# Fathom vs GuideDog Nav

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GuideDog Nav at none against Fathom's 1. GuideDog Nav also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Fathom's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fathom sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per month. GuideDog Nav asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Fathom against 5.0 for GuideDog Nav. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

Fathom ships an update every 10 days, GuideDog Nav every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fathom | GuideDog Nav |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathom-visual-assistance/id6760924183/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidedog-nav/id6761731954/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 20 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Unruly Vision, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886846640) | [Premkumar Krishnamurthy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891140986) |

## What reviewers say

### Fathom

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fathom-visual-assistance/id6760924183)

This navigation app provides real-time spatial awareness for blind and low-vision users indoors. It speaks only when necessary, indicating doors, people, and hazards, and offers features for room exploration, object identification, and guided navigation to specific locations.

**Highlights:** Indoor spatial awareness, Object and hazard detection, Turn-by-turn indoor navigation, Step-by-step task guidance, Real-time conversational assistance

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fathom Plus | $12.99 | per month |


### GuideDog Nav

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guidedog-nav/id6761731954)

This navigation assistant uses your iPhone's sensors and AI to detect obstacles, stairs, and hazards in real-time. It provides voice and haptic feedback to help blind and visually impaired individuals navigate safely. All processing is done on-device for enhanced privacy.

**Highlights:** Real-time obstacle detection, LiDAR distance sensing, AI object identification, Voice and haptic alerts, On-device processing, Voice command controls

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fathom free?

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

### Is GuideDog Nav free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fathom or GuideDog Nav?

Fathom and GuideDog Nav are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Fathom or GuideDog Nav have ads?

Neither Fathom nor GuideDog Nav shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fathom or GuideDog Nav?

Fathom ships an update every 10 days, and GuideDog Nav every 3 weeks. Most recently, Fathom was updated on September 21, 2026 and GuideDog Nav on June 27, 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.*