# Pathway vs Alchemy

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pathway at every 2 weeks against Alchemy's every 2 months. Alchemy's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pathway ships an update every 2 weeks, Alchemy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pathway | Alchemy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathway-college-admissions/id6760678566/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ARJUN SUDHEER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885673352) | [Rajaphan Padithaporn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529062364) |

## What reviewers say

### Pathway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathway-college-admissions/id6760678566)

This app acts as a personal college admissions assistant for high school students. It offers AI-powered mock interviews, extracurricular analysis, and college-specific feedback to help build a competitive application. The tool prioritizes user privacy by operating entirely offline.

**Highlights:** AI mock interviews with feedback, Extracurricular activity optimization, College-specific admissions advice, 100% offline and private operation, Free to use with no ads or purchases

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Alchemy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-lite/id6762423138)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pathway free?

Pathway is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Alchemy free?

Alchemy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pathway or Alchemy have ads?

Neither Pathway nor Alchemy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pathway or Alchemy?

Pathway ships an update every 2 weeks, and Alchemy every 2 months. Most recently, Pathway was updated on November 5, 2026 and Alchemy on November 11, 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.*