# Sand Timer vs Shops

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shops at none against Sand Timer's 4. Shops also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sand Timer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Shops asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sand Timer ships an update every 8 months, Shops every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sand Timer | Shops |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (150 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-timer-countdown-clock/id1205335548/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **150** | — |
| Positive reviews | 6.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 7 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 18 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vicki Partridge](https://appshunter.io/developer/1114861973) | [9 Knots Solutions B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/960312880) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Shops

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shops/id6499515044)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sand Timer free?

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

### Is Shops free?

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

### Do Sand Timer or Shops have ads?

Sand Timer shows ads; Shops does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sand Timer or Shops?

Sand Timer ships an update every 8 months, and Shops every 7 months. Most recently, Sand Timer was updated on October 6, 2026 and Shops on September 29, 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.*