# Cool Hourglass vs Sand Timer

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cool Hourglass | Sand Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-hourglass/id1024566668/reviews)** | [3.8 (150 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-timer-countdown-clock/id1205335548/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **150** |
| Positive reviews | **33.3% of reviews** | 6.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 81 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serhii Simkovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/959904647) | [Vicki Partridge](https://appshunter.io/developer/1114861973) |

## What reviewers say

### Cool Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cool-hourglass/id1024566668)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sand Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-timer-countdown-clock/id1205335548)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*