Comparison

Zen Flip Clock vs AJournal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Zen Flip Clock

This app offers a minimalist clock experience with multiple themes and powerful focus tools. It functions as a fullscreen desk clock and includes a Pomodoro timer, stopwatch, and hourly chime to help manage time and improve productivity.

Highlights
  • Multiple clock themes (flip, digital, minimalist)
  • Fullscreen desk clock functionality
  • Pomodoro timer for focused work sessions
  • Stopwatch for timing tasks
  • Hourly chime for routine building
  • Time usage statistics
  • Home and lock screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Zen Flip Clock A minimalist flip clock, desk clock, and focus timer designed to make time clear, simple, and easy to follow. Choose from multiple clock themes, including flip clock, digital clock, and minimalist styles. Use it as a fullscreen clock for studying, working, focusing, or as a clean nightstand clock. Open the app and start right away. Why Zen Flip Clock More than just a clock, Zen Flip Clock is a simple tool for focus and time management. From study sessions and focused work to everyday timing, it helps you stay aware of your time and make every minute count. Key Features Multiple Clock Themes Choose from flip clock, digital clock, and minimalist clock designs. Use your favorite theme as a desk clock, fullscreen clock, or nightstand clock for work, study, and everyday use. Pomodoro Timer Stay focused with the built-in Pomodoro timer. Perfect for studying, reading, working, and other tasks that require concentration. Count Up Timer Track elapsed time for studying, workouts, meditation, reading, and everyday activities. Hourly Chime Stay aware of time with hourly chimes and customizable reminders. Build better routines for work, study, and daily life. Focus Statistics Track your focus time and usage to better understand how you spend your time. Personalization Multiple Themes Switch between a variety of minimalist clock themes, from classic flip clock designs to clean digital styles. Smooth Animations Enjoy clean, natural, and fluid clock animations designed for a calm visual experience. Home & Lock Screen Widgets View the time at a glance with Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets without opening the app. Easy Controls Swipe left for Pomodoro Swipe right for Count Up Timer Tap to open Settings Whether you need a flip clock for your desk, a fullscreen digital clock for studying, a Pomodoro timer for focused work, or a simple nightstand clock, Zen Flip Clock keeps time clear and focus simple. Make time visible. Stay focused. Contact & Legal ▸ Bug Reports & Feedback: minimalsoftwarestudio@gmail.com ▸ Terms of Use: https://minimalsoftwarestudio.feishu.cn/docs/doccnK7LrYMwBFdr7SRl4qQv2lb

About

AJournal

This app combines digital planning with the tactile feel of handwriting. Organize your days, weeks, and months, set goals, and track habits using Apple Pencil or your finger. Choose from numerous templates or create your own custom layouts.

Highlights
  • Handwriting and text input
  • Digital calendar integration
  • Over 100 customizable templates
  • Sticker library and custom stickers
  • Reminders integration
  • PDF export and iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

AJournal is the all-in-one digital planner built around handwriting and your calendar. Use Apple Pencil to plan, journal, and reflect on pages where events from any connected calendar appear right alongside your notes. Choose from 100+ fully customizable templates or design your own to fit exactly how you think. Combine the mindfulness of handwriting with powerful organization tools — plan days, weeks, and months, set goals, and track habits, projects, and progress, all in one place. SUPPORTS HANDWRITING, TEXT & IMAGES - Write/draw with Apple Pencil or finger - Text input with Scribble or keyboard, with complete formatting support like fonts, colors, etc - Save links to a website or another planner page - Add images and resize, rotate, or object crop - Choose among over 2500 stickers to make your journal/planner fun and personal - Save your own images as stickers for easier access DIGITAL CALENDARS - Connect any digital calendar so all events will show up in daily/weekly planners - Write/Scribble/Type alongside the events from the digital calendars REMINDERS - Apple Reminders are integrated into daily planners STAY ORGANIZED - Navigate effortlessly through journals/planners by dates, weeks, months, and projects - Search function for inputted texts makes it easier to find a journal/planner OVER 100 TEMPLATES TO CHOOSE FROM & FULL CUSTOMIZATION - Over 100 templates with minimalist design and cover every need: daily/weekly/monthly planners, project planners, finance planners, meal/fitness/habit trackers, ATracker, etc - The templates are fully customizable, simply add/remove/rearrange/configure elements and set colors/headers - Personalize a page with your writing/drawing and save it as a template Aesthetic Backgrounds & Color Themes - Choose from over 100 backgrounds with different textures, styles, and seasonal themes. - Select from various tints and foregrounds. INTEGRATION WITH ATRACKER (OPTIONAL) - With over 2 million downloads, ATracker is a time tracking tool trusted by users worldwide. - Combined with task/goal tracking in ATracker, you can follow up on your progress in AJournal in real time. EXPORT & BACKUP - Export your journals/planner as PDFs to read in other tools or for keepsake - Create backups to keep your data safe SPLIT VIEW & SLIDE OVER ICLOUD SYNC - You can now use AJournal on your iPhone - AJournal data can be synced via iCloud (Active subscription needed) SUBSCRIPTION AJournal supports unlimited pages per day/week/month/year and projects with a subscription. This add-on is optional. • AJournal subscriptions purchased in-app renew monthly or yearly, depending on your plan. Plan pricing may vary by country. • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period Users can try out AJournal without any limitation with a 7-day free trial. SUPPORT Visit http://Ajournal.pro or contact us at support@Ajournal.pro. Terms of Service: http://Ajournal.pro/TOS.html Privacy Policy: http://Ajournal.pro/policy.html AJournal - Organize your thoughts, keep track of your goals

