Dobutsu vs VDateNow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dobutsu
A Japanese clock application that displays time with Japanese notation and audio. It is free to download and use.
- Japanese time notation
- Japanese audio
- Free to download
- iPhone, iPad, iPod support
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This is Japanese clock app. Please be aware before you make a purchase that notation and audio are only available in Japanese.
VDateNow
Create augmented reality scenes by placing virtual characters on real-world surfaces. Take photos from any angle, customize characters with different VRM models, and even import external animations. This app allows for immersive virtual photography experiences.
- Augmented reality character placement
- Customizable VRM model import
- External motion import
- Any-angle photography
- Marker image toggle
- Smartphone VR goggles support
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[Application overview] *When you see the marker on the table with the terminal camera, the character sits on the other side of the table. *You can take pictures from any angle you like. *You can change the characters by loading another VRM model you prepared. (You can import VRM model from VRoid Hub) *You can also use VR goggles for smartphones (The camera is not blocked.) to see 3D images. *You can also import and play external motions. [how to use] *Pre-work 1. Print the images shown below in A3 size (210 * 297mm). https://drive.google.com/open?id=1aso6gAUGB4HI2F_N13i5yd0A4FteaKOB 2. Place the printed image on the table where you want the character to appear. * How to operate this application ** How to make a character appear 1. When you start the application, the character list will be displayed, so please select the model you want to display. *Initially, Alicia Solid is the only character. You will learn how to add other models later. 2. Press the Menu icon to delete the Character List window. (Press again to redisplay) 3. Please look at the pictures you prepared in advance through phone camera. 4. When the "character selection" and "Fit image to camera" conditions are met, the characters automatically appear and sit at the table. We're all set. ** After the character appeared - Press the camera icon to take a picture. Take a picture from any position you like. The shot images are saved in the Gallery. - Press cloth icon to hide (or show) marker image. Hide mode is helpful when you want to put objects on the real maker and take pictures. - Press character icon, and she/he appears again. - You can load the other model to change to her/him. *How to Add VRM Models * Cautions * Read and use VRM files in accordance with the terms of use of each VRM file. Click the “Import VRM Files” button and select the model files you want to import. Such files must have the .vrm extension. The previous method used in versions 2.9.0 and earlier — manually placing files directly under the “VDateNow” folder (subfolders allowed) — is still supported. [Privacy Policy] *This application uses the camera of the terminal for AR display. *This app accesses your photo library to save photos [About Default Models] *This application uses the following VRM files as default characters. DWANGO Co., Ltd. "ニコニ立体ちゃん" http://3d.nicovideo.jp/alicia/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dobutsu at 79% against VDateNow's 0%. Dobutsu also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). VDateNow's advantage is rating (3.5 vs 3.3). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
VDateNow holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Dobutsu's written reviews are positive against 0% of VDateNow's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Dobutsu ships an update every 3 weeks, VDateNow every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dobutsu | VDateNow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (8 ratings) | 3.5 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 182 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Toshihide Shimada | Yoshihiro Ito |
Customer experience
Dobutsu
VDateNow
In-app purchases
Dobutsu
No in-app purchases
VDateNow
No in-app purchases









