What it does
KOMPASS is a comprehensive outdoor navigation app designed for activities like hiking, cycling, and skiing. It allows users to discover new routes, plan custom tours with detailed waypoints, and track their activities in real-time using GPS. The app's core strength lies in its specialized, multi-layered maps and extensive library of pre-made tours, complete with detailed descriptions, stats, and elevation profiles.
Where it shines
The app excels in its robust mapping and planning tools. The ability to switch between various map styles, such as a dedicated 'Hiking Map' or 'Winter' map (01:16), provides context-specific details that generic map apps lack. Furthermore, the tour planning feature is powerful, enabling users to search for locations like the Grand Canyon (02:31), set a starting point, and then add a destination to generate a route with detailed metrics like distance, ascent, and estimated duration (03:04).
UX highlights
- Contextual Feature Gating: Instead of a single, generic paywall, premium features are gated at the point of use. Attempting to select a PRO map layer (01:18) or use the 'Reverse route' function (03:22) triggers a targeted upsell modal, making the value proposition clear and relevant.
- Granular Search Filters: The tour search includes highly specific filters for difficulty, length, duration, and altitude gain (03:54). This level of control allows users to quickly find activities that match their exact needs.
- Rich Tour Detail Screens: Each tour has a comprehensive detail page that provides essential information at a glance, including distance, time, elevation, and facility icons, followed by a detailed description and elevation profile graph (04:30).
- Integrated Content and Commerce: The app seamlessly blends user-generated or curated tours with its own products. The main feed features news articles, tour collections, and a section for the 'Latest products in our shop' (05:38), creating a cohesive ecosystem.
- Clear Action Buttons: The main dashboard uses three prominent, icon-driven buttons for 'Start a track', 'Plan a Tour', and 'Unlock product' (00:36), making the primary user journeys immediately accessible.
- Comprehensive Map Legend: The app provides a detailed, multi-page legend (00:58) that explains every symbol and line style on the maps, catering to serious outdoor enthusiasts who rely on precise information.
Monetization & growth
Monetization is heavily integrated into the user experience through a freemium model. While basic functionality is free, many of the most valuable features, like specialized map layers and advanced planning tools, are reserved for 'PRO' users. The app uses contextual upsell modals that appear whenever a user attempts to access a paid feature (e.g., at 01:19 and 03:24). This strategy avoids a disruptive initial paywall and instead demonstrates the value of upgrading at moments of high user intent.
Who it’s for
This app is built for serious outdoor enthusiasts, from casual weekend hikers to dedicated cyclists and mountaineers. The detailed maps, granular planning tools, and activity-specific features cater to users who require more than what standard navigation apps offer. It serves both as a discovery tool for finding new adventures and as a practical utility for tracking and navigating during an activity.
Notes & opportunities
The user experience is dense with information, which is great for power users but could be overwhelming for complete beginners. While the contextual upsells are effective, their frequency could potentially become frustrating for free users. A small opportunity might exist to offer a single 'day pass' or a limited-time trial of a specific PRO feature to give users a taste of the premium experience before they commit to a full subscription.