Compass XL vs GeoJSONic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Compass XL
This app provides a large, clear compass display for easy navigation in any environment. It offers multiple styles, North modes, and location-based place names, with offline functionality. An optional Pro upgrade unlocks ad removal, bearing lock, and specialized display modes.
- Large, clear compass display
- True North and Magnetic North modes
- Location-based place names
- Offline functionality
- Bearing Lock (Pro)
- Night Vision Mode (Pro)
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Know exactly where you are. Know exactly where you are heading. Compass XL gives you a large, precise compass designed for clarity and confidence in any environment. Your phone has a compass, but it is small and hard to read. Compass XL replaces it with bold, oversized displays that you can read at a glance — in bright sunlight, in darkness, or in motion. No internet required. No account needed. Open the app and go. FREE FEATURES: - Two compass styles: Classic and Minimal - True North and Magnetic North modes - Smooth, responsive heading display - Location-based place names - Dark mode support - Haptic feedback at cardinal points - Optimized for iPhone and iPad UPGRADE TO PRO: One purchase. Everything unlocked. No subscription. - Remove Ads — A clean, focused compass with nothing between you and your heading. - Bearing Lock — Lock any heading and follow it with confidence. A haptic pulse tells you when you are aligned. Stay on course without constantly watching the screen. - Night Vision Mode — A red-spectrum display that preserves your night-adapted eyes. Essential for stargazing, camping, and nighttime navigation. - Three additional compass styles: - Large Display — Maximum size for effortless reading at any distance - Military — Tactical precision with real-time altitude - Maritime — Nautical design with real-time altitude ADDITIONAL FEATURES: - GPS altitude display - Heading accuracy indicator - Magnetic declination data - Share your heading, coordinates, and location - Works entirely offline DESIGNED FOR: - Hikers, campers, and trail runners - Sailors and marine navigation - Military and tactical personnel - Stargazers and astronomers - Seniors and anyone who values readability - Surveyors and field professionals - Emergency preparedness - Everyday orientation in unfamiliar places Your direction. Your confidence. Your compass.
GeoJSONic
Capture and organize places with notes, photos, and voice recordings tied to their location. Plan trips, map areas, and record routes, all stored locally on your device without an account or ads.
- Capture locations with notes, photos, and voice recordings
- Record routes for various activities
- Map areas and calculate acreage
- Export data in GeoJSON format
- Offline functionality for journaling and compass
- Import data from other apps
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GeoJSONic — Your map, trip planner, and offline journal. Some places you want to keep. Capture them like a journal — written, spoken, and seen — with notes, photos, and voice recordings tied to where they happened. Your journal lives on your device. No account required. REMEMBER THE PLACE Save coordinates and elevation, with place names and weather when available. Import photos with location information, record your voice, or write a few words. Keep the details together on one note. WHEN A SINGLE POINT ISN'T ENOUGH • Record a route while you run, walk, hike, bike, drive, or paddle. • Map an area by walking its boundaries. See its estimated acreage and attach notes, photos, and recordings along the way. • Explore your saved places, routes, and areas on the online 3D globe, included free. YOUR JOURNAL, YOUR FILES • Your notes and geographic data use the open GeoJSON format, with photos and recordings stored as accompanying files. • Export your geographic data for GIS tools or geojson.io. • Back up and restore your journal, including attachments. • No account, no ads, and no cross-app tracking. A FEW MORE THINGS • Share an address from Apple Maps or a photo from Apple Photos into GeoJSONic. • Use the full-screen compass, or see the heading and distance toward a saved note. • Capture notes and record GPS routes without a connection. The compass works with no signal too. GEOJSONIC PRO (SUBSCRIPTION) Go further with offline map downloads, satellite imagery, place search, multi-stop trip planning, and in-app turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, and cycling. Explore routes with virtual rides and a slower Sightseeing mode. Keep the controls tucked away, pause to take in a place, or look around as your ride continues. Pro also adds boundary editing, measurement tools, and PDF field reports. Core journaling and the online globe are free. Download maps before heading offline. Online map loading, place search, weather updates, and generating new directions require an internet connection. Built for people who like to hold onto where they've been. Privacy Policy: https://geojsonic.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://geojsonic.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GeoJSONic at 5.0 against Compass XL's 4.7. Compass XL's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (15 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Compass XL sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and GeoJSONic sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
GeoJSONic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass XL has 15 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Compass XL ships an update every 9 days, GeoJSONic every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Compass XL | GeoJSONic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (15 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 112 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mobile Card Games & Travel Apps LLC | JASON MATTHEW DITTMER |
Customer experience
Compass XL
GeoJSONic
In-app purchases
Compass XL
- Compass Pro$1.99
GeoJSONic
- GeoJSONic Pro1 Month trial$3.991 Month









