Comparison

Binary vs Brutal Time

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

Head to head
About

Binary

This utility displays time using binary code represented by LED-style buttons. It offers customizable display modes, an alarm, and a countdown timer, making it educational for learning binary counting.

Highlights
  • Binary time display
  • 24 or 12 hour mode
  • Alarm clock functionality
  • Countdown timer
  • Customizable button colors
  • Optional sound alerts
Features
Read full description

Display time using LED-type buttons that correspond to binary values for the hours, minutes, and seconds. Educational for learning binary counting. Options: * 24 or 12 hour mode * Alarm Clock * Countdown Timer mode * Optional "beep" sound * Select a variety of colors for the buttons.

About

Brutal Time

Read full description

Brutal Time turns your iPhone into a brutalist desk clock. Put it on a charger and it fills the screen, edge to edge, with nothing but type. It tells time without decoration, distraction, or gimmicks. ON THE CHARGER StandBy widgets for every clock face, and widgets for the Home Screen. A full-screen, StandBy-style display for the app itself, with the status bar hidden so the clock owns the whole screen. Add a Shortcut and it opens by itself the moment you plug in. Always-On keeps it lit while charging and dims it after a few seconds, then lets the phone sleep again as soon as you unplug. FOUR TYPOGRAPHIC FACES Four distinct designs, each built on a different typographic system: digits locked to a ruled grid, editorial Swiss with a red accent, oversized poster glyphs cropped by the frame, and mono type over a dot-indexed field. Each reads as words or numerals, in dark or light, portrait or landscape. UNLOCK AMBIENT MOTION WITH THE FULL EDITION Each face can come alive. Continuous, ambient motion runs through the type — letters that breathe, sway, and resolve on their own unhurried rhythm, with several motions for every face. Calm and deliberate, never a screensaver. Ambient Motion is the only paid feature, and the Full Edition is a one-time purchase — buy it once, keep it forever. Everything else is free: every clock face, every typeface, every widget, the full-screen display and Always-On. Also included: - Three typefaces per face - Custom accent colors - Home Screen and StandBy widgets - No subscription. No ads. Ever. Brutal Time is shaped by brutalist design principles: visible structure, a restrained palette, and the removal of unnecessary ornament. Time is shown as type, grid, and rhythm — clear, functional, and deliberate.

Screenshots

Binary3 screens
Brutal Time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Binary at none against Brutal Time's 1. Binary also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Brutal Time's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 13 months). On price and ads 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. Brutal Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Binary asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Binary ships an update every 13 months, Brutal Time every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Binary versus Brutal Time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBinaryBrutal Time
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWyllys IngersollForager Lab LLC

In-app purchases

None

Binary

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Brutal Time

One-time1
  • Full Edition$4.99

Questions

Is Binary free?
Binary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brutal Time free?
Brutal Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Binary or Brutal Time have ads?
Neither Binary nor Brutal Time shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Binary or Brutal Time?
Binary ships an update every 13 months, and Brutal Time every 10 days. Most recently, Binary was updated on October 24, 2026 and Brutal Time on October 28, 2026.

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