Comparison

Gemma GPS vs Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.

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

Head to head
About

Gemma GPS

Navigate the outdoors with a digital compass that conserves battery. Save locations and get guided back to them with a simple arrow. Ideal for travelers, hikers, sailors, and geocachers who venture off the beaten path.

Highlights
  • Digital compass
  • Battery saving mode
  • Save locations
  • Night vision mode
  • Navigation guidance
Features
Read full description

Precision GPS waypoint navigation for professionals. Capture locations. Convert coordinates. Navigate back. FEATURES: • Save waypoints with geodetic precision • Six coordinate formats: Decimal, DDM, DMS, UTM, MGRS, Maidenhead • Compass navigation with bearing and distance • Organize with folders and routes • Import and export GPX files • Full JSON backup and restore • Night vision mode for dark adaptation • No ads, no tracking COORDINATE FORMATS: • Decimal Degrees (37.7749°) • Degrees Decimal Minutes (37° 46.497' N) • Degrees-Minutes-Seconds (37°46'29.7"N) • UTM (10S 551309 4177447) • MGRS (10SEG 51309 77447) • Maidenhead Grid (CM87ss) Perfect for search and rescue, surveying, geocaching, amateur radio, aviation, marine navigation, and anyone who needs real coordinates. Every feature is free. Optional support subscriptions help fund continued development. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.

This navigation app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for land, air, and marine use. It includes a detailed map, compass, GPS coordinates, altitude, distance, speed tracking, and route planning. Advanced features like offline maps, GPS track recording, and sensor integration are available through an upgrade.

Highlights
  • GPS coordinates in 6 formats
  • Advanced waypoint editor
  • Speedometer with speed tracking
  • Offline map downloads
  • GPS track recording and sharing
  • Magnetic declination calculation
  • Sunset and sunrise times
Features
Read full description

Compass 55 is an offline-capable GPS map and navigation toolkit for hiking, off-road travel, fieldwork, aviation, and marine use—with a compass, waypoints, routes, coordinate tools, and video recording. + Advanced target/waypoint editor. Can be also used as a coordinates converter. You can use map to check or set waypoint location and add photo or audio note. + Share your location via email, text message, Facebook or Twitter. This includes UTM, MGRS and Latitude/Longitude (MENU>Share my location). + You can use UTM, MGRS or Lat/Long, just pick your preference in settings (Coordinate Format). + Speedometer. Shows you the speed and pace. Speedometer also gives you options to control average and max speed and pace counters (MENU > RESET and PAUSE/RESUME counters). + Compass. Instant reaction compass, no delays. Automatically pickups the direction based on magnetic or GPS course. If you mostly walk or drive, you can change this automatic mode in app settings > Compass or GPS course. NATO mils? Same place in settings to set. + Magnetic declination δ for the current location and any location on the map (via World Magnetic Model, WMM, no need for data/internet). + Sunset and sunrise. So you can plan your travel better. + Arrow pointing to your target waypoint. Distance and bearing to it. + Create/measure routes and areas. + Barometric Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI, IVSI) in both scale and graph forms. + Integration of bluetooth sensors: Cycling cadence, Heart rate, Cycling speed. + Video recording for action and fieldwork. Add real-time G-Cross, map, QR code, and pitch & roll overlays as needed, then replay your recordings. The basic version stores one video and exports a branded 15-second clip. All above belong to a basic version. PRO Pack upgrade will add following capabilities: + Recording and sharing GPS tracks. + Moving waypoints between folders. + Showing ETA to a target as this requires GPS tracking. + Native Google map with fantastic terrain map, amazing 3D and real night mode. + Adding own/custom tile map servers. + Downloading offline maps. Offline maps import in .sqlitedb, rmaps, mbtiles formats. Support for overzoom and underzoom - offline map is shown even for zoom levels that are not downloaded. + GPX import and export for waypoints, tracks and routes. + Google Earth KML support for waypoints and tracks import/export. KMZ support for waypoints and tracks export, waypoints import. + Ground overlays. Import KMZ ground overlay or draw your own on the map in the app and share as kmz files! + CSV import/export for waypoints. + Voice coach to tell you active track distance and duration, current speed and altitude without need to open the app. + Support for Siri shortcuts in IOS 12 for starting and stopping GPS tracks. + From version 4.2 - support for OSGB (including grid shifts) and SK 42 in the coordinates converter. + Unlimited saved videos and full-length exports of stamped or original video. + BACKGROUND MODE. App will work in background automatically when tracking. You can use other apps while Compass 55 does its job in the background! + PRIVACY. Compass 55 never shares your location data with 3rd parties or ad agencies. Location data is used solely for telling you direction to a target and recording GPS tracks and never leave the app unless you decide to share by means of a track export. It always lets you know when background mode is on and never runs in background unless the track is being recorded. ! You can use this app on your iPhone as well as on any cellular iPad. **App will not work properly on iPods and wifi only iPads as they don't have GPS (external GPS module is required). As quite a lot of us are using external GPS modules, app is available for wifi only iPads and iPods. ! Please note that as with all GPS apps, continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Gemma GPS4 screens
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Gemma GPS at free against Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.'s freemium. Gemma GPS also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.'s advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Gemma GPS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $199.99 per year and Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Gemma GPS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. has 1.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Gemma GPS's written reviews are positive against 91% of Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gemma GPS ships an update every 2 months, Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Gemma GPS versus Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGemma GPSCompass 55. Map & GPS kit.
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews90.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB89 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPatrick TudorKalimex-Consulting s.r.o. @Blocoware & Stanislav Dvoychenko

Customer experience

Gemma GPS

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative0.0%

Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.

All ratings1,545 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews400 reviews
Positive90.8%
Neutral5.3%
Negative4.0%

Bugs and requests

Gemma GPS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Issues with GPX file import and tracking
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Inaccurate GPS positioning in some cases

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to download and cache more map types
  • Option to show map grid coordinates
  • Elevation profile for planned routes
  • Apple Watch app support
  • Faster map updates
Show 1 more
  • More coordinate system options (e.g., PZ-90)

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Gemma GPS

Subscriptions2
  • Gemma GPS Pro Support$199.991 Year
  • Gemma GPS Enterprise Support$499.991 Year
3 purchases

Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.

Subscriptions2
  • Pro pack.$1.991 Month
  • Pro pack.$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro pack$14.99

Questions

Is Gemma GPS free?
Gemma GPS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. free?
Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Gemma GPS or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.?
Gemma GPS is rated higher. Gemma GPS averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. averages 4.7 from 1.6K ratings.
Do Gemma GPS or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. have ads?
Neither Gemma GPS nor Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gemma GPS or Compass 55. Map & GPS kit.?
Gemma GPS ships an update every 2 months, and Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. monthly. Most recently, Gemma GPS was updated on November 1, 2026 and Compass 55. Map & GPS kit. on November 11, 2026.

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