# The Earth Clock vs Optical Path

The clearest difference is price: The Earth Clock at Free against Optical Path's $1.99. The Earth Clock also leads on iOS requirement (8.1 vs 15.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

The Earth Clock is free to download; Optical Path costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Earth Clock ships an update every 24 months, Optical Path every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Earth Clock | Optical Path |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 24 months | **Every 12 months** |
| Size | 27 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [masafumi sasaki](https://appshunter.io/developer/1016775706) | [坤 冉](https://appshunter.io/developer/1759927074) |

## What reviewers say

### The Earth Clock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-earth-clock/id1242158779)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Optical Path

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optical-path/id6670541141)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Earth Clock free?

The Earth Clock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Optical Path free?

Optical Path costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do The Earth Clock or Optical Path have ads?

Neither The Earth Clock nor Optical Path shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Earth Clock or Optical Path?

The Earth Clock ships an update every 24 months, and Optical Path every 12 months. Most recently, The Earth Clock was updated on September 9, 2026 and Optical Path on September 16, 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.*