# Hourglass vs Countdown Timer

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourglass | Countdown Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-countdown-clock/id1004790367/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-timer-clock-widget/id1123159300/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **1.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 59.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.2** | 16.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mat Cartmill](https://appshunter.io/developer/971901815) | [ZipoApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671444635) |

## What reviewers say

### Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-countdown-clock/id1004790367)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Countdown Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-timer-clock-widget/id1123159300)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited access | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $9.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $39.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $49.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $1.95 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*