Comparison

ClockMaster vs Birdfy

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

Head to head
About

ClockMaster

This app analyzes the ticking sound of mechanical pendulum clocks to determine their running rate and error. It's designed for accurate long-term measurements, allowing users to regulate clocks efficiently. Advanced features include printable reports and data export for in-depth analysis.

Highlights
  • Analyzes escapement ticking sound
  • Measures running rate in Beats Per Hour (B/H)
  • Reports error in Seconds Per Day (±S/D)
  • Supports long-term measurements
  • Generates printable PDF reports (Pro)
  • Exports raw data as .csv file (Pro)
Features
Read full description

>>> Check out the demo videos at ClockMasterApp.com ClockMaster is a clock timing software, in many ways similar to watch timegraphers, but specifically designed to work with mechanical pendulum clocks. The app analyzes the ticking sound of the escapement to determine the clock's running rate measured in Beats Per Hour (B/H). This rate is then compared to a specified Target Rate, and the Error is reported as Seconds Per Day fast or slow (±S/D). The speed of a mechanical pendulum clock is not constant, fluctuating with age and wear, spring tension and even temperature. The ClockMaster app was created with a focus on accurate long-term measurements where traditional timers often do not function very well. For the professional horologist or interested amateur, you can now test in the field — put the clock in exact beat and regulate the clock with just a few hours of testing. For increased rate accuracy and in depth investigation of clock movement's behavior, you can conduct long-term measurements for up to two weeks (ClockMaster Pro). Branded, printable PDF reports can be generated for each measurement, and the raw data exported as .csv file for graphing in a spreadsheet (ClockMaster Pro). ClockMaster Pro (in-app upgrade) provides these additional features: • Save and share branded, printable PDF reports for each measurement • Export raw measurement data as a .csv file for spreadsheet analysis • Conduct long-term measurements of up to two weeks

About

Birdfy

Monitor your backyard for feathered visitors with real-time live streaming and automatic video capture of bird activity. Organize your recordings by species, share your discoveries with a global community, and even track the entire nesting and hatching process.

Highlights
  • Real-time bird visitor tracking
  • Automatic video capture of bird moments
  • Categorized video clips by bird species
  • Community sharing of bird observations
  • Nesting and hatching process tracking
  • AI-powered bird and animal identification
Features
Read full description

The Bird Side of Life 1. Live Stream: Real-time Bird Visitor Tracking - View the device's live feed anytime, anywhere to track birds or animals visiting your backyard. 2. Moment Auto-Capture: Automatically Record Wonderful Moments - The device automatically records short video clips when it detects birds or other creatures, saving key moments without manual operation. You can view these directly within the app. 3. Categorized Collection: Manage Wonderful Clips by Bird Species - Sort videos by bird species based on recognition results or your manual selection, allowing you to easily find, manage, and browse your collected video content. 4. Community Sharing: Explore Other Users' Fascinating Observations - Share or browse wonderful content of bird visits with users worldwide. Enjoy an immersive video stream experience that supports Browse by bird species, expanding your birdwatching horizons. 5. Bird Nesting & Hatching Process Tracking (for Birdhouse Devices) - Automatically identify and record the complete process of birds from nest building, laying eggs, hatching, to fledging. The process is automatically archived by stages, allowing you to browse the entire lifecycle on a timeline. Finally, a merged video is generated, fully presenting the precious process of nesting and raising young. 6. Cloud Services (Optional Paid Premium Features) - AI Recognition Cloud Service: When enabled, it supports more intelligent video analysis and content organization, including: * Accurate Identification: 6000+ bird/animal identification, accurately recognizing species like birds, squirrels, and other visiting animals in your device's footage. * Highlights: Automatically generates daily highlights, selecting the most exciting moments of the day. * Monthly/Annual Recap: The system organizes and generates monthly and annual highlight video compilations for easy review and saving. * Birdfy Data: Records bird visit times, frequency, and species, generating data reports. * Smart Moment List Filtering: Supports quick filtering of interesting bird videos by recognition results, improving Browse efficiency. - MVR Cloud Service * Standard recording is 20 seconds. Subscribing provides longer moment recording times (30 seconds+) and longer moment preservation times. - Collection Cloud Service * Standard users have only 5GB of collection memory. Subscribing increases collection memory to 20GB+.

