Compass & Altimeter is a navigation utility for hikers and travelers, providing orientation, altitude, and coordinate data on iOS and Android.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#100
Navigation · grossing
Sentiment
4.3
125k reviews
Nemesis
Compass ×
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire the app to consolidate environmental and location data into a single dashboard, reducing the need for multiple specialized tools in remote areas.
For Outdoor enthusiasts, hikers, and travelers requiring precise geographic orientation and coordinate data.
What does it look like?
Key features
Supports MGRS, UTM, British National Grid, and SwissGrid coordinate formats.
Computes altitude above mean sea level using the EGM96 geoid reference model.
Detects magnetic perturbations and displays sensor accuracy to ensure compass reliability.
How much does it cost?
Monetization relies on gating technical data and removing ad inventory to drive recurring revenue.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentShow more...
5 versions in history. Development pace: maintenance.
Who built it?
User Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Fresh user feedback skews frustrated. Users appreciate the core compass functionality provides a simple and enjoyable experience for casual users.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
What users say, by theme
- The core compass functionality provides a simple and enjoyable experience for casual users
- Users report: Subscription cancellation processes are difficult and perceived as deceptive by many users
20 of 20 recent reviews analyzed · moderate confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 more frustration theme, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Compass & Altimeter
How's the Navigation market?
Compass & Altimeter holds a #99 Grossing position in the US (Category 6010), but the high volume of negative sentiment regarding subscription friction threatens its long-term retention.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By DOUBLE U s.r.o.
With over 218,000 reviews and consistent updates, this app dominates the pure-utility compass niche by focusing on high-precision orientation.
- Maintains a singular focus on compass utility without bloating the interface with secondary weather or boiling point data.
- Leverages a massive, long-standing user base to refine sensor calibration accuracy beyond standard GPS-based implementations.
- Provides a clean, minimalist UI that prioritizes immediate orientation data over the multi-functional dashboard approach of this app.
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Compass & Altimeter
Where is it heading?
The navigation utility market is consolidating around specialized, high-precision tools, leaving generalist apps like Compass & Altimeter vulnerable to churn. Without a pivot toward core stability and transparent monetization, the app will continue to lose ground to competitors that offer superior reliability and user experience.
- Persistent reports of sensor drift in the latest release erode user trust, which compounds the churn rate already driven by subscription friction.
- The lack of meaningful feature expansion in recent updates leaves the app exposed to faster-moving rivals like UTM Geo Map Y2Tech.
The SWOT
- Offline-first orientation data establishes utility in remote environments
- All-in-one dashboard consolidates environmental data for casual travelers
- Untapped B2B partnerships for outdoor education distribution
- Wearable hardware integration to differentiate from mobile-only rivals
Next best moves
Audit subscription-cancellation flow because users report deceptive practices → reduce churn and improve sentiment
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's multi-functional dashboard is a liability, not an asset…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Professional-grade geospatial PDF imports (available in Avenza Maps but missing here) +1
Since the last report: The app's competitive profile has shifted from a neutral utility tool to a product facing significant headwinds due to subscription-cancellation friction and persistent sensor reliability issues.
Bottom line
Users report: The app captures casual users through its all-in-one utility, but the deceptive subscription model and sensor drift create a trust deficit that prevents long-term growth, so the PM must prioritize core reliability and transparent monetization to stabilize the user base.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
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