# Hourly vs Merv

The clearest difference is price: Merv at Free against Hourly's $0.99. Merv also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). Hourly's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.5). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Merv is free to download; Hourly costs $0.99 up front. Merv sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Hourly asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hourly ships an update every 6 months, Merv fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourly | Merv |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (127 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly/id415727230/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **127** | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Chris Jones](https://appshunter.io/developer/415727233) | [Protective IQ Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1803557144) |

## What reviewers say

### Hourly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourly/id415727230)

This app provides customizable hourly chimes and notifications, functioning like a personal wristwatch that alerts you at specific intervals. You can select unique sounds, display custom messages, and choose which times to be notified.

**Highlights:** Customizable hourly chimes, Selectable notification sounds, Display custom messages, Flexible notification scheduling, No ads or tracking

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Simple, straightforward functionality that works as advertised
- ⏰ Effective hourly reminders help users stay on schedule
- 🎵 Multiple sound options including BBC Greenwich Pips
- ⚙️ Customizable time intervals and scheduling
- 🔕 Non-intrusive notifications that don't interfere with calendar

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable notifications when phone is locked
- 🐛 Notifications stop working after silencing phone
- 🐛 Inconsistent functionality across iOS updates
- ⌚ Limited Apple Watch integration and functionality
- 🔊 Sounds are too quiet and difficult to hear

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications don't work when phone is locked or in sleep mode
- Notifications stop working after phone is silenced
- App stops working after iOS updates
- Settings fail to sync between iPhone and multiple Apple Watches
- Duplicate notifications firing within 2-3 seconds

**Requested features**

- More diverse sound options (cuckoo chime, gong, church bells, grandfather clock)
- Ability to use system sounds and custom ringtones
- Female voice option and multiple voice varieties (British, Australian accents)
- Volume control for individual notifications
- 24-hour continuous operation option


### Merv

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merv/id6749407173)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access (1 Month) | $9.99 | per month |
| All Access (1 Year) | $99.99 | per year |
| All Access Household (1 Year) | $149.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hourly free?

Hourly costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Merv free?

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

### Do Hourly or Merv have ads?

Neither Hourly nor Merv shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hourly or Merv?

Hourly ships an update every 6 months, and Merv fortnightly. Most recently, Hourly was updated on November 1, 2026 and Merv on November 5, 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.*