# Compass mini vs 指南针

The clearest difference is monetization model: 指南针 at free against Compass mini's free with in-app purchases. Compass mini's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Compass mini sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and 指南针 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Compass mini against 4.8 for 指南针. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 59 and 40 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of Compass mini's written reviews are positive against 91% of 指南针's.

Compass mini ships an update every 5 weeks, 指南针 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Compass mini | 指南针 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (59 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-mini/id6443833141/reviews) | [4.8 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gps/id6446302179/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **59** | 40 |
| Positive reviews | **95.6% of reviews** | 90.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 3 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [鑫 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439411405) | [智平 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1125861933) |

## What reviewers say

### Compass mini

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-mini/id6443833141)

This app provides a minimalist compass for identifying direction. It also displays altitude, barometric pressure, and coordinate information for your current location. Additional features include sunrise/sunset times and solar angles, with offline usability and widget support.

**Highlights:** Direction identification, Altitude and barometric pressure, Coordinate navigation, Location bookmarking, Sunrise and sunset times, Solar elevation and azimuth, Offline usability

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Compass mini · Pro | $6.99 | one-time |


### 指南针

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gps/id6446302179)

This app provides real-time environmental data including altitude, pressure, and GPS coordinates. It offers customizable display modes and supports both GPS and phone altimeter data sources. Designed for simplicity and efficiency, it ensures a clean, ad-free user experience.

**Highlights:** Altitude, pressure, and GPS data display, Switchable GPS or phone altimeter sources, Dark and light mode support, UI customization, Ad-free experience, Minimal resource usage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 指南针PLUS 永久买断会员 | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Compass mini free?

Compass mini is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is 指南针 free?

指南针 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Compass mini or 指南针?

Compass mini and 指南针 are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 59 and 40 ratings respectively.

### Do Compass mini or 指南针 have ads?

Neither Compass mini nor 指南针 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Compass mini or 指南针?

Compass mini ships an update every 5 weeks, and 指南针 every 3 months. Most recently, Compass mini was updated on September 23, 2026 and 指南针 on September 21, 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.*