# McClockface vs Ephemeral Journal

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ephemeral Journal at 100% against McClockface's 63%. Ephemeral Journal also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). McClockface's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (357 vs 3). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. McClockface sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.00 per 7 days and Ephemeral Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ephemeral Journal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: McClockface has 357 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of McClockface's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ephemeral Journal's.

McClockface ships an update every 3 weeks, Ephemeral Journal fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | McClockface | Ephemeral Journal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (357 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcclockface-flip-clock/id1544343485/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ephemeral-journal/id6737073180/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **357** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 62 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Steppenbeck](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441827586) | [Joshua Scott Weesner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767301873) |

## What reviewers say

### McClockface

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcclockface-flip-clock/id1544343485)

Enhance your device's display with a variety of customizable timepiece widgets. Choose from playful retro flip clock designs, progress indicators, and interactive stopwatch widgets for your Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy mode.

**Highlights:** Customizable timepiece widgets, Retro flip clock display, Home Screen widgets, Lock Screen widgets, StandBy mode widgets, Interactive stopwatch widgets, Alternate app icons

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| McClockface Plus | $1.00 | per 7 days |
| McClockface Plus | $3.00 | per month |
| McClockface Plus | $12.00 | per year |
| Snack Sized Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coffee Sized Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lunch Sized Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Movie Sized Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| McClockface Plus (Lifetime) | $25.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful and visually stunning widget designs
- 👍 Highly customizable clock faces and widgets
- 🌈 Wide variety of widget styles to choose from
- ⚡ Smooth animations and polished UI
- 💬 Responsive and communicative developer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires paid subscription for widget access
- 🔄 Widget time display doesn't update properly
- 🐛 Widgets freeze or show incorrect time
- 🔒 Misleading about free widget availability
- 📍 Limited city options in location list

**Reported bugs**

- Widget displays incorrect or outdated time unless app is opened
- Widget freezes and stops updating time
- Widget shows blank or black screen
- Widget locked despite having Plus version subscription
- Time accuracy issues (8-10 minutes behind real time)

**Requested features**

- Ability to remove date or annual progress percentage
- Customizable date/time format options
- Option to start weekdays with Monday instead of Sunday
- Smaller quarter-size widget option
- Transparent widget backgrounds


### Ephemeral Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ephemeral-journal/id6737073180)

This minimalist diary app offers a secure and private space for your thoughts. Entries are automatically deleted after 24 hours and stored locally, ensuring your reflections remain yours alone. Enjoy a distraction-free writing experience with customizable themes and daily prompts.

**Highlights:** Local storage, Biometric authentication, 24-hour entry deletion, Minimalist design, Daily writing prompts, Customizable themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is McClockface free?

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

### Is Ephemeral Journal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, McClockface or Ephemeral Journal?

Ephemeral Journal is rated higher. McClockface averages 4.5 out of 5 from 357 ratings, while Ephemeral Journal averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do McClockface or Ephemeral Journal have ads?

Ephemeral Journal shows ads; McClockface does not.

### Which is updated more often, McClockface or Ephemeral Journal?

McClockface ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ephemeral Journal fortnightly. Most recently, McClockface was updated on October 25, 2026 and Ephemeral Journal on October 24, 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.*