Talking Timer vs HourChime
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Talking Timer
This utility app provides spoken alerts for multiple timers, even when running in the background. Customize each timer with a unique name and message, and choose from various alert modes. Save your favorite timer configurations for quick access.
- Six independent timers
- Custom voice message per timer
- Multiple alert modes (Normal, Repeat, Alarm)
- Timer presets for saving settings
- Background operation with sound
- Available in 14 languages
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Talking Timer announces the end of your timer with a real voice — even in the background. Set up to six timers at once, each with its own name and a custom message read aloud when it finishes. Perfect for cooking, studying, workouts, and multitasking. Features • Six independent timers • Custom voice message per timer • Three modes: Normal (rings once), Repeat (auto-repeat), Alarm (rings until stopped) • Presets to save and reuse your favorite settings • Five theme colors • Works in the background with sound • Available in 14 languages with natural voices No accounts, no clutter — just clear spoken reminders when you need them.
HourChime
This app provides hourly or 30-minute voice cues and sounds to help you stay focused and on track. It features customizable quiet hours and a clean, battery-friendly interface. The app is designed for reliable background operation.
- Hourly/30-minute chime intervals
- Spoken time announcements
- Customizable mute schedule
- Background operation
- Battery-friendly design
- Light/Dark Mode support
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Chime your day into focus. Hourly or every-30-minute voice cues that keep you on track. Quiet when you need it—powerfully simple when you don’t. HourChime is a focused time-management app that keeps your rhythm with hourly or every-30-minute chimes and optional spoken time, delivering notifications reliably in the background. Set quiet hours with a mute schedule for sleep, meetings, or deep work. A clean, intuitive UI is optimized for Light/Dark Mode and designed to be battery-friendly with no unnecessary background tasks. Features • Chime interval: hourly or every 30 minutes • Spoken time announcement (on/off) + bell sound toggle • Mute Schedule: per time window/day for sleep & meetings • AM/PM or 24-hour display switch • Works reliably in the background after permission • One-time in-app purchase removes ads & unlocks all features (Restore Purchases supported) • Minimal data use; privacy-minded by design Perfect for • Focus sessions, study blocks, and Pomodoro-style routines • Office hours, standups, and calendar-free time awareness • Gentle timekeeping at home and bedtime wind-downs Download now and give your day a clear, calm cadence.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: HourChime at Free against Talking Timer's $1.99. Talking Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads 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
HourChime is free to download; Talking Timer costs $1.99 up front. HourChime sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Talking Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Talking Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Talking Timer's written reviews are positive against 62% of HourChime's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Talking Timer ships an update every 5 days, HourChime every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Talking Timer | HourChime |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | 61.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masao Saeki | Mitsuhiro Hashimoto |
Customer experience
Talking Timer
HourChime
In-app purchases
Talking Timer
No in-app purchases
HourChime
- Premium$1.99









