# aprs.fi vs Compass

The clearest difference is price: Compass at Free against aprs.fi's $6.99. Compass also leads on iOS requirement (12 vs 15.6). aprs.fi's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and chart position (#14 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Compass is free to download; aprs.fi costs $6.99 up front. aprs.fi sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Compass sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for aprs.fi against 4.7 for Compass. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 2.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of aprs.fi's written reviews are positive against 67% of Compass's.

aprs.fi ships an update fortnightly, Compass every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | aprs.fi | Compass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aprsfi/id922155038/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-professional/id1289069674/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.4% of reviews** | 66.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#14** | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GainIO](https://appshunter.io/developer/922155037) | [Peter Bohl](https://appshunter.io/developer/1075788156) |

## What reviewers say

### aprs.fi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aprsfi/id922155038)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Paid · Navigation, #181 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

Access real-time APRS position data, weather reports, and telemetry graphs globally. Offers route guidance, station tracking, and map filtering. Some advanced features require an in-app subscription.

**Highlights:** Real-time APRS position data, Route guidance and driving directions, Search callsigns and addresses, Track multiple stations, Filter map information, View weather and telemetry graphs, Beacon your position

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extra features, monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Extra features, yearly | $6.49 | per year |
| Extra features, fair trade | $13.49 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Solid product
- 👍 Works great with external hardware
- 💡 Useful for public service events
- 🚀 Reliable way to participate in APRS network
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Beaconing issues (inconsistent timing, lack of smart beaconing)
- 🔒 Messaging requires subscription
- 💰 Expensive for limited functionality
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Subscription required for full features

**Reported bugs**

- Beacon not clickable
- Freezing on settings screen
- Incompatible with older iOS versions
- Inconsistent behavior with VOX on radios

**Requested features**

- Offline maps support
- Ability to change nickname without creating new account
- Smart beaconing mode
- Bulk message deletion
- CarPlay support


### Compass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compass-professional/id1289069674)

This app helps you navigate by displaying your direction on a compass, overlayed on a satellite or map view. It provides your street address, GPS coordinates, and altitude, along with What3Words coordinates for precise location identification.

**Highlights:** Compass direction display, Satellite and map view overlay, Street address and GPS coordinates, Altitude display, What3Words coordinates, Zoom functionality, Accuracy indicator

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AdFree and Widgets for 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| 3 months ad-free + Widgets | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 year Ad Free + Widgets | $4.99 | per year |
| Ad Free without limits | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate compass
- 👍 Useful features like location and elevation
- 🗺️ Detailed map overlay
- 🔍 Precise direction indication

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compass direction inaccurate
- 🌐 Issues with non-English language support
- 💢 Annoying ads
- 🤔 Calibration problems

**Reported bugs**

- Compass direction completely off
- App crashes on launch
- Barometric pressure widget not working
- Location tracking issues

**Requested features**

- Option to remove ads
- Customizable compass display
- Improved calibration controls
- Support for imperial units


## Frequently asked questions

### Is aprs.fi free?

aprs.fi costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Compass free?

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

### Which has better reviews, aprs.fi or Compass?

Compass is rated higher. aprs.fi averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Compass averages 4.7 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do aprs.fi or Compass have ads?

Neither aprs.fi nor Compass shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, aprs.fi or Compass?

aprs.fi ships an update fortnightly, and Compass every 7 months. Most recently, aprs.fi was updated on October 23, 2026 and Compass on October 21, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*