Five Bells vs The Analog Clock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Five Bells
This app replicates the traditional ship's bell system for marking time and watch changes. Users can configure bell sequences, set hourly chimes, and schedule quiet times. It also offers additional information for sailors.
- Traditional ship's bell simulation
- Configurable bell sequences
- Hourly single bell option
- Scheduled quiet time
- Maritime information for sailors
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For sailors or anyone interested in maritime tradition. The ship’s bell has traditionally been used to mark the passage of time and the changeover of watches aboard ships. Five Bells aims to replicate this tradition on your iPhone®. Bells can be configured to sound a traditional or simplified sequence. Alternatively, a single bell can be struck every hour. A scheduled quiet-time can be enabled to prevent bells from sounding during a scheduled period. Additional information relevant to sailors is also provided.
The Analog Clock
This app displays a customizable analog clock on your entire screen. Personalize background and theme colors, and choose between numbers or Roman numerals for the dial. A premium plan unlocks all designs and advanced customization options.
- Full-screen analog clock display
- Ad-free clock viewing
- Landscape orientation support
- Customizable background and theme colors
- Choice of number or Roman numeral dial
- Access to all designs with Premium Plan
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What can you do with “The Analog Clock” app? ・Display analog clock on the entire screen ・No ads when displaying the clock ・Landscape display are supported ・Background color, theme color, dial letters can be changed It's the perfect app to keep your analog clock. No ads are displayed when the clock is displayed! It also supports landscape orientation and can be used for many purposes. About the clock appearance change function ・For the background color, you can choose your favorite color. ・You can choose the theme color of the clock from two types, white and black. ・You can choose from two types of clock letters: numbers and Roman numerals. Additionally, there is a Premium Plan for a more comfortable experience. Premium Plan Benefits ・Access to all designs! ・Regular additions of new designs! ・No advertisements. ・With the premium plan, you can customize even the smallest details of your clock design, choosing from a wider range of designs! Clock Design Customization Features in the Premium Plan ・Customize the design of the hour hand, minute hand, second hand, and clock face. ・Freely specify background color, hour and minute hand design, second hand design, clock face design, text color, and frame color. ・You can choose from two types of clock letters: numbers and Roman numerals. Customize to your favorite colors and enjoy your personalized analog clock! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Five Bells at none against The Analog Clock's shown. Five Bells also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 54%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). The Analog Clock's advantage is ratings volume (2.4K vs 239) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Five Bells sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and The Analog Clock sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Five Bells against 4.6 for The Analog Clock. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Analog Clock has 2.4K ratings behind it against 239, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Five Bells's written reviews are positive against 54% of The Analog Clock's.
Five Bells ships an update every 2 months, The Analog Clock every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Five Bells | The Analog Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (239 ratings) — better | 4.6 (2.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews — better | 53.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 239 | 2.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mark Gould | Vida Apps Incorporated |
Customer experience
Five Bells
The Analog Clock
User reviews
Five Bells
From 239 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔔 Great bell sounds
- 👍 Exactly what users wanted
- 💡 Useful for time tracking
- 💰 Free with donation option
- 🌙 Quiet hours feature appreciated
Room to improve
- 🐛 Quiet time feature doesn't work
- ⏰ Time incorrect/chiming late
- 🔇 Silence function doesn't work
- 🔊 Too loud, needs volume control
- 🔔 Half-hour bell can be annoying
The Analog Clock
From 2.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🕰️ Helpful for timing activities
- 💡 Customizable background color
- 🕰️ Good visual representation of time
Room to improve
- 🙅♀️ Lack of alarm/timer features
- 🤖 Excessive ads and tracking
- 🔍 Difficulty changing clock appearance
- 🕰️ Inaccurate time display
Bugs and requests
Five Bells
Reported bugs
9 issues- Quiet time feature doesn't work
- Time incorrect, chiming late
- Silence function doesn't work
- App doesn't work on Apple Watch, only one ding
- Number of bells doubled on iPad compared to iPhone
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- App strikes bells when it wants, not always when required
- Bells stopped working after iOS 17 upgrade
- App doubles strikes (e.g., 16 bells at noon)
- Developer webpage link goes to an error
Requested features
6 requests- Nicer clock interface
- Volume control or loud/medium/quiet switch
- Option to leave out half-hour bell
- Ability to have app on Apple Watch
- Choice of bell sounds
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Fix Apple Watch integration
The Analog Clock
Reported bugs
2 issues- Clock time not displaying correctly
- Ads interfering with other app functions
Requested features
4 requests- Add alarm and timer functions
- Reduce ads and tracking
- Allow more customization options
- Improve time accuracy
In-app purchases
Five Bells
- Regular Coffee$1.99
- Large Coffee$2.99
- Lunch$4.99
The Analog Clock
- Premium Plan - 1 Month$3.991 Month
- Premium Plan - 1 Year7 Days trial$34.991 Year
- Premium Plan - 1 Year7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Questions
Is Five Bells free?
Is The Analog Clock free?
Which has better reviews, Five Bells or The Analog Clock?
Do Five Bells or The Analog Clock have ads?
Which is updated more often, Five Bells or The Analog Clock?
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