Pro Compass vs Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pro Compass
This app offers a realistic pocket compass experience with modern features like MGRS, sun/moon tracking, and GPS coordinates. It provides multiple display styles and advanced measurement tools for various applications.
- Realistic 3D floating compass hardware
- Nine compass display modes
- Magnetic and true direction display
- Sun and Moon position tracking
- MGRS, UTM, and GPS coordinate formats
- Two-axis inclinometer with bubble levels
- Support for over 230 geodetic datums
Read full descriptionHide full description
Pro Compass replicates the look and feel of classic pocket compass hardware in use since the 1800s, adding modern features and technologies. The app uses advanced OpenGL graphics (normally reserved for games) to render 3D floating compass hardware for realistic operation. Pro Compass offers nine different compass modes with direct read, traditional, and rosette styles capable of displaying degrees, quads, or mils (the direct read mode shows a North-South needle and reversed East-West convention). In all display modes, Pro Compass shows both magnetic and true direction simultaneously, with a rotating outer true ring that is automatically adjusted for local magnetic declination. Sun and Moon position are marked on the compass rings and continually updated. Pro Compass displays location and altitude, with decimal, degree-minute-second, UTM, and MGRS position formats. An optional "Datum Pack" adds over 230 geodetic datums covering regions and countries on all continents around the world. The app also contains a built in two-axis inclinometer that drives two independent bubble levels and a bullseye level. The inclinometer has angle readout dials for each axis, making it useful for many different types of measurements including slopes, pitches, sight lines, and geological angles like dip and strike. After using Pro Compass, you'll see why it's the best and most realistic compass available on the App Store! Also be sure to check out the new Pro Compass for Watch, available for all Apple Watch models running watchOS 6 or later. ***** IMPORTANT ACCURACY NOTE ***** Pro Compass reports accuracy directly from the magnetometer sensor in your device. This accuracy is determined by the hardware, not the application itself. To improve results, operate Pro Compass away from any electronics or other sources of electro-magnetic interference, including car dashboards, aircraft cockpits, metal structures, and other devices. Please contact the developer via the support link if you need additional information about accuracy or operation of Pro Compass.
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
This navigation app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for land, air, and marine use. It includes a detailed map, compass, GPS coordinates, altitude, distance, speed tracking, and route planning. Advanced features like offline maps, GPS track recording, and sensor integration are available through an upgrade.
- GPS coordinates in 6 formats
- Advanced waypoint editor
- Speedometer with speed tracking
- Offline map downloads
- GPS track recording and sharing
- Magnetic declination calculation
- Sunset and sunrise times
Read full descriptionHide full description
Compass 55 is an offline-capable GPS map and navigation toolkit for hiking, off-road travel, fieldwork, aviation, and marine use—with a compass, waypoints, routes, coordinate tools, and video recording. + Advanced target/waypoint editor. Can be also used as a coordinates converter. You can use map to check or set waypoint location and add photo or audio note. + Share your location via email, text message, Facebook or Twitter. This includes UTM, MGRS and Latitude/Longitude (MENU>Share my location). + You can use UTM, MGRS or Lat/Long, just pick your preference in settings (Coordinate Format). + Speedometer. Shows you the speed and pace. Speedometer also gives you options to control average and max speed and pace counters (MENU > RESET and PAUSE/RESUME counters). + Compass. Instant reaction compass, no delays. Automatically pickups the direction based on magnetic or GPS course. If you mostly walk or drive, you can change this automatic mode in app settings > Compass or GPS course. NATO mils? Same place in settings to set. + Magnetic declination δ for the current location and any location on the map (via World Magnetic Model, WMM, no need for data/internet). + Sunset and sunrise. So you can plan your travel better. + Arrow pointing to your target waypoint. Distance and bearing to it. + Create/measure routes and areas. + Barometric Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI, IVSI) in both scale and graph forms. + Integration of bluetooth sensors: Cycling cadence, Heart rate, Cycling speed. + Video recording for action and fieldwork. Add real-time G-Cross, map, QR code, and pitch & roll overlays as needed, then replay your recordings. The basic version stores one video and exports a branded 15-second clip. All above belong to a basic version. PRO Pack upgrade will add following capabilities: + Recording and sharing GPS tracks. + Moving waypoints between folders. + Showing ETA to a target as this requires GPS tracking. + Native Google map with fantastic terrain map, amazing 3D and real night mode. + Adding own/custom tile map servers. + Downloading offline maps. Offline maps import in .sqlitedb, rmaps, mbtiles formats. Support for overzoom and underzoom - offline map is shown even for zoom levels that are not downloaded. + GPX import and export for waypoints, tracks and routes. + Google Earth KML support for waypoints and tracks import/export. KMZ support for waypoints and tracks export, waypoints import. + Ground overlays. Import KMZ ground overlay or draw your own on the map in the app and share as kmz files! + CSV import/export for waypoints. + Voice coach to tell you active track distance and duration, current