Comparison

Cool Hourglass vs Sand Timer

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

Head to head
About

Cool Hourglass

This app offers a futuristic liquid timer with animated time flow and a stylish design. It visualizes time passing without needing to read numbers, featuring sound and visual notifications. Suitable for all ages, it can track durations from seconds to 100 hours.

Highlights
  • Animated time flow
  • Stylish and luxury design
  • Visual and sound notifications
  • Operates in lock/sleep mode
  • Wide time duration range
  • Counts time past completion
Features
Read full description

Futuristic liquid timer with animated time flow. This futuristic hourglass timer is a fashionable accessory for keeping track of your time. It combines advanced animation with luxury design to measure and visualize time. The animated time flow allows you to keep track of your pace without having to read the numbers. Features: - Stylish design; - Animated time flow and backgrounds; - Visual and sound notifications; - Ability to fire even in device lock or sleep mode; - Wide range of time duration available—from as couple of seconds to 100 hours; - Counts time past timer completion; - User-friendly — even for kids! Turn your timer into an ultramodern fashion accessory and measure your time stylishly!

About

Sand Timer

This app provides a visually engaging and intuitive way to track time with realistic sand flow animations. It's perfect for various activities like studying, workouts, or cooking, offering customizable themes and sound alerts to keep you on track.

Highlights
  • Realistic sand flow animation
  • Adjustable timer settings
  • Multiple timers management
  • Customizable themes
  • Sound alerts
Features
Read full description

Looking for a simple, reliable timer for your activities? Whether you’re timing a study session, a workout, or simply need a quick way to track time, Sand Timer has you covered! With its realistic sand flow animation, you’ll experience the soothing and intuitive feel of a traditional hourglass, right on your phone. Sand Timer offers a simple, visually engaging way to keep track of time, whether you’re managing your productivity, setting a cooking timer, or just need a quick countdown. It’s easy to set, fun to use, and helps you stay on track for all your timing needs. Top Features You’ll Love: Sand Animation – Watch the sand flow smoothly through the timer, providing a calming and visually pleasing experience while you track your time. Adjustable Timer Settings – Set the timer for any duration you need, from seconds to hours, with the ability to quickly adjust for all types of activities. Multiple Timers – Create and manage multiple timers at once to keep track of various tasks simultaneously. Customizable Themes – Choose from a variety of themes to match your style, whether you prefer a minimalist design or a more vibrant look. Sound Alerts – Get notified when your time is up with a sound alert, making sure you never miss an important moment. Who Can Use Sand Timer? Sand Timer is perfect for anyone who needs a simple, elegant timer. Whether you’re a student needing a Pomodoro timer, a cook timing recipes, or someone just needing a visual countdown, Sand Timer is easy to use and designed to fit your needs. Download Sand Timer today and add a little more calm and focus to your day! EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Cool Hourglass4 screens
Sand Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cool Hourglass at none against Sand Timer's 4. Cool Hourglass also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (33% vs 6%). Sand Timer's advantage is ratings volume (150 vs 6). 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. Sand Timer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Cool Hourglass asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cool Hourglass holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sand Timer has 150 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Cool Hourglass's written reviews are positive against 6% of Sand Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cool Hourglass ships an update every 6 months, Sand Timer every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Cool Hourglass versus Sand Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCool HourglassSand Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (6 ratings) — better3.8 (150 ratings)
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews — better6.5% of reviews
Number of ratings6150 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS6.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSerhii SimkovskyiVicki Partridge

Customer experience

Cool Hourglass

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative55.6%

Sand Timer

All ratings150 ratings
Positive64.7%
Neutral8.7%
Negative26.7%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive6.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative88.7%

In-app purchases

None

Cool Hourglass

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Sand Timer

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Subscription7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Cool Hourglass free?
Cool Hourglass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sand Timer free?
Sand Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cool Hourglass or Sand Timer?
Cool Hourglass is rated higher. Cool Hourglass averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Sand Timer averages 3.8 from 150 ratings.
Do Cool Hourglass or Sand Timer have ads?
Sand Timer shows ads; Cool Hourglass does not.
Which is updated more often, Cool Hourglass or Sand Timer?
Cool Hourglass ships an update every 6 months, and Sand Timer every 8 months. Most recently, Cool Hourglass was updated on September 26, 2026 and Sand Timer on September 30, 2026.

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