# Bearing Pilot vs MagVar

The clearest difference is price: MagVar at $0.99 against Bearing Pilot's $8.99. MagVar also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and chart position (#189 vs unranked). Bearing Pilot's advantage is update cadence (every 8 months vs every 23 months) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Bearing Pilot costs $8.99 and MagVar $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

MagVar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bearing Pilot has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Bearing Pilot's written reviews are positive against 100% of MagVar's.

Bearing Pilot ships an update every 8 months, MagVar every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bearing Pilot | MagVar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | [4.8 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bearing-pilot/id622397352/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magvar/id1670958717/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 months** | Every 23 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#189** |
| Size | 4 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alejandro](https://appshunter.io/developer/476976572) | [Robert Walker](https://appshunter.io/developer/299475042) |

## What reviewers say

### Bearing Pilot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bearing-pilot/id622397352)

This navigation tool helps sailors take quick apparent bearings, displaying the bearing, target course, and required correction. It also provides real-time speed, position, and aids in determining wind direction.

**Highlights:** Apparent bearing measurement, Target course display, Wheel correction in degrees, Real-time speed and position, Wind direction estimation, Simple interface

**In-app purchases:** none


### MagVar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magvar/id1670958717)

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

This navigation tool calculates magnetic variation, the difference between true and magnetic north, essential for plotting courses on maps. It's designed for pilots, sailors, cartographers, and anyone using maps and a compass.

**Highlights:** Magnetic variation calculation, True vs. magnetic north difference, Map overlay display, Accurate for 2025-2029, Declination and inclination calculation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bearing Pilot free?

Bearing Pilot costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MagVar free?

MagVar costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bearing Pilot or MagVar?

MagVar is rated higher. Bearing Pilot averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while MagVar averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Bearing Pilot or MagVar have ads?

Neither Bearing Pilot nor MagVar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bearing Pilot or MagVar?

Bearing Pilot ships an update every 8 months, and MagVar every 23 months. Most recently, Bearing Pilot was updated on October 22, 2026 and MagVar on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*