speed and altitude without need to open the app. + Support for Siri shortcuts in IOS 12 for starting and stopping GPS tracks. + From version 4.2 - support for OSGB (including grid shifts) and SK 42 in the coordinates converter. + Unlimited saved videos and full-length exports of stamped or original video. + BACKGROUND MODE. App will work in background automatically when tracking. You can use other apps while Compass 55 does its job in the background! + PRIVACY. Compass 55 never shares your location data with 3rd parties or ad agencies. Location data is used solely for telling you direction to a target and recording GPS tracks and never leave the app unless you decide to share by means of a track export. It always lets you know when background mode is on and never runs in background unless the track is being recorded. ! You can use this app on your iPhone as well as on any cellular iPad. **App will not work properly on iPods and wifi only iPads as they don't have GPS (external GPS module is required). As quite a lot of us are using external GPS modules, app is available for wifi only iPads and iPods. ! Please note that as with all GPS apps, continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. at Free against Pro Compass's $1.99. Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). Pro Compass's advantage is chart position (#111 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (11.4 vs 15.6). 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 55. Map & GPS kit. is free to download; Pro Compass costs $1.99 up front. Pro Compass sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. has 1.6K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Pro Compass's written reviews are positive against 91% of Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.'s.
Pro Compass ships an update every 6 months, Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pro Compass | Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (74 ratings) | 4.7 (1.6K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.3% of reviews | 90.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 74 | 1.6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #111 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.4 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Craig Hunter | Kalimex-Consulting s.r.o. @Blocoware & Stanislav Dvoychenko |
Customer experience
Pro Compass
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
User reviews
Pro Compass
From 74 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎯 Displays both true and magnetic north simultaneously
- 📍 Accurate GPS location and coordinate display
- 🔧 Multiple coordinate format options (MGRS, UTM, DMS)
- 📊 Professional-grade precision instrument
- 🎨 Clean, intuitive interface design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inconsistent compass accuracy across locations
- ❌ True north often displays as 'NA' without explanation
- 📍 GPS location detection frequently incorrect (places users in wrong continent)
- ⚠️ Large margin of error (15-35 degrees reported)
- 🔄 Compass needle wavers and appears unstable
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
From 1.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Best Mapping and Navigation tool
- 👍 Great, simple inexpensive GPS
- 👍 Accurate GPS and navigation
- 👍 Useful for various activities
- 👍 Offline maps and navigation
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compass direction issues
- 💡 Desire for more language support (Turkish, Polish, etc.)
- 💡 Need for more map options (Yandex, IGN, etc.)
- 💡 Improvements to interface and customization
- 💡 Difficulty with some features and learning curve
Bugs and requests
Pro Compass
Reported bugs
8 issues- GPS location places users in wrong geographic areas
- True north display shows 'NA' without troubleshooting guidance
- Compass heading inconsistent on same fixed location
- Map loading takes excessive time
- Inclinometer calibration stuck in progress loop
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Compass appears frozen in some instances
- Magnetic declination not automatically adjusting for location
- East/West orientation reversed in some configurations
Requested features
15 requests- Watch app integration with data sharing
- Manual compass calibration/adjustment feature
- Red backlight option for astronomers
- Topographic map overlay
- Bearing input and route planning capabilities
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Ability to remove bubble levels from display
- Native iPad optimization and larger graphics
- DM.mm coordinate format option
- Pointer color customization (red/green needle)
- GMT/time display integration
- Map orientation by direction of travel
- Coordinate spacing for easier plotting
- UK Ordnance Survey coordinate support
- Device-specific bias compensation
- Automatic magnetic declination database by location
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
Reported bugs
3 issues- Issues with GPX file import and tracking
- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Inaccurate GPS positioning in some cases
Requested features
6 requests- Ability to download and cache more map types
- Option to show map grid coordinates
- Elevation profile for planned routes
- Apple Watch app support
- Faster map updates
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- More coordinate system options (e.g., PZ-90)
In-app purchases
Pro Compass
- Datum Pack$2.99
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.
- Pro pack.$1.991 Month
- Pro pack.$9.991 Year
- Pro pack$14.99
Questions
Is Pro Compass free?
Is Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. free?
Which has better reviews, Pro Compass or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.?
Do Pro Compass or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pro Compass or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.?
Other comparisons















