# Marbles in a Jar vs Time’s Up!

The clearest difference is rating: Time’s Up! at 4.6 against Marbles in a Jar's 3.5. Time’s Up! also leads on ratings volume (444 vs 6) and device support (5 vs 3). Marbles in a Jar's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.4). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Marbles in a Jar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Time’s Up! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Time’s Up! holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Time’s Up! has 444 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Marbles in a Jar's written reviews are positive against 84% of Time’s Up!'s.

Marbles in a Jar ships an update every 4 days, Time’s Up! every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Marbles in a Jar | Time’s Up! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marbles-in-a-jar/id1350121222/reviews) | **[4.6 (444 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-up-visual-timer/id1550456653/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **444** |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **84.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 43 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Aref](https://appshunter.io/developer/1350121221) | [Overdesigned, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/914665832) |

## What reviewers say

### Marbles in a Jar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marbles-in-a-jar/id1350121222)

This app allows you to create a virtual marble jar to track progress, rewards, or habits. Customize jar and marble sizes, and enjoy realistic 3D physics for interactive play. It's a versatile tool for personal motivation or as a virtual swear jar.

**Highlights:** Virtual marble jar for tracking, Customizable jar and marble sizes, Realistic 3D physics, Interactive marble play, Progress tracking for rewards, Virtual swear jar functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Choose Marble Color | $2.99 | one-time |


### Time’s Up!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-up-visual-timer/id1550456653)

This app offers a fun and engaging way to track time with visually appealing countdowns. It's perfect for managing tasks, study sessions, or bedtime routines for both children and adults. Choose from unique visual styles or traditional clocks, and customize alerts for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Visual countdown styles (Reveal, Pixelate, Puzzle), Customizable alert sounds and colors, iCloud timer syncing across devices, Live Activities for Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, Guided Access for child lock, AirPlay and tvOS support for TV display, Minute-by-minute audio updates

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time’s Up! Unlimited | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with time blindness
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 👍 Customizable timer settings
- 👍 Useful for ADHD and autism
- 👍 Great for classrooms and kids

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🔒 Paywall after limited free usage
- 🔒 Lack of flexibility in timer settings
- 🔒 Cannot move timer window freely

**Reported bugs**

- Hotkey functionality broken after update
- Timer not working after app update
- No sound at the end of timer

**Requested features**

- Allow longer timer durations
- Add ability to set multiple timers
- Improve customization options
- Provide more sound/alert options
- Add child-proof timer lock feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Marbles in a Jar free?

Marbles in a Jar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Time’s Up! free?

Time’s Up! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Marbles in a Jar or Time’s Up!?

Time’s Up! is rated higher. Marbles in a Jar averages 3.5 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Time’s Up! averages 4.6 from 444 ratings.

### Do Marbles in a Jar or Time’s Up! have ads?

Neither Marbles in a Jar nor Time’s Up! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Marbles in a Jar or Time’s Up!?

Marbles in a Jar ships an update every 4 days, and Time’s Up! every 6 weeks. Most recently, Marbles in a Jar was updated on October 24, 2026 and Time’s Up! on October 25, 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.*