Screenshots

ClockMaster4 screens
Birdfy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Birdfy at Free against ClockMaster's $49.99. Birdfy also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 52). ClockMaster's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 49%). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Birdfy is free to download; ClockMaster costs $49.99 up front. ClockMaster sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Birdfy sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $2.39 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Birdfy holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Birdfy has 3.9K ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of ClockMaster's written reviews are positive against 49% of Birdfy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ClockMaster ships an update every 5 months, Birdfy every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ClockMaster versus Birdfy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClockMasterBirdfy
Price$49.99Free — better
Rating3.8 (52 ratings)4.1 (3.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.6% of reviews — better49.1% of reviews
Number of ratings523.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB288 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperONYX AppsNETVUE, INC.

Customer experience

ClockMaster

All ratings52 ratings
Positive71.2%
Neutral5.8%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive58.6%
Neutral5.7%
Negative35.7%

Birdfy

All ratings3,829 ratings
Positive76.3%
Neutral4.9%
Negative18.9%
Written reviews816 reviews
Positive49.1%
Neutral8.0%
Negative42.9%

User reviews

ClockMaster

From 52 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works very well
  • 👍 Accurately sets beat and calibrates time
  • 👍 Good alternative to expensive dedicated instruments
  • 👍 Elegant display for setting beat and symmetry
  • 👍 Works well for professional clock repairers

Room to improve

  • 😞 Frustrating data handling
  • 😞 Spreadsheet export issues
  • 😞 iPhone notifications stop measurements
  • 😞 Does not work for 400-day clocks
  • 😞 External mic option missing

Birdfy

From 3.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Intuitive app layout
  • 🎥 Great video quality
  • 🐦 Excellent for bird watching
  • 💡 Useful community features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔌 Connectivity issues
  • 🤖 Inconsistent bird identification
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate/use
  • 💰 Paywall for advanced features

Bugs and requests

ClockMaster

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Data lost if app stops unexpectedly
  • iPhone notifications interrupt measurements
  • External mic option not available
  • App freezes after iOS upgrade
  • Screen touch points unresponsive
Show 1 more
  • Help section incomplete

Requested features

13 requests
  • Printable protocol like a timegrapher
  • Beat delta info on regulation screen
  • Option to manually restart measurement and append
  • Undocumented units in spreadsheet export
  • Include actual time in spreadsheet export
Show 8 more
  • Ability to set BPH to 480 for 400-day clocks
  • Plots for drift rate and periodic error within the app
  • Mic that works with the app
  • External mic option
  • More detailed graphs
  • Option to upgrade for $5 instead of $20
  • Better GUI and interface
  • Indication of which half of the cycle is longer/shorter

Birdfy

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to delete devices
  • Unreliable live view and video uploads
  • Unexpected app logout and account deletion

Requested features

5 requests
  • Batch editing for misidentified birds
  • Favorites/frequently spotted section
  • Landscape mode support
  • Customizable notification sounds
  • Motion detection sensitivity adjustments

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ClockMaster

One-time1
  • ClockMaster Pro$29.99
17 purchases

Birdfy

Subscriptions15
  • Collection Storage Basic mo.$2.391 Month
  • MVR - Basic - Monthly$2.391 Month
  • MVR - Plus - Monthly$3.591 Month
Show 12 more
  • Collection Storage Plus mo.$4.691 Month
  • Hummingbird Recognition mo.$4.691 Month
  • Bird Recognition Basic mo.$5.891 Month
  • Collection Storage Pro mo.$7.091 Month
  • MVR - Pro - Monthly$7.091 Month
  • Collection Storage Basic ann.$23.491 Year
  • MVR - Basic - Annual$23.491 Year
  • MVR - Plus - Annual$35.491 Year
  • Hummingbird Recognition ann.$45.991 Year
  • Collection Storage Plus ann.$46.951 Year
  • Bird Recognition Basic ann.$57.991 Year
  • Collection Storage Pro ann.$70.991 Year
One-time2
  • Hummingbird Reco. Lifetime$85.99
  • Bird Recognition Lifetime Plan$99.99

Questions

Is ClockMaster free?
ClockMaster costs $49.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Birdfy free?
Birdfy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ClockMaster or Birdfy?
Birdfy is rated higher. ClockMaster averages 3.8 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Birdfy averages 4.1 from 3.9K ratings.
Do ClockMaster or Birdfy have ads?
Neither ClockMaster nor Birdfy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ClockMaster or Birdfy?
ClockMaster ships an update every 5 months, and Birdfy every 10 days. Most recently, ClockMaster was updated on November 1, 2026 and Birdfy on November 2, 2026.

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