Metric Seconds vs AtomicClock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Metric Seconds
This utility app simplifies time calculations by converting to and from metric units. It allows users to tell and measure time using seconds as the base unit, with multipliers like kilo, Mega, and Giga for larger durations. It offers a fun and practical way to approach time measurement, especially for scientific or engineering contexts.
- Convert time to and from metric units
- Tell time in metric
- Measure time in metric
- Uses seconds as the base unit
- Supports metric multipliers (kilo, Mega, Giga)
- UTC-based time with no time zones
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Sixty seconds per minute, sixty minutes per hour, 24 hours per day, seven days per week. When you’re trying to do math with time, it’s hard. Metric Seconds is easy. Use this app to convert time to and from metric, and to tell and measure time in metric. Metric seconds is time measured in seconds using the standard metric units that are easy. The zero point is midnight January 1, 1970, the "start of time" for UNIX and other computer systems. And there are no time zones in metric time, it's all UTC-based. In metric time, seconds are the base unit. Then the regular metric multipliers are used: kilo, Mega, Giga, etc. We can use “hecto” for 100 seconds to have something close to a minute. Kiloseconds, 1000 seconds, are about 16 minutes long so 3.6 ksec is an hour and 86.4 ksec is a day. Science fiction has used metric time. Some examples are Vernor Vinge’s books A Fire on the Deep and Deepness in the Sky and Charles Stross’s books Glasshouse, Accelerando, and Neptune’s Brood. Also Robert Forward and Iain M. Banks used metric time. We won't abandon minutes and hours anytime soon. We’re all used to them. We won't start saying things like “I’ll be right with you, give me a hectosec.” For doing math with time or doing scientific and engineering measurements, kiloseconds, Megaseconds, and Gigaseconds might just make a lot of sense. And trying something new is fun.
AtomicClock
This app displays the exact current time synchronized with NTP servers, offering a customizable clock view for precise time checks. It's ideal for setting watches, verifying timestamps, or comparing local and network time.
- Precise time from NTP servers
- Customizable clock faces
- Select or add time servers
- Local and UTC views
- 12/24 hour modes
- Customizable time format
- Acoustic ticking
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Check precise NTP reference time at a glance. AtomicClock helps you set watches, wall clocks, cameras, and other devices, compare local time with UTC, and follow moments when every second matters. Clear analog and digital time AtomicClock displays current time from NTP servers that reference atomic clocks. Choose a predefined server or add your own, then view local or UTC time in a clean analog or digital clock. Customize your reference clock • Switch between 12-hour and 24-hour time • Customize the time format • Choose from multiple clock faces and hands • Use a smooth, fluid second hand • Add acoustic ticking or the Greenwich Time Signal • Tap the screen to hide information and controls, freeze the display, or mute ticking Details for precise time checks View technical NTP information, including round-trip time and server stratum. Whether you are checking a timestamp, preparing a camera, aligning a wall clock, or setting a watch by hand, the seconds remain clear and easy to follow. AtomicClock is free to use. AtomicClock Pro is available as a one-time purchase with no subscription. It unlocks your preferred clock face, hands, and font, removes ads, and includes upcoming Pro features. AtomicClock displays NTP reference time for comparison and does not change your device’s system time. Results can vary with the selected server, network conditions, and device behavior.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Metric Seconds at none against AtomicClock's 1. Metric Seconds also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 84%). AtomicClock's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (5.5K vs 15). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. AtomicClock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Metric Seconds asks for nothing beyond the download.
AtomicClock holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AtomicClock has 5.5K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Metric Seconds's written reviews are positive against 84% of AtomicClock's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Metric Seconds ships an update every 7 months, AtomicClock every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Metric Seconds | AtomicClock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (15 ratings) | 4.8 (5.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 84.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 5.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.1 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tangozulu R&D | Timo Partl |
Customer experience
Metric Seconds
AtomicClock
Bugs and requests
Metric Seconds
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
AtomicClock
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on certain iOS versions
- Occasional freezing of hands
- Countdown timer sound not working
Requested features
5 requests- Add GMT/dual time display
- Implement widget support
- Add different second hand sounds
- Allow setting background color to match watch
- Include alarm/timer functionality
In-app purchases
Metric Seconds
No in-app purchases
AtomicClock
- Lifetime Pro Version$6.99
Questions
Is Metric Seconds free?
Is AtomicClock free?
Which has better reviews, Metric Seconds or AtomicClock?
Do Metric Seconds or AtomicClock have ads?
Which is updated more often, Metric Seconds or AtomicClock?
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