Combat Clock 1a vs Essential Sci
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Combat Clock 1a
This app replicates a 12-hour analog ship's clock, displaying GPS coordinates, heading, and compass bearing. It features an alarm that rings every half hour based on traditional deck watch shifts. The application is active only in the foreground and does not save or transmit any user data.
- 12-hour analog clock with sweeping second hand
- Displays GPS coordinates
- Shows device heading and compass bearing
- Half-hourly alarm (1-8 bells)
- Foreground active only
- No data saving or transmission
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Combat Clock is a 12-hour analog clock (sweeping second hand) that is a contemporary replica of a WWI/WWII ship's clock used by the US Navy, Coast Guard and other government organizations. Location data is leveraged to display current GPS coordinates, heading and compass bearing that indicates the direction the top of the device (portrait mode) is pointing to (12 is North, 6 South, 3 East and 9 is West). Combat Clock includes an alarm that rings every half hour (1 to 8 bells) based on the old deck watch shift standard of 4 hour. The application is active only when it is in the foreground. No location or personal data is saved or sent from the device. There are no in-application advertisements, or purchases.
Essential Sci
Stream a vast library of science fiction movies and TV shows for free. Subscribe monthly to enjoy an ad-free viewing experience and access premium content.
- Hundreds of hours of sci-fi content
- Free streaming
- Monthly ad-free subscription
- Watch on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad, iPod
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The Essential Sci-Fi Channel contains hundreds of hours of your favorite science fiction movies and television shows available to watch for free. Sign up for a monthly subscription to watch without ads! Terms of Use: http://macmillanweb.com/html/terms.asp
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Essential Sci at Free against Combat Clock 1a's $0.99. Essential Sci also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.9). Combat Clock 1a's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, update cadence 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
Essential Sci is free to download; Combat Clock 1a costs $0.99 up front. Essential Sci sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Combat Clock 1a asks for nothing beyond the download.
Essential Sci holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 31 respectively.
Combat Clock 1a ships an update every 2 months, Essential Sci every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Combat Clock 1a | Essential Sci |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (64 ratings) | 4.5 (31 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 64 — better | 31 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | JOHN W GRANHOLM | MacMillan Interactive Communications, LLC |
Customer experience
Combat Clock 1a
Essential Sci
In-app purchases
Combat Clock 1a
No in-app purchases
Essential Sci
- Essential Sci-Fi Subscription$5.991 Month
- Essential Sci-Fi Yearly Sub$69.991 Year
Questions
Is Combat Clock 1a free?
Is Essential Sci free?
Which has better reviews, Combat Clock 1a or Essential Sci?
Do Combat Clock 1a or Essential Sci have ads?
Which is updated more often, Combat Clock 1a or Essential Sci?
Other comparisons
