Comparison

iCTides vs Hacker Clock

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

Head to head
About

iCTides

Access tide predictions for over 4400 US coastal locations, along with current time, sunrise/sunset, and moonrise/moonset. Enjoy customizable backgrounds and soothing ocean sounds for a tranquil experience.

Highlights
  • 4400+ US coastal tide predictions
  • Current time, sunrise, sunset, moonrise/moonset
  • Customizable backgrounds and slideshows
  • Soothing ocean sound effects
  • Watch app with complications
  • Offline tide calculations
Features
Read full description

iCTides for the iPhone and the iPod Touch provides predictions of times for high and low tides for over 4400 costal locations around the US, including Alaska, Hawaii and overseas US territories. Times are displayed with clocks that feature beautiful background images of tropical and ocean scenes. Soothing sounds of the ocean play in the background (can be disabled). Features: - High and low tide predictions for 4400 US costal locations. - Tide location can be selected from a list or via points on the map. - Also displays clocks for: - Current Time - Next Sunrise - Next Sunset - Next Moonrise - Next Moonset - Next Full Moon - 55 background images that can be shown individually or as a slide show. - Animated sweep second hand using a fishing pole and hook on the Current Time clock. - Plays soothing ocean sounds in the background (can be disabled). - Can be set to keep the iPhone on continuously for desk displays or to turn off automatically using the current iPhone settings. - Tide and other times are calculated locally (no net access required for predictions). - Watch app with complications available for most watch faces Special thanks to David Flater for developing the original XTide program and to Ann Rucker for porting XTide to Cocoa.

About

Hacker Clock

Transform your device into a unique clock displaying animated hexadecimal code. Watch green hexadecimal values flow across the screen, simulating complex data processing. Ideal for computer enthusiasts, hackers, and fans of futuristic aesthetics.

Highlights
  • Animated hexadecimal code display
  • Three color variants (green, red, blue)
  • Horizontal and vertical display modes
  • 12- and 24-hour format options
  • Unique clock for geeks and fans
Features
Read full description

Hacker Clock turns your iPhone into a truly unique clock displayed as animated hexadecimal code. The green hexadecimal values constantly move across the screen, making it look as if your phone is processing complex data. This application is perfect for computer geeks, hackers, and matrix fans. If you are using a binary clock, you can throw it away. Once you try this hexadecimal clock, you will never want to use any other. Summary: * A truly unique clock * Animated hexadecimal code * Three color variants: green, red, blue * Horizontal and vertical modes * 12- and 24-hour formats

Screenshots

iCTides4 screens
Hacker Clock2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Hacker Clock at Free against iCTides's $0.99. Hacker Clock also leads on ratings volume (41 vs 1) and review sentiment (54% vs 44%). iCTides's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 7 months vs every 15 months). 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

Hacker Clock is free to download; iCTides costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iCTides holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacker Clock has 41 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of iCTides's written reviews are positive against 54% of Hacker Clock's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iCTides ships an update every 7 months, Hacker Clock every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on September 2, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iCTides versus Hacker Clock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriCTidesHacker Clock
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.5 (41 ratings)
Positive reviews44.4% of reviews53.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings141 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 months — betterEvery 15 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeaside AppsLeszek Szary

Customer experience

iCTides

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral11.1%
Negative44.4%

Hacker Clock

All ratings41 ratings
Positive82.9%
Neutral9.8%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral11.5%
Negative34.6%

In-app purchases

None

iCTides

No in-app purchases

None

Hacker Clock

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iCTides free?
iCTides costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hacker Clock free?
Hacker Clock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iCTides or Hacker Clock?
iCTides is rated higher. iCTides averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Hacker Clock averages 4.5 from 41 ratings.
Do iCTides or Hacker Clock have ads?
Neither iCTides nor Hacker Clock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iCTides or Hacker Clock?
iCTides ships an update every 7 months, and Hacker Clock every 15 months. Most recently, iCTides was updated on September 2, 2026 and Hacker Clock on September 26, 2026.

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