# bigstopwatch vs Hourglass

The clearest difference is review sentiment: bigstopwatch at 95% against Hourglass's 30%. bigstopwatch also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Hourglass's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hourglass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. bigstopwatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

bigstopwatch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 76 and 255 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of bigstopwatch's written reviews are positive against 30% of Hourglass's.

bigstopwatch ships an update every 9 months, Hourglass weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | bigstopwatch | Hourglass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bigstopwatch/id301615836/reviews)** | [4.5 (255 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-simple-timer/id6449443481/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 76 | **255** |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuki Yasoshima](https://appshunter.io/developer/286550473) | [Focaccia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689143851) |

## What reviewers say

### bigstopwatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bigstopwatch/id301615836)

This app offers a stopwatch with both analog and digital displays. The majority of the screen acts as a large button for starting and stopping measurements, with other functions accessible via text labels.

**Highlights:** Analog and digital display, Large start/stop button, Countdown preparation, Lap/split time recording, Reset measurement, View next/previous lap

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Flawless functionality
- 👍 Elegant and intuitive interface
- 👍 Smooth transitions between portrait and landscape
- 👍 Accurate and reliable
- 👍 Minimalist and beautiful design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional issues with iOS 8 and newer
- 🔋 Potential battery drain when running in the background

**Reported bugs**

- Unreliable performance when multitasking on iOS 8+
- Occasional freezing when switching between apps

**Requested features**

- Add a pure black background option
- Implement a countdown timer feature
- Add the ability to save and export lap times


### Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-simple-timer/id6449443481)

This app offers a simple and user-friendly hourglass experience. Set your desired time, pause it as needed, and enjoy the soothing visual of falling sand. It's designed for moments of calm and focused time management.

**Highlights:** User-friendly hourglass interface, Set custom timer durations, Pause and resume timer, Soothing falling sand animation, Comforting visual experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro - Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Hourglass Timer Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is bigstopwatch free?

bigstopwatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hourglass free?

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

### Which has better reviews, bigstopwatch or Hourglass?

bigstopwatch is rated higher. bigstopwatch averages 5.0 out of 5 from 76 ratings, while Hourglass averages 4.5 from 255 ratings.

### Do bigstopwatch or Hourglass have ads?

Hourglass shows ads; bigstopwatch does not.

### Which is updated more often, bigstopwatch or Hourglass?

bigstopwatch ships an update every 9 months, and Hourglass weekly. Most recently, bigstopwatch was updated on October 11, 2026 and Hourglass on October 15, 2026.

---

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