Comparison

Tempo Timer vs Real Hourglass

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

Head to head
About

Tempo Timer

This utility app allows users to create and manage interval timers with a straightforward interface. It is designed for easy tracking of timed activities.

Highlights
  • Create custom timers
  • Track timed activities
  • Simple design
  • Easy to use
Features
Read full description

Tempo is a powerful timer with a simple design, that lets you create and track timers with ease.

About

Real Hourglass

A minimalist sand timer app that offers a realistic hourglass animation for focus, relaxation, and time management. It's designed to provide a distraction-free experience for various daily activities.

Highlights
  • Realistic hourglass animation
  • Intuitive interface
  • Focus sessions
  • Meditation aid
  • Daily routine timer
  • Distraction-free design
Features
Read full description

Experience the calm and clarity of a traditional hourglass, reimagined for your smartphone. This app offers a beautifully animated sand timer that helps you stay focused, relax your mind, or manage your daily activities with ease. Whether you're studying, meditating, cooking, or taking a short break, the hourglass provides a gentle and distraction-free way to keep track of time. Features - Smooth and realistic hourglass animation - Simple and intuitive interface - Perfect for focus sessions, meditation, stretching, or daily routines Bring a touch of calm to your day with this minimalist hourglass timer. Enhance your productivity with a clean and distraction-free hourglass timer designed for focus, study sessions, meditation, and daily routines. This simple sand timer app provides a realistic hourglass animation, making it perfect for Pomodoro-style focus, mindfulness, relaxation, and time management. Use it as a study timer, focus timer, meditation timer, or a calming visual timer to help you stay on track. Its minimalist design ensures a smooth experience whether you're working, reading, stretching, or taking a break.

Screenshots

Tempo Timer4 screens
Real Hourglass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Real Hourglass at 100% against Tempo Timer's 0%. Real Hourglass also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). Tempo Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, monetization model and device support 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. Real Hourglass sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Tempo Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Real Hourglass holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Tempo Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Real Hourglass's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tempo Timer ships an update every 6 months, Real Hourglass weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Tempo Timer versus Real Hourglass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempo TimerReal Hourglass
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlex Codringtonakira ohmachi

Customer experience

Tempo Timer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Real Hourglass

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tempo Timer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Real Hourglass

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is Tempo Timer free?
Tempo Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Real Hourglass free?
Real Hourglass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tempo Timer or Real Hourglass?
Real Hourglass is rated higher. Tempo Timer averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Real Hourglass averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Tempo Timer or Real Hourglass have ads?
Real Hourglass shows ads; Tempo Timer does not.
Which is updated more often, Tempo Timer or Real Hourglass?
Tempo Timer ships an update every 6 months, and Real Hourglass weekly. Most recently, Tempo Timer was updated on October 12, 2026 and Real Hourglass on October 20, 2026.

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