# Five Bells vs The Analog Clock

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Five Bells | The Analog Clock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-analog-clock/id1611896379/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 239 | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.5% of reviews** | 53.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 36 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mark Gould](https://appshunter.io/developer/1575372263) | [Vida Apps Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580682451) |

## What reviewers say

### Five Bells

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-bells/id1579094984)

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.

**Highlights:** Traditional ship's bell simulation, Configurable bell sequences, Hourly single bell option, Scheduled quiet time, Maritime information for sailors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Regular Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lunch | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔔 Great bell sounds
- 👍 Exactly what users wanted
- 💡 Useful for time tracking
- 💰 Free with donation option
- 🌙 Quiet hours feature appreciated

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### The Analog Clock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-analog-clock/id1611896379)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plan - 1 Month | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan - 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan - 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🕰️ Helpful for timing activities
- 💡 Customizable background color
- 🕰️ Good visual representation of time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙅‍♀️ Lack of alarm/timer features
- 🤖 Excessive ads and tracking
- 🔍 Difficulty changing clock appearance
- 🕰️ Inaccurate time display

**Reported bugs**

- Clock time not displaying correctly
- Ads interfering with other app functions

**Requested features**

- Add alarm and timer functions
- Reduce ads and tracking
- Allow more customization options
- Improve time accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Five Bells free?

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

### Is The Analog Clock free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Five Bells or The Analog Clock?

Five Bells is rated higher. Five Bells averages 4.7 out of 5 from 239 ratings, while The Analog Clock averages 4.6 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Five Bells or The Analog Clock have ads?

The Analog Clock shows ads; Five Bells does not.

### Which is updated more often, Five Bells or The Analog Clock?

Five Bells ships an update every 2 months, and The Analog Clock every 8 months. Most recently, Five Bells was updated on October 22, 2026 and The Analog Clock on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*