Comparison

Hourglass vs Countdown Timer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hourglass

A minimalistic countdown clock app designed for iPhone. It offers a clean interface with a visual progress indicator and supports multiple time units. Easily share countdowns and receive notifications when events conclude.

Highlights
  • Minimalistic design
  • Multiple time units
  • Visual progress indicator
  • Unlimited countdowns
  • Sharable content
  • Push notifications
  • Notification Center widget
  • Apple Watch compatibility
Features
Read full description

When time doesn't fly, countdown in style with Hourglass. Hourglass is a minimalistic countdown clock for iPhone. It's simplistic, easy to use, and has a beautiful design. Features: - Beautiful, Minimal Design: The flagship feature of Hourglass is its incredible design. The sleek, black background blends seamlessly with the device bezel. No complicated features or in-app purchases, just a clear design with easily readable text. - Multiple Time Units: Simply tap the time remaining to switch between seconds, minutes, hours, and days. - Visual Progress Indicator: The beautiful blue ring surrounding the time indicates the progress of the time remaining to an event. - Unlimited Countdowns: Countdown to as many events as your heart desires. Simply swipe left or right to switch countdowns, and get an overview of all your countdowns by going back to the Countdowns list - Sharable Content: Easily E-mail, Text, or Tweet the time left to an event by tapping the Share icon. - Push Notifications: Get notified when a countdown finally finishes. - Notification Center Widget: Instead of having to open Hourglass, just swipe down to view your Countdowns in the Notification Centre. - Compatible with Apple Watch: Now, you can easily view your countdowns quickly and easily, right on your wrist!

About

Countdown Timer

Track upcoming events and past memories with a simple, elegant timer. Count down to special occasions or count up from significant dates. Enjoy a distraction-free interface and seamless syncing across Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Countdown to future events
  • Count up from past events
  • Minimalistic and intuitive interface
  • Track birthdays, holidays, and deadlines
  • Syncs across Apple devices
Features
Read full description

--- Countdown – Your Simple & Elegant Countdown Timer --- Never lose track of important moments again! Countdown is a beautifully minimalistic app designed to help you track upcoming events effortlessly. Whether you're counting down the days until a special occasion or looking back at memorable moments, this app keeps everything in one place. With Countdown, you can set a timer for any future event—birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, holidays, or important deadlines. If you enter a past date, the app will count up instead, letting you see how much time has passed since a memorable event. + Simple, Clean & Intuitive + Designed for a seamless experience, Countdown offers a distraction-free interface with a sleek and minimalistic look. It's perfect for users who want a straightforward countdown timer without unnecessary clutter. Just enter a date, and the app does the rest! + Perfect for Any Occasion + Event Countdown – Track upcoming holidays, concerts, weddings, and more. Special Moments – Count the days to your anniversary, birthday, or graduation. Goal Tracking – Stay motivated by counting down to your fitness goals or personal milestones. Work & Study Deadlines – Keep an eye on project due dates, exam schedules, and important meetings. Count Up Feature – Reflect on past events by seeing how much time has passed since a significant date. + Works Across Your Apple Devices + Enjoy a seamless experience across your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Start a countdown on one device and check it on another without missing a beat. ** Why Choose Countdown? ** Minimalistic & Easy-to-Use – No complicated settings, just enter a date and go! Flexible Counting – Countdown to future events or count up from past moments. Perfect for All Life Events – From daily tasks to once-in-a-lifetime celebrations. Seamless Apple Integration – Works across iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Privacy Policy: https://zipoapps.com/countdownios/privacy/ Terms and Conditions: https://zipoapps.com/countdownios/terms/

Screenshots

Hourglass4 screens
Countdown Timer2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hourglass at none against Countdown Timer's 17. Hourglass also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 60%). Countdown Timer's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (1.4K vs 4). On price, update cadence and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Countdown Timer sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Hourglass asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Countdown Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Timer has 1.4K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Hourglass's written reviews are positive against 60% of Countdown Timer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hourglass ships an update fortnightly, Countdown Timer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Hourglass versus Countdown Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHourglassCountdown Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.5 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better59.9% of reviews
Number of ratings41.4K — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS8.2 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB103 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMat CartmillZipoApps

Customer experience

Hourglass

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

Countdown Timer

All ratings1,254 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews277 reviews
Positive59.9%
Neutral7.6%
Negative32.5%

In-app purchases

None

Hourglass

No in-app purchases

15 purchases

Countdown Timer

Subscriptions14
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$2.997 Days
Show 11 more
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$8.997 Days
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial2 variants$19.991 Year
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Unlimited access3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.95

Questions

Is Hourglass free?
Hourglass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Countdown Timer free?
Countdown Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Hourglass or Countdown Timer?
Countdown Timer is rated higher. Hourglass averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Countdown Timer averages 4.5 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Hourglass or Countdown Timer have ads?
Countdown Timer shows ads; Hourglass does not.
Which is updated more often, Hourglass or Countdown Timer?
Hourglass ships an update fortnightly, and Countdown Timer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hourglass was updated on June 10, 2026 and Countdown Timer on September 30, 2026.

Other comparisons