# Challenges Alarm Clock vs First Light

The clearest difference is ads: First Light at none against Challenges Alarm Clock's shown. First Light also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). Challenges Alarm Clock's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Challenges Alarm Clock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and First Light sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Challenges Alarm Clock ships an update monthly, First Light every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Challenges Alarm Clock | First Light |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challenges-alarm-clock/id1247289889/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 26.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 44 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [duytu tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/1244491336) | [Kevin Kessler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885842930) |

## What reviewers say

### Challenges Alarm Clock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challenges-alarm-clock/id1247289889)

This alarm clock uses challenging games to ensure you wake up on time. It eliminates snooze and offers bedtime reminders with a clean interface. Turn your mornings into a game and never oversleep again.

**Highlights:** Unstoppable alarm with challenge games, No snooze or stop button, Bedtime reminder notifications, Clean and modern interface, Math, Maze, Shake, Remember Number, Lucky 777 games

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium 1 month | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium 1 year | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Good app that wakes up user
- 🔔 Alarm is effective at waking up heavy sleepers
- 🧠 Challenges help get brain working in the morning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Ads make the app unusable
- 🔇 Alarm doesn't make any sound, only vibrates
- 🤯 Challenges are too difficult or confusing
- ⏰ Alarm turns off on its own without completing challenges

**Reported bugs**

- Alarm doesn't go off at scheduled time
- App crashes when trying to set alarm
- Notifications and messages are glitchy or inappropriate

**Requested features**

- More customizable alarm sounds and challenges
- Option to choose specific challenge type
- Ability to set own custom challenges


### First Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-light-alarm-clock/id6761784812)

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| First Light Premium (Weekly) | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| First Light Premium — Annual | $13.99 | per year |
| First Light Premium (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| First Light Alarm Premium | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Challenges Alarm Clock free?

Challenges Alarm Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is First Light free?

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

### Do Challenges Alarm Clock or First Light have ads?

Challenges Alarm Clock shows ads; First Light does not.

### Which is updated more often, Challenges Alarm Clock or First Light?

Challenges Alarm Clock ships an update monthly, and First Light every 5 days. Most recently, Challenges Alarm Clock was updated on October 21, 2026 and First Light on October 18, 2026.

---

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