# Hourly Chime vs Now

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hourly Chime at 65% against Now's 0%. Hourly Chime also leads on rating (3.7 vs 2.6) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Now's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Now sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hourly Chime asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hourly Chime holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Hourly Chime's written reviews are positive against 0% of Now's.

Hourly Chime ships an update every 9 days, Now every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourly Chime | Now |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-chime/id1056483583/reviews)** | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/now-speaking-clock/id1535876785/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **64.5% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SYSCODE INTERNATIONAL INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1056483582) | [Aktiebolaget Kattbjorn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1216836924) |

## What reviewers say

### Hourly Chime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-chime/id1056483583)

This utility app announces the time audibly at set intervals, eliminating the need to check your screen. Choose between voice or tone alerts for convenient time awareness.

**Highlights:** Hourly time announcements, Voice or tone alerts, No screen needed, Customizable intervals, Background operation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Now

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/now-speaking-clock/id1535876785)

This app verbally announces the current date and time, offering a simple solution for those who struggle with timekeeping or find complex calendar interfaces overwhelming. It features customizable read-out intervals and supports multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Verbal date and time announcement, Automatic read-outs, Digital and analog clock interfaces, Multiple language support, Customizable intervals

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Now - Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hourly Chime free?

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

### Is Now free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hourly Chime or Now?

Hourly Chime is rated higher. Hourly Chime averages 3.7 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Now averages 2.6 from 5 ratings.

### Do Hourly Chime or Now have ads?

Now shows ads; Hourly Chime does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hourly Chime or Now?

Hourly Chime ships an update every 9 days, and Now every 3 months. Most recently, Hourly Chime was updated on November 2, 2026 and Now on November 3, 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.*