# Fathom vs The Agora

The clearest difference is monetization model: The Agora at free against Fathom's subscription. The Agora also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 69%). Fathom's advantage is ratings volume (508 vs 10). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fathom sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and The Agora sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Agora holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fathom has 508 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Fathom's written reviews are positive against 100% of The Agora's.

Fathom ships an update weekly, The Agora every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fathom | The Agora |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (508 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathom-learn-philosophy/id6742149252/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-agora-learn-philosophy/id6762416967/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **508** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 69.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 191 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Polywise, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437286958) | [Bhernaurd Maghirang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894091531) |

## What reviewers say

### Fathom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathom-learn-philosophy/id6742149252)

Explore great thinkers and philosophies with bite-sized lessons. Understand complex ideas with elegant visuals and build a daily habit of learning. Access over 50 learning paths on diverse philosophical topics.

**Highlights:** Daily philosophy habit building, Bite-sized lessons (under 2 minutes), Elegant visual explanations, 50+ learning paths, Save and review insights, Set learning goals

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription (no trial) | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription (Premium) | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly Access Premium No Trial | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly Sub Premium No Trial | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription Premium | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and interactive lessons
- 🎨 Visually appealing and informative
- 🧠 Helps develop critical thinking skills
- 🔍 Broad range of philosophical topics covered

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription-based model with limited free trial
- 🤔 Some questions felt leading rather than open-ended
- 🕰️ Lack of flexibility to revisit initial philosopher selections

**Reported bugs**

- Unexpected charges during free trial period
- Potential issues with app functionality and compatibility

**Requested features**

- Option to customize or revisit philosopher selections
- More information about the app's algorithm and learning progression
- Ability to explore a wider range of philosophical perspectives


### The Agora

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-agora-learn-philosophy/id6762416967)

Engage in live debates with historical philosophers, defending your positions and receiving real-time scoring. Analyze your arguments with detailed feedback and track your philosophical growth over time. This app transforms learning philosophy into an interactive experience.

**Highlights:** Debate historical philosophers, Defend your philosophical positions, Receive real-time scoring, Get detailed debate reports, Daily philosophical challenges, Track personal growth

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Agora Pro | $7.99 | per month |
| Agora Pro Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Agora Pro Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fathom free?

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

### Is The Agora free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fathom or The Agora?

The Agora is rated higher. Fathom averages 4.8 out of 5 from 508 ratings, while The Agora averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Fathom or The Agora have ads?

Fathom shows ads; The Agora does not.

### Which is updated more often, Fathom or The Agora?

Fathom ships an update weekly, and The Agora every 5 days. Most recently, Fathom was updated on October 30, 2026 and The Agora on October 31, 2026.

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