speed at a glance NAVIGATE TO A DESTINATION • Set a destination by map, clipboard coordinates, or manual entry • See live bearing and distance to where you're headed • Save multiple destinations with Premium SEE THE SKY • Sun and moon position markers on the dial (Premium) • Night mode with a red-tinted display to protect your night vision MAKE IT YOURS • Six compass styles: Classic, Field, Nautical, Military, Surveyor, and Minimal • Choose degrees or mils, metric or imperial units • Keep the screen on, add a haptic tick at true north, and use the built-in flashlight SHARE YOUR HEADING • Export a shareable image card with your heading and location details GO PREMIUM YOUR WAY • Unlock every feature with a one-time purchase — no subscription • Or watch a short ad anytime to unlock Premium free for 24 hours Compass Guide works fully offline for core compass features and never asks you to create an account.

Screenshots

GPS Status4 screens
Compass Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Compass Guide at 4.5 against GPS Status's 3.1. Compass Guide also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (125 vs 36). GPS Status's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Compass Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GPS Status asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Compass Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 125 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of GPS Status's written reviews are positive against 38% of Compass Guide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GPS Status ships an update every 6 months, Compass Guide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
GPS Status versus Compass Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGPS StatusCompass Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (36 ratings)4.5 (125 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews — better37.5% of reviews
Number of ratings36125 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS3.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPocketGPSWorld.com LtdAPPS BAY LIMITED

Customer experience

GPS Status

All ratings36 ratings
Positive44.4%
Neutral16.7%
Negative38.9%
Written reviews105 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral7.6%
Negative31.4%

Compass Guide

All ratings125 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

GPS Status

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • Crashes on load
  • Immediate crash on iPhone 4
  • App shuts down right away
  • Crashes every time after a few seconds
  • Stürzt ständig ab
Show 18 more
  • Application crashes immediately
  • Quits often
  • Crashes since 4.3.3
  • App crashes after a few seconds
  • Crashes all the time
  • App shuts down
  • Doesn't open, black screen
  • Time display bug
  • Home and Info buttons sensitivity
  • Spelling mistake on 'Excellent Fix'
  • Time from iPhone's clock, not GPS
  • Does not work with iPhone 6
  • Needs to be updated to work with iOS 11
  • Not compatible with iOS 11
  • Don't update to the latest iOS
  • Needs an upgrade to fix Boris Bikes ad
  • Warning message from iOS 10
  • Needs an upgrade to fix Boris Bikes ad

Requested features

14 requests
  • Update for iOS 11
  • Show number of satellites
  • Take advantage of screen size
  • Show altitude
  • Ad-free version
Show 9 more
  • Change degrees to decimals
  • Add elevation display
  • Show individual satellite reception
  • Add a dismiss button for ads
  • Improve graphics of the icon
  • Make it compatible with iPod Touch 4th gen
  • Add support for iOS 4.1
  • Improve clarity of English description
  • Add a screen about current satellite conditions

Compass Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

GPS Status

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Compass Guide

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99

Questions

Is GPS Status free?
GPS Status is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Compass Guide free?
Compass Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GPS Status or Compass Guide?
Compass Guide is rated higher. GPS Status averages 3.1 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while Compass Guide averages 4.5 from 125 ratings.
Do GPS Status or Compass Guide have ads?
Compass Guide shows ads; GPS Status does not.
Which is updated more often, GPS Status or Compass Guide?
GPS Status ships an update every 6 months, and Compass Guide every 2 weeks. Most recently, GPS Status was updated on September 21, 2026 and Compass Guide on September 24, 2026.

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