# Standby Clock vs aLock

The clearest difference is ads: aLock at none against Standby Clock's shown. aLock also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Standby Clock's advantage is ratings volume (715 vs 32) and review sentiment (61% vs 44%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Standby Clock sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and aLock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

aLock holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Standby Clock has 715 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of Standby Clock's written reviews are positive against 44% of aLock's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Standby Clock ships an update every 6 weeks, aLock every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Standby Clock | aLock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (715 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standby-clock-on-lock-screen/id1466459620/reviews) | **[4.7 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alock-app-lock/id1663668785/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **715** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | **61.2% of reviews** | 44.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 56 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [云云 唐](https://appshunter.io/developer/1443085254) | [裕涛 兰](https://appshunter.io/developer/1624361053) |

## What reviewers say

### Standby Clock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/standby-clock-on-lock-screen/id1466459620)

This app transforms your device into a full-screen digital clock with customizable fonts and colors. It offers a musical alarm, displays seconds on the dynamic island and lock screen, and can broadcast the time hourly. Enjoy background alarms with custom ringtones and various widget options.

**Highlights:** Full-screen digital time display, Seconds on dynamic island and lock screen, Customizable digital font styles and colors, Musical alarm with custom ringtones, Hourly chime and voice broadcasting, Lock screen and Home Screen widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| All Clock Styles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🕰️ Customizable clock display
- 💡 Useful night light feature
- 🔍 Clear and accurate time display

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Vertical time display not preferred
- 🕰️ Lack of additional features (e.g., weather, date)
- 💰 Paid app with limited free features
- 🔋 Short screen time before turning off

**Reported bugs**

- Clock not displaying properly on home screen
- Alarm not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add horizontal time display option
- Include weather and date information
- Improve screen timeout settings
- Offer more customization options


### aLock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alock-app-lock/id1663668785)

Manage your screen time effectively by setting usage limits for apps and automatically restricting them when limits are reached. This app helps users, including children, focus better by blocking distractions and inappropriate content. A free trial is available for premium features.

**Highlights:** Set app usage limits, Automatic app restriction, Manual app restriction/restoration, Focus enhancement for children, Distraction blocking, Free trial for premium features

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| App Lock for 1 week | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| App Lock for 1 year | $9.99 | per year |
| App Lock Premium | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Standby Clock free?

Standby Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is aLock free?

aLock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Standby Clock or aLock?

aLock is rated higher. Standby Clock averages 4.4 out of 5 from 715 ratings, while aLock averages 4.7 from 32 ratings.

### Do Standby Clock or aLock have ads?

Standby Clock shows ads; aLock does not.

### Which is updated more often, Standby Clock or aLock?

Standby Clock ships an update every 6 weeks, and aLock every 3 weeks. Most recently, Standby Clock was updated on October 22, 2026 and aLock on October 27, 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.*