# Cuckoo vs Time Chimes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Time Chimes at none against Cuckoo's 1. Time Chimes also leads on ads (none vs shown). Cuckoo's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months). On price, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Cuckoo ships an update every 3 months, Time Chimes every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cuckoo | Time Chimes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cuckoo/id414022497/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **16** | — |
| Positive reviews | **68.0% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 42 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toshihiko Tambo](https://appshunter.io/developer/406777331) | [SHIN INABA](https://appshunter.io/developer/800415932) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Time Chimes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/time-chimes/id1513365239)

Set custom chime notifications for specific times and days of the week. Organize chimes into groups and pause them as needed. Requires notification permissions to function.

**Highlights:** Scheduled chime notifications, Customizable by day of week, Group management for chimes, Pause chime groups, Notification permission required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cuckoo free?

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

### Is Time Chimes free?

Time Chimes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Cuckoo or Time Chimes have ads?

Cuckoo shows ads; Time Chimes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cuckoo or Time Chimes?

Cuckoo ships an update every 3 months, and Time Chimes every 8 months. Most recently, Cuckoo was updated on October 9, 2026 and Time Chimes on October 10, 2026.

---

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