Screenshots

Zen Flip Clock4 screens
AJournal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Zen Flip Clock at none against AJournal's shown. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Zen Flip Clock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and AJournal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Zen Flip Clock against 4.7 for AJournal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.2K and 5.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Zen Flip Clock's written reviews are positive against 77% of AJournal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zen Flip Clock ships an update every 2 weeks, AJournal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Zen Flip Clock versus AJournal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZen Flip ClockAJournal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6.2K ratings)4.7 (5.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.5% of reviews76.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.2K — better5.3K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB120 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperChaoyang Minimal Software StudioWonderApps AB

Customer experience

Zen Flip Clock

All ratings6,186 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews688 reviews
Positive71.5%
Neutral11.8%
Negative16.7%

AJournal

All ratings5,338 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral3.3%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews531 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative12.8%

User reviews

Zen Flip Clock

From 6.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Amazing app
  • 👍 Aesthetic and minimalistic
  • 👍 Useful for studying and productivity
  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 👍 Great for a desk clock

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Time display issues
  • 🐛 Widget not working as expected
  • 🐛 Pomodoro timer resets when switching apps
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 💰 Paid features required for full functionality

AJournal

From 5.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great integration with calendar and reminders
  • 👍 Highly customizable templates
  • ✨ Ability to create own templates
  • 💡 Combination of digital and handwritten planning
  • 🎨 Variety of stickers and colors

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sync issues between devices
  • 🔒 Requires subscription for full functionality
  • 📱 No iPhone app, only iPad
  • 🖋️ Limited handwriting tools compared to other apps
  • 🔍 Difficult to find some features or settings

Bugs and requests

Zen Flip Clock

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Time display inaccuracies
  • Widget freezing and displaying incorrect time
  • Pomodoro timer not working as expected
  • Compatibility issues with latest iOS updates
  • App crashing or becoming unresponsive

Requested features

8 requests
  • Add alarm functionality
  • Implement live activities support
  • Allow custom pomodoro timer durations
  • Provide more theme/color options
  • Add world clock/timezone support
Show 3 more
  • Enable screen lock/password protection
  • Improve widget behavior and reliability
  • Introduce a timer mode (countdown)

AJournal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Text boxes sometimes lose formatting or disappear
  • Occasional crashes when switching between views
  • Syncing issues causing data loss

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add PDF support
  • Improve handwriting recognition and tools
  • Implement iCloud sync
  • Develop iPhone app version
  • Add more customization options for templates
Show 2 more
  • Improve search functionality for handwritten notes
  • Provide option for one-time purchase instead of subscription

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Zen Flip Clock

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$9.99
2 purchases

AJournal

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$26.991 Year

Questions

Is Zen Flip Clock free?
Zen Flip Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AJournal free?
AJournal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Zen Flip Clock or AJournal?
AJournal is rated higher. Zen Flip Clock averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.2K ratings, while AJournal averages 4.7 from 5.3K ratings.
Do Zen Flip Clock or AJournal have ads?
AJournal shows ads; Zen Flip Clock does not.
Which is updated more often, Zen Flip Clock or AJournal?
Zen Flip Clock ships an update every 2 weeks, and AJournal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Zen Flip Clock was updated on November 5, 2026 and AJournal on November 6, 2026.

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