ALRM vs PATH
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ALRM
This app acts as a personal safety companion for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. It uses AI to detect critical sounds like fire alarms and sirens, alerting users through visual and haptic feedback. Designed with privacy and accessibility in mind, it works offline and is battery optimized.
- Critical sound detection (fire alarms, sirens)
- Multi-modal alerts (screen flash, LED, haptics)
- On-device sound processing for privacy
- Simplified, accessible UI
- Customizable geofence alerts
- Offline functionality
- Battery optimization
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ALRM transforms your iPhone into a personal safety companion, providing peace of mind for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community through intelligent sound detection and multi-modal alerting. Key Features: • Critical Sound Detection - Uses advanced AI (YAMNet with 521 sound classes) to detect fire alarms, smoke detectors, gunshots, emergency vehicle sirens, and low battery chirps with industry-leading accuracy • Multi-Modal Alerts - Instant notification through screen flash, LED flash, custom haptic patterns, and visual overlays ensuring you never miss critical alerts • Privacy-First Design - All sound processing happens on-device. No audio is ever recorded or transmitted • Accessibility Excellence - Simplified UI designed for users with varying technical literacy, WCAG 2.1 AAA compliant • Geofence Alerts - Customizable alert zones for home, work, or any location • Works Offline - Core detection features work without internet connection • Battery Optimized - Adaptive power management ensures all-day protection Perfect for: Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals seeking independence Parents of deaf children wanting peace of mind Elderly users with hearing loss Anyone in noisy environments who might miss critical alerts Supported Sounds: Fire and smoke alarms Carbon monoxide detectors Gunshots and explosions Emergency vehicle sirens (police, ambulance, fire) Low battery chirps from smoke detectors ALRM was developed in close collaboration with the deaf community to address real safety needs. Every feature has been thoughtfully designed to provide maximum safety with minimal complexity. Note: This app requires microphone access for sound detection. All processing is done locally on your device for maximum privacy.
PATH
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PATH is a voice-first action assistant built to help blind and low-vision users get things done on their iPhone through natural conversation. Instead of navigating through multiple screens, menus, and apps, speak to PATH as you would speak to a person. Ask a question, give a follow-up instruction, correct a detail, or change your mind. PATH keeps track of the conversation, asks for clarification when needed, and confirms important actions before completing them. GET THINGS DONE BY VOICE Use PATH to: • Read and summarize recent or important emails • Search for messages, people, or topics in your inbox • Draft, reply to, and forward emails • Hear what is on your calendar • Create and update calendar events • Check the weather • Hear current news and headline summaries • Ask general questions and follow up naturally EMAIL ACROSS YOUR ACCOUNTS Connect Gmail, Outlook, or iCloud Mail. PATH helps you work with email by voice, including reading, searching, summarizing, composing, replying, and forwarding. When a request involves a person, PATH can use your connected contacts to help identify the intended recipient. Before sending or making an important change, PATH can read the details back and ask for confirmation. CALENDAR AND SCHEDULING Ask what is coming up, check your availability, create an event, or change an existing event through conversation. PATH can ask follow-up questions when details such as the time, date, or attendee are missing. WEATHER, NEWS, AND EVERYDAY INFORMATION PATH is more than an email assistant. Ask about the weather, request current news summaries, or ask everyday questions without leaving the main experience. Location access is optional and is used only when needed for location-aware requests such as local weather. DESIGNED FOR NATURAL CONVERSATION You do not need to memorize a special list of commands. Speak naturally, interrupt, correct yourself, ask for more detail, or continue from the previous response. PATH is designed to understand the goal behind your request and guide you through any missing information. BUILT ACCESSIBILITY FIRST PATH was designed with blind and low-vision users from the beginning. It supports VoiceOver, clear spoken feedback, large accessible controls, and both Voice-Only and Voice + Text experiences. Choose Push to Talk when you want direct control over each turn, or start Continuous Listening for a more hands-free experience. When Continuous Listening is active, PATH can remain available through the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen while you move between apps. The session is always user-started and can be stopped at any time. YOUR ACCOUNTS AND PRIVACY PATH asks for permission before accessing the microphone, location, contacts, email, or calendar. Connected account data is used to provide the features you request. You can manage integrations, disconnect accounts, and delete your PATH account and associated data from Settings. From communication and scheduling to weather, news, and everyday questions, PATH gives you one accessible place to ask and act by voice.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: ALRM at 3 against PATH's 1. On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | ALRM | PATH |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Kevin Phelan | ARIYAN N PATEL |
In-app purchases
ALRM
No in-app purchases
PATH
No in-app purchases









