# Hourly Chime in Background vs Cuckoo

The clearest difference is rating: Hourly Chime in Background at 4.8 against Cuckoo's 3.4. Hourly Chime in Background also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Cuckoo's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 25 months) and review sentiment (68% vs 51%). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cuckoo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hourly Chime in Background asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hourly Chime in Background holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 16 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of Hourly Chime in Background's written reviews are positive against 68% of Cuckoo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hourly Chime in Background ships an update every 25 months, Cuckoo every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourly Chime in Background | Cuckoo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-chime-in-background/id393704915/reviews)** | [3.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cuckoo/id414022497/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | 51.3% of reviews | **68.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 23 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Moon Hyuk Kang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1538843419) | [Toshihiko Tambo](https://appshunter.io/developer/406777331) |

## What reviewers say

### Hourly Chime in Background

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly-chime-in-background/id393704915)

This utility app provides gentle hourly reminders to help you stay on track throughout the day. Customize your schedule, choose alert sounds, and let it run quietly in the background to improve focus and build routines.

**Highlights:** Customizable hourly schedule, Multiple alert sound options, Speaking Clock feature, Reliable background operation, Simple and clean interface, Respects device volume and silent mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cuckoo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cuckoo/id414022497)

This utility app simulates a cuckoo clock, chiming every hour and half-hour. Users can toggle the cuckoo sound on or off and customize alarm modes. Additional sounds and background images are available for purchase, along with an option to remove ads.

**Highlights:** Hourly and half-hourly cuckoo chimes, Customizable alarm modes, Add-on purchases for sounds and backgrounds, Ad removal option, Toggleable cuckoo sound

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cuckoo Premium Feature | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hourly Chime in Background free?

Hourly Chime in Background is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cuckoo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hourly Chime in Background or Cuckoo?

Hourly Chime in Background is rated higher. Hourly Chime in Background averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Cuckoo averages 3.4 from 16 ratings.

### Do Hourly Chime in Background or Cuckoo have ads?

Cuckoo shows ads; Hourly Chime in Background does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hourly Chime in Background or Cuckoo?

Hourly Chime in Background ships an update every 25 months, and Cuckoo every 3 months. Most recently, Hourly Chime in Background was updated on October 22, 2026 and Cuckoo on October 23, 2026.

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