Alarm Clock HD vs First Light
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Alarm Clock HD
Wake up gently with your favorite music or sounds using this advanced alarm clock. It offers customizable nightstand displays, sleep tracking, and a sleep timer to help you unwind. Enjoy features like local weather and an instant flashlight, with an option to go ad-free via subscription.
- Unlimited alarms with Apple Music or custom sounds
- Sleep tracking
- Customizable nightstand display
- Sleep timer
- Local weather information
- Instant flashlight
- Screen saver for OLED displays
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Sleep better and start the day with your favorite tunes. Are you curious to see how much you slept? Then, track your sleep in the app. Alarm Clock HD is the app to help you enjoy restful sleep and wake up worry-free. How Alarm Clock HD helps you sleep better: • Unlimited Alarms: Apple Music or Alarm Sounds • Customize Nightstand display colors • Sleep Timer • Local Weather Information • Instant Flashlight - shake the device • Full watchOS 2 support • Screen Saver - for devices with OLED display WAKE UP ON TIME: Proper Alarm Settings • Keep the app open and running always to have your alarm go off and play the sounds you’ve set for ‘Music'. When your app is open, you can use the volume slider within the app. When the app is in the background, use the device volume to set your volume. • Make sure your battery is charged and have your notifications turned on before you go to sleep, when the battery level goes below 30% it might not sound. This is due to prevent the device from dying and the alarm not going off. • Keep your Apple Music available on your device The music you can select consists of everything you have available on your ‘Apple Music' app on your device. If the music is saved on your iCloud, and not on the device itself, it won’t be available. NEVER MISS AN ALARM When you close the app and do not have it running in the background, the alarm will use the device volume instead and play the notification sound system. The app will close itself automatically after 10 hours of inactivity. This is due to prevent the device from dying and the alarm not going off. When your device is muted, set to ‘Do Not Disturb’, or your device volume is set to 0, the alarm won’t play properly. It will still show the notification without any sound. This is due to Apple’s restrictions as we are unable to access the app settings when the app is closed, only when it’s open or running in the background. SUBSCRIPTION IN ALARM CLOCK HD Upgrade to a Premium Membership and receive the following ongoing value: • Ad-Free • News & X feeds (Twitter) • Premium Customer Support Terms & Conditions: https://impalastudios.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://impalastudios.com/privacy >> WE LOVE FEEDBACK As always, we appreciate your feedback. Please email us at support@impalastudios.com with any suggestions or questions, our support team is ready and happy to help. WAKE UP YOUR WAY, EVERY DAY
First Light
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First Light is the alarm clock for people who sleep through everything. If you've ever set five alarms and slept through all five, you don't need another gentle chime. You need an alarm that won't quit until you're actually on your feet. First Light makes you complete a real task to turn it off — so by the time the noise stops, you're already wide awake. HOW IT WORKS When the alarm goes off, you can't just swipe it away. You complete a mission: • Photo — snap a specific spot in your home (the bathroom, the kitchen) to prove you're up • Steps — get out of bed and walk • Math — solve problems to shut it off • QR scan — scan a code you've placed across the room • Shake — shake your phone until you're moving • Type — type out a phrase • Selfie — take a selfie to confirm you're awake Pick the mission that actually works on you. Make it harder on the mornings that matter. WAKE-UP CHECK The dangerous part isn't the alarm — it's the silence after. First Light checks back in minutes after you dismiss it, to make sure you didn't crawl straight back to bed. No more "I turned it off and fell asleep again." BEAT THE MORNING SCROLL Because you have to get up and move to dismiss it, you're out of bed before you ever open Instagram. Start your day on your feet — not face-down in your phone. DESIGNED TO BE SIMPLE Most alarm apps are cluttered, confusing, and stuffed with ads. First Light is clean, fast, and does one thing exceptionally well: it gets you up. No clutter, no nonsense. FAIR PRICING — SUBSCRIBE OR BUY ONCE Start free for a week on the yearly plan, then keep going for less than a coffee a week. Prefer flexibility? Go month to month. Prefer to pay once and own it forever? Lifetime is a one-time purchase — no subscription. Pick what works for you. Download First Light and wake up on the first try — for once. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://peridot-muscari-287.notion.site/First-Light-Privacy-Policy-33fc470a77ab81ecbb00d9cc05c175e3
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: First Light at none against Alarm Clock HD's shown. First Light also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). Alarm Clock HD's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Alarm Clock HD sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and First Light sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Alarm Clock HD ships an update fortnightly, First Light every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Alarm Clock HD | First Light |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (104K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 31.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 104K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 137 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Impala Studios | Kevin Kessler |
Bugs and requests
Alarm Clock HD
Reported bugs
4 issues- Alarm randomly snoozing itself
- Alarm not working when phone is muted
- Alarm sound not playing
- Alarm screen freezing/crashing
Requested features
4 requests- 24-hour clock option
- More alarm sounds/tones
- Ability to use own music files
- Do not disturb mode
First Light
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Alarm Clock HD
- Premium member - 1 month$1.491 Month
- Premium Features - Weekly$1.997 Days
- Premium Features - Monthly3 Days trial$2.591 Month
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- Upgrade to Premium Features$5.496 Months
- Premium Yearly$9.991 Year
- Premium Yearly3 Days trial$11.991 Year
- Upgrade Your Alarm Clock3 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Premium yearly$19.991 Year
- Premium yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium yearly3 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Premium yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year
First Light
- First Light Premium (Weekly)2 variants$0.997 Days
- First Light Premium — Annual$13.991 Year
- First Light Premium (Yearly)$19.991 Year
- First Light Alarm Premium$29.99
Questions
Is Alarm Clock HD free?
Is First Light free?
Do Alarm Clock HD or First Light have ads?
Which is updated more often, Alarm Clock HD or First Light?
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