# Cuckoo vs Talking Timer

The clearest difference is price: Cuckoo at Free against Talking Timer's $1.99. Cuckoo also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 2) and review sentiment (68% vs 60%). Talking Timer's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On device support there is nothing between them.

Cuckoo is free to download; Talking Timer costs $1.99 up front. Cuckoo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Talking Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Talking Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cuckoo has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Cuckoo's written reviews are positive against 60% of Talking Timer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Cuckoo ships an update every 3 months, Talking Timer every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cuckoo | Talking Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [3.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cuckoo/id414022497/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talking-timer-voice-alerts/id1582848182/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **68.0% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 42 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toshihiko Tambo](https://appshunter.io/developer/406777331) | [Masao Saeki](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435000955) |

## 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 |


### Talking Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talking-timer-voice-alerts/id1582848182)

This utility app provides spoken alerts for multiple timers, even when running in the background. Customize each timer with a unique name and message, and choose from various alert modes. Save your favorite timer configurations for quick access.

**Highlights:** Six independent timers, Custom voice message per timer, Multiple alert modes (Normal, Repeat, Alarm), Timer presets for saving settings, Background operation with sound, Available in 14 languages

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cuckoo free?

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

### Is Talking Timer free?

Talking Timer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cuckoo or Talking Timer?

Talking Timer is rated higher. Cuckoo averages 3.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Talking Timer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Cuckoo or Talking Timer have ads?

Cuckoo shows ads; Talking Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cuckoo or Talking Timer?

Cuckoo ships an update every 3 months, and Talking Timer every 5 days. Most recently, Cuckoo was updated on September 19, 2026 and Talking Timer on September 21, 2026.

---

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