Comparison

Hourglass vs VisualTimer

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

VisualTimer

Features
Read full description

VisualTimer is a beautiful visual countdown timer featuring an analog clock face display. Set your timer with minutes and seconds, watch the colorful arc count down, and hear audio cues at key moments. Features include dark/light mode, resizable clock, flip/mirror display, and customizable sound.

Screenshots

Hourglass4 screens
VisualTimer1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Hourglass at 8.2 against VisualTimer's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hourglass ships an update fortnightly, VisualTimer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Hourglass versus VisualTimer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHourglassVisualTimer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.2 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMat CartmillDatachain Consulting Pty Ltd

In-app purchases

None

Hourglass

No in-app purchases

None

VisualTimer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hourglass free?
Hourglass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VisualTimer free?
VisualTimer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hourglass or VisualTimer have ads?
Neither Hourglass nor VisualTimer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hourglass or VisualTimer?
Hourglass ships an update fortnightly, and VisualTimer every 2 weeks. Most recently, Hourglass was updated on October 1, 2026 and VisualTimer on September 16, 2026.

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