# GPlates vs Compass....

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GPlates at none against Compass....'s 2. GPlates also leads on ads (none vs shown). Compass....'s advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Compass.... sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. GPlates asks for nothing beyond the download.

GPlates ships an update every 6 months, Compass.... every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GPlates | Compass.... |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gplates/id6447170583/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7** | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 57 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xiaodong Qin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1661896637) | [Olga Ivanova](https://appshunter.io/developer/1733570435) |

## What reviewers say

### GPlates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gplates/id6447170583)

Explore Earth's geological history by reconstructing and visualizing spatial data through geological time. This tool offers an intuitive interface for students, teachers, researchers, and enthusiasts to understand our planet's evolution.

**Highlights:** Reconstruct spatial data, Visualize geological time, Intuitive interface, Explore Earth's history, Plate reconstruction software

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Compass....

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass/id6762972746)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| compass_by_oliva_subscription | $0.49 | per month |
| compass_by_oliva_donation | $0.49 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GPlates free?

GPlates is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Compass.... free?

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

### Do GPlates or Compass.... have ads?

Compass.... shows ads; GPlates does not.

### Which is updated more often, GPlates or Compass....?

GPlates ships an update every 6 months, and Compass.... every 6 weeks. Most recently, GPlates was updated on September 27, 2026 and Compass.... on October 6, 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.*