Comparison

Black Rock Compass vs Nightkey

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

Head to head
About

Black Rock Compass

Navigate and discover everything happening at Burning Man. Find friends, events, and essential locations like porta-potties with real-time guidance. Plan your schedule and stay connected with your crew, even with limited cell service.

Highlights
  • Full Burning Man event schedule
  • Real-time friend finder compass
  • Navigate to friends, art, events & porta potties
  • Interactive BRC map
  • Save events and build personal schedule
  • Bluetooth status broadcasts
  • Offline location sharing via Bluetooth
Features
Read full description

Black Rock Compass is your companion for Black Rock City. There's always more happening than you can see. BRC helps you catch more of it — and find your people (and the nearest porto) while you do. Browse thousands of events by day and vibe — music, workshops, parties, fire, food, art, and more. Save favorites and build your personal schedule. Find your crew with a real-time compass needle that points directly at your friends. Set a status so everyone knows what you're up to — "at camp", "heading to temple", "come find me". Works with GPS and Bluetooth when cell signal drops. Explore the BRC map with layers for camps, art installations, events, and friends. Tap anything for details and directions. Message your crew directly or in groups. Messages queue offline and deliver when signal returns. Set your status and share your location with nearby friends over Bluetooth — no cell signal needed. Your crew sees where you are and what you're doing, even in the deep playa. Plan a hop crawl — a route between events, bars, or art installations. Pick a vibe and go. Feeling spontaneous? Hit Surrender and let the playa decide what's next. FEATURES: - Full event schedule - Real-time friend finder compass - Navigate to friends, art, events & porta potties - Interactive BRC map with camps, art & events - Save events and build your personal schedule - Bluetooth status broadcasts — tell your crew what you're up to - Offline location sharing via Bluetooth — no signal needed - Hop crawl planner for themed routes - Direct and group messages - Built for the desert — works mostly offline Black Rock Compass is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Burning Man Project. Your companion for Black Rock City, browse the full event schedule, find your crew with a real-time compass, explore the city map with camps, art, and portos, and plan your days. Works fully offline out on the playa.

About

Nightkey

Easily reserve tables at nightclubs, lounges, and bars. Browse venues, see availability, and book in under a minute. Pre-order bottles and split deposits with friends.

Highlights
  • Browse tables at nightlife venues
  • Reserve tables with minimum spend details
  • Pay deposits and split with friends
  • Pre-order bottles and bottle service
  • View venue floor plans
  • Apply to be a promoter
  • Track guest lists and commissions
Features
Read full description

Nightkey is the easiest way to reserve a table at the nightclubs, lounges, and bars you actually want to go to. Browse venues, see what's open tonight, and book a table in under a minute. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Browse tables at nightclubs, lounges, and bottle-service venues • Reserve a table for the night with photos and minimum-spend details up front • Pay your deposit • Split the deposit with your friends — invite them to chip in, no awkward chase later • Pre-order bottles and bottle service before you arrive • See exactly where your table is on the venue's floor plan PROMOTERS • Apply to be an affiliated promoter at venues you frequent • Track your guests, referrals, and commissions in one dashboard • Build a saved guest list and invite friends with one tap • Get paid out automatically after each event WHO IT'S FOR • Anyone who wants a real table at a real venue without the back-and-forth • Bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthdays, group nights out • Promoters and bottle servers who want a tool that respects their time WHY NIGHTKEY • Real venues with verified information, not random listings • Identity verification for age and trust • In-app messaging with venues so you can ask before you book • Cancellation windows shown up front so you always know where you stand • 17+ — Nightkey is intended for adults Need help? Visit nightkey.io/support or email support@nightkey.io. Read our privacy policy at nightkey.io/privacy and terms at nightkey.io/terms. © 2026 Growthneuron LLC. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Black Rock Compass4 screens
Nightkey4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nightkey at 100% against Black Rock Compass's 50%. Nightkey also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Black Rock Compass's advantage is ratings volume (150 vs 3) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 days). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nightkey holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Black Rock Compass has 150 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Black Rock Compass's written reviews are positive against 100% of Nightkey's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Black Rock Compass ships an update every 2 days, Nightkey every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Black Rock Compass versus Nightkey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlack Rock CompassNightkey
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (150 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings150 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB43 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBenjamin RitterCfb fantasy LLC

Customer experience

Black Rock Compass

All ratings142 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.1%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral33.3%
Negative16.7%

Nightkey

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Black Rock Compass

No in-app purchases

None

Nightkey

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Black Rock Compass free?
Black Rock Compass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nightkey free?
Nightkey is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Black Rock Compass or Nightkey?
Nightkey is rated higher. Black Rock Compass averages 4.8 out of 5 from 150 ratings, while Nightkey averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Black Rock Compass or Nightkey have ads?
Neither Black Rock Compass nor Nightkey shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Black Rock Compass or Nightkey?
Black Rock Compass ships an update every 2 days, and Nightkey every 9 days. Most recently, Black Rock Compass was updated on October 31, 2026 and Nightkey on November 5, 2026.

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