# Cuckoo vs HourChime

The clearest difference is rating: HourChime at 4.7 against Cuckoo's 3.4. HourChime also leads on ads (none vs shown). Cuckoo's advantage is ratings volume (16 vs 3). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cuckoo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HourChime sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HourChime holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cuckoo has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Cuckoo's written reviews are positive against 62% of HourChime'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, HourChime every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cuckoo | HourChime |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cuckoo/id414022497/reviews) | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourchime/id6753335220/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **68.0% of reviews** | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 42 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Toshihiko Tambo](https://appshunter.io/developer/406777331) | [Mitsuhiro Hashimoto](https://appshunter.io/developer/509482512) |

## 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 |


### HourChime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourchime/id6753335220)

This app provides hourly or 30-minute voice cues and sounds to help you stay focused and on track. It features customizable quiet hours and a clean, battery-friendly interface. The app is designed for reliable background operation.

**Highlights:** Hourly/30-minute chime intervals, Spoken time announcements, Customizable mute schedule, Background operation, Battery-friendly design, Light/Dark Mode support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cuckoo free?

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

### Is HourChime free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cuckoo or HourChime?

HourChime is rated higher. Cuckoo averages 3.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while HourChime averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Cuckoo or HourChime have ads?

Cuckoo shows ads; HourChime does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cuckoo or HourChime?

Cuckoo ships an update every 3 months, and HourChime every 2 months. Most recently, Cuckoo was updated on September 19, 2026 and HourChime on September 10, 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.*