Comparison

Sandglass3 vs Hourglass

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

Head to head
About

Sandglass3

This app simulates a realistic hourglass with customizable timer durations. Users can flip the hourglass by swiping or rotating their device. It offers optional sound alerts and automatic rotation upon completion.

Highlights
  • Realistic hourglass simulation
  • 1, 3, and 6-minute timers
  • Swipe to flip hourglass
  • Rotate device to flip
  • Chime alert on completion
  • Automatic rotation option
Features
Read full description

It's a very simple, yet realistic hourglass. - Choose from a 1-minute, 3-minute, or 6-minute timer (check the remaining time at the bottom of the screen to determine the correct time). - Swipe the screen horizontally or turn your iPhone sideways and then back to portrait to flip the hourglass over. - You can display the remaining time and play a chime when the timer finishes. - You can set it to rotate automatically once all the sand has fallen. Staring at it is soothing...maybe.

About

Hourglass

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
Read full description

Watch the sand fall and enjoy a calmer way to keep track of time. Hourglass is a simple visual timer that lets you enjoy the gentle motion of falling sand while counting down your time. Use it for studying, focused work, reading, breaks, meditation, or any moment when you want time to feel a little more peaceful. Unlike an ordinary digital timer, Hourglass gives you a visual sense of time passing as the sand slowly falls. Perfect for: • Studying and focus sessions • Work and productivity • Reading and hobbies • Pomodoro sessions • Meditation and quiet time • Relaxing breaks Features: • Set any timer duration you like • Relaxing falling-sand animation • Quickly restart recently used timer durations • Notifications when the timer finishes • Customize sand and background colors with Pro • Show or hide the remaining time with Pro Whether you're studying, working, meditating, or taking a break, Hourglass gives you a simple and calming way to experience time. standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Sandglass34 screens
Hourglass3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Hourglass at 4.5 against Sandglass3's 2.7. Hourglass also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (255 vs 11). Sandglass3's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (44% vs 30%). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Hourglass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Sandglass3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Hourglass holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hourglass has 255 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Sandglass3's written reviews are positive against 30% of Hourglass's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sandglass3 ships an update every 8 months, Hourglass weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Sandglass3 versus Hourglass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSandglass3Hourglass
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (11 ratings)4.5 (255 ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.8% of reviews — better30.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11255 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKeietsu YasuharaFocaccia, Inc.

Customer experience

Sandglass3

All ratings11 ratings
Positive36.4%
Neutral9.1%
Negative54.5%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive43.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative56.3%

Hourglass

All ratings255 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Sandglass3

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Hourglass

Subscriptions1
  • Pro - Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Hourglass Timer Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Sandglass3 free?
Sandglass3 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, Sandglass3 or Hourglass?
Hourglass is rated higher. Sandglass3 averages 2.7 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Hourglass averages 4.5 from 255 ratings.
Do Sandglass3 or Hourglass have ads?
Both Sandglass3 and Hourglass show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sandglass3 or Hourglass?
Sandglass3 ships an update every 8 months, and Hourglass weekly. Most recently, Sandglass3 was updated on October 23, 2026 and Hourglass on October 25, 2026.

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