Comparison

Binary Geek Clock vs Emerald Observatory for iPad

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Binary Geek Clock

This app displays the current time in binary format, offering standard or real binary options. It can also function as a desk clock and includes a hexadecimal display for a unique time-telling experience.

Highlights
  • Standard and Real binary display
  • Desk clock mode
  • 12/24 hour time format
  • Hexadecimal clock option
  • Digital time display
  • Power of 2 indicator
Features
Read full description

Show off your inner geek with a feature rich binary clock. - Display in Standard or Real binary - Keep your iPhone / iPad from sleeping to use as a desk clock. - 12/24 hour time display. - Hex clock for when you really want to mess with your friends. For the geek in training or anyone just learning to read binary, you can display the time digitally below the LED's. You can also turn on the key that will show you what power of 2 each light represents.

About

Emerald Observatory for iPad

This app provides a comprehensive astronomical display on a single screen, offering detailed information about celestial bodies and timekeeping. It features a heliocentric orrery, rise and set times, twilight information, and moon phase details. Users can navigate through time and set alarms for astronomical events.

Highlights
  • Astronomical information display
  • Heliocentric orrery
  • Rise and set times for Sun, Moon, planets
  • Twilight times
  • Moon phase and orientation
  • World map of day/night regions
  • Eclipse simulator
Features
Read full description

Emerald Observatory displays a wealth of astronomical information all on one screen, in a unique but understandable format. Information includes: - 12- and 24-hour ordinary clock time - Times of rise and set for the Sun, the Moon, and the 5 classical planets - Times of the beginning and ending of twilight - Heliocentric orrery (display of the planets in orbit around the Sun) - Altitude and azimuth for the same bodies (one body at a time) - Current phase and apparent orientation and relative size of the moon - Current regions of day and night on a world map - The Equation of Time, solar time, UTC time, and sidereal time - Month, day, year, and leap-year indicator - Daily alarm (delivered as local notification on iOS 4+ if app is not running) - Eclipse simulator - Displayed times are synchronized via NTP to "atomic clock" standard - Uses iPad location, or the latitude and longitude may be set manually A setting is available to allow the display to stay on continuously. Tap on the display to move forward by a month, day, year, hour, or minute. A detailed manual for the operation of Emerald Observatory can be found at the "Emerald Sequoia LLC Web Site" listed below, at http://emeraldsequoia.com/eo/ If you are having any trouble with the application whatsoever, please see our FAQ on the support page listed below and then contact us through that page if your problem is not resolved. We take pride in responding promptly to all support email requests but we can't fix it if you don't report it (and we have no way to respond to Customer Reviews on iTunes). (NTP requires Internet access. Like all apps Emerald Observatory can not change the device's internal clock.)

Screenshots

Binary Geek Clock3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Emerald Observatory for iPad at Free against Binary Geek Clock's $0.99. Emerald Observatory for iPad also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (95 vs 3). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Emerald Observatory for iPad is free to download; Binary Geek Clock costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Emerald Observatory for iPad holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Emerald Observatory for iPad has 95 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Binary Geek Clock's written reviews are positive against 99% of Emerald Observatory for iPad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Binary Geek Clock ships an update every 12 months, Emerald Observatory for iPad every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Binary Geek Clock versus Emerald Observatory for iPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBinary Geek ClockEmerald Observatory for iPad
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (3 ratings)4.9 (95 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews98.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings395 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer8 Bit CodeBjorn Freeman-Benson

Customer experience

Binary Geek Clock

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

Emerald Observatory for iPad

All ratings84 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews145 reviews
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.4%

Bugs and requests

Binary Geek Clock

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Emerald Observatory for iPad

Requested features

14 requests
  • Port to screen wallpaper
  • Large wall clock version
  • Apple TV version
  • Support for Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
  • iPhone and Apple Watch versions
Show 9 more
  • Alarm functionality
  • Screen dimming for night use
  • Numeric display of values
  • Switch altitude/azimuth by touching planet
  • Push notifications for specific events
  • Custom chime sounds for events
  • Round earth display to match moon display
  • iPad version of Chronometer iPhone app
  • Tutorial mode or on-screen help

In-app purchases

None

Binary Geek Clock

No in-app purchases

None

Emerald Observatory for iPad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Binary Geek Clock free?
Binary Geek Clock costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Emerald Observatory for iPad free?
Emerald Observatory for iPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Binary Geek Clock or Emerald Observatory for iPad?
Emerald Observatory for iPad is rated higher. Binary Geek Clock averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Emerald Observatory for iPad averages 4.9 from 95 ratings.
Do Binary Geek Clock or Emerald Observatory for iPad have ads?
Neither Binary Geek Clock nor Emerald Observatory for iPad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Binary Geek Clock or Emerald Observatory for iPad?
Binary Geek Clock ships an update every 12 months, and Emerald Observatory for iPad every 5 months. Most recently, Binary Geek Clock was updated on October 9, 2026 and Emerald Observatory for iPad on October 22, 2026.

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