# Hourglass vs Countdown

The clearest difference is rating: Countdown at 4.7 against Hourglass's 4.0. Countdown also leads on ratings volume (3.1K vs 4). Hourglass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and iOS requirement (8.2 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Hourglass asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 3.1K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Hourglass's written reviews are positive against 82% of Countdown's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourglass | Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-countdown-clock/id1004790367/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-pretty-progress/id1597616326/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **81.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.2** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mat Cartmill](https://appshunter.io/developer/971901815) | [keinois OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1597616328) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-pretty-progress/id1597616326)

Visually track important dates and goals with customizable widgets for your Home Screen and Lock Screen. Set up countdowns and count-ups for personal milestones, habits, or deadlines. Sync across devices and receive timely notifications.

**Highlights:** Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, Count up and down timers, Recurrent event tracking, Calendar and Reminders synchronization, Customizable designs and templates, iCloud synchronization, Notifications for key dates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited access | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $2.99 | per month |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $5.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $8.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $14.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $24.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $24.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $34.99 | one-time |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $49.99 | one-time |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Handy and useful app
- 🚀 Helpful for tracking goals and projects
- 💡 Great customization options
- 👍 Sleek and visually appealing design
- 👍 Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited functionality in free version
- 💰 Paid features can be expensive for some users
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches reported
- 🔒 Restricted customization options without paying

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for some users
- Widgets not updating in real-time as expected
- Countdown data resetting unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- More customization options for widgets
- Ability to track non-time-based progress
- Improved recurring event management
- Notification/alarm feature when countdown ends
- Wider range of color and font options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hourglass free?

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

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hourglass or Countdown?

Countdown is rated higher. Hourglass averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Countdown averages 4.7 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do Hourglass or Countdown have ads?

Neither Hourglass nor Countdown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hourglass or Countdown?

Hourglass ships an update fortnightly, and Countdown weekly. Most recently, Hourglass was updated on June 10, 2026 and Countdown 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.*