Comparison

Issa Compass vs BorderBudget

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

Head to head
About

Issa Compass

Simplify your visa application process for living and working in Thailand. This app guides you through Non-B, DTV, LTR, and SMART visas, backed by an experienced legal team. Upload documents and track your progress to focus on your new life.

Highlights
  • Visa application guidance
  • Document management
  • Progress tracking
  • Non-B visa support
  • DTV visa support
  • LTR visa support
  • SMART visa support
Features
Read full description

Tired of navigating the visa maze on your own? Issa Compass makes it easy for you to live and work in Thailand, offering seamless visa applications for Non-B, Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Long-Term Residence (LTR), and SMART visas. Backed by an experienced in-house immigration legal team that has successfully processed thousands of applications, we handle the details so you don’t have to. Upload your documents, track your progress, and let us take care of the rest—so you can focus on what matters most: building your new life in Thailand. * No Payments in the App: Issa Compass is purely a guide and document management tool. For the application process, you’ll work directly with our in-person expert team at our office in Bangkok.

About

BorderBudget

Read full description

BorderBudget is the all-in-one companion for digital nomads and slow travelers - built to track your spending, your visa days, and the real-world infrastructure that makes remote work possible, all crowdsourced by travelers like you. FREE FOREVER - Log expenses in any currency - BorderBudget automatically converts and tracks your accurate daily average and total spend in your home currency - Multi-currency support built for country-hopping, not single-trip budgeting - Automatic Schengen 90/180-day rolling window countdown and country-specific stay-limit tracking - Airport security, passport control, and land border wait times, crowdsourced in real time by fellow travelers - Work-friendly spot ratings - real WiFi speed tests and noise level readings, not guesses - Walkability heatmaps showing cafes, groceries, pharmacies, and transit within an easy stroll - Crowdsourced medical procedure costs, so you know what to expect before you need care - Rental listings and verified stay reviews from real travelers - Earn points for every contribution and redeem them toward BorderBudget Pro BASECAMPS - Turn extended stays into a visual travel journal - track days spent, budget performance, and vetted infrastructure for every city you call home, even temporarily BORDERBUDGET PRO (Optional Auto-Renewing Subscription) A subscription is not required to use any of the free features above. BorderBudget Pro unlocks: - Full trip history across all your trips (the free version shows your current and next trip) - Complete budget history across all trips (the free version shows your current trip and month) - Full border-crossing log with PDF export - Unlimited saved "Goldmine" neighborhoods and map area search Plans, pricing, and a free trial are shown in the app before you subscribe. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before renewal, and can be managed or cancelled anytime in your App Store account settings. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS - Store flight confirmations, hotel bookings, visas, and other documents securely in the app, synced across your devices BorderBudget is built by and for the slow travel community - every crowdsourced data point comes from a real traveler, not a database of guesses. Whether you're chasing Schengen days in Europe or building your next Basecamp in Southeast Asia, BorderBudget gives you the real numbers to plan your next move with confidence. Terms of Use: https://borderbudget.com/terms-of-service.html

Screenshots

Issa Compass4 screens
BorderBudget4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Issa Compass at none against BorderBudget's 4. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. BorderBudget sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Issa Compass asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Issa Compass versus BorderBudget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIssa CompassBorderBudget
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (32 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews97.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings32 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB103 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperIssa CompassBorderBudget LLC

Bugs and requests

Issa Compass

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Many bugs
  • Lazy after-thought on design

Requested features

1 request
  • App needs some updates

BorderBudget

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Issa Compass

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

BorderBudget

Subscriptions4
  • Montly14 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Semi-Annual Plan14 Days trial$35.996 Months
  • Early Bird Annual1 Month trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Annual Plan14 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Issa Compass free?
Issa Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BorderBudget free?
BorderBudget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Issa Compass or BorderBudget have ads?
Neither Issa Compass nor BorderBudget shows ads.

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