# ClockMaster vs Birdfy

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | ClockMaster | Birdfy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $49.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clockmaster-time-regulator/id413901882/reviews) | **[4.1 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdfy/id6463374220/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 52 | **3.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **58.6% of reviews** | 49.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 288 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ONYX Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/356553882) | [NETVUE, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530898976) |

## What reviewers say

### ClockMaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clockmaster-time-regulator/id413901882)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ClockMaster Pro | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Data lost if app stops unexpectedly
- iPhone notifications interrupt measurements
- External mic option not available
- App freezes after iOS upgrade
- Screen touch points unresponsive

**Requested features**

- 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


### Birdfy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdfy/id6463374220)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Collection Storage Basic mo. | $2.39 | per month |
| MVR - Basic - Monthly | $2.39 | per month |
| MVR - Plus - Monthly | $3.59 | per month |
| Collection Storage Plus mo. | $4.69 | per month |
| Hummingbird Recognition mo. | $4.69 | per month |
| Bird Recognition Basic mo. | $5.89 | per month |
| Collection Storage Pro mo. | $7.09 | per month |
| MVR - Pro - Monthly | $7.09 | per month |
| Collection Storage Basic ann. | $23.49 | per year |
| MVR - Basic - Annual | $23.49 | per year |
| MVR - Plus - Annual | $35.49 | per year |
| Hummingbird Recognition ann. | $45.99 | per year |
| Collection Storage Plus ann. | $46.95 | per year |
| Bird Recognition Basic ann. | $57.99 | per year |
| Collection Storage Pro ann. | $70.99 | per year |
| Hummingbird Reco. Lifetime | $85.99 | one-time |
| Bird Recognition Lifetime Plan | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete devices
- Unreliable live view and video uploads
- Unexpected app logout and account deletion

**Requested features**

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


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