# Best Sand Timer vs timer.

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Best Sand Timer at none against timer.'s 5. Best Sand Timer also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). timer.'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 14 months) and review sentiment (63% vs 46%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. timer. sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Best Sand Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Best Sand Timer against 4.3 for timer.. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: timer. has 171 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of Best Sand Timer's written reviews are positive against 63% of timer.'s.

Best Sand Timer ships an update every 14 months, timer. every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Best Sand Timer | timer. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-sand-timer/id501940934/reviews) | **[4.3 (171 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timer-multi-countdown-timer/id1399987470/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **171** |
| Positive reviews | 45.6% of reviews | **63.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serhii Simkovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/959904647) | [Tobias Hauss](https://appshunter.io/developer/1399987469) |

## What reviewers say

### Best Sand Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-sand-timer/id501940934)

A digital hourglass timer that visually represents the passage of time. It's designed to be kid-friendly, offers customizable alarm sounds, and allows users to personalize the timer's color. This universal app provides a stylish way to manage tasks and stay notified.

**Highlights:** Digital hourglass visualization, Kid-friendly time perception, Customizable alarm sounds (16 options), Notification even when inactive, Color themes for timer customization, Universal app for iPhone and iPad

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Visually appealing sand timer
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Good for focus and visual timing
- 👍 Customizable colors
- 👍 Works well for kids and educational purposes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 No sound/alarm issues
- 🐛 Alignment and graphics issues
- 🐛 Maximum timer limit of 1 hour
- 🐛 Ads can be intrusive
- 🐛 App crashes/freezes

**Reported bugs**

- No sound when timer reaches zero
- Sand not aligned with hourglass
- Graphics not aligned properly
- Buttons partially off screen
- App not configured for certain iPhone screens (e.g., XR)

**Requested features**

- Display current time on screen
- Keypad for setting timer
- Option to hide digital timer
- Longer timer duration (beyond 1 hour)
- Vibrate function


### timer.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timer-multi-countdown-timer/id1399987470)

Manage multiple countdown timers simultaneously with this intuitive app. Set custom names, sounds, and even use your own music for alarms. Access timers easily via widgets, Apple Watch, and Live Activities.

**Highlights:** Multiple simultaneous timers, Customizable names and alarm sounds, Background timer operation, Widget and Apple Watch access, Live Activities with Play/Pause, Siri Shortcuts support, Dark Mode and themes

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Themes for timer. | $0.99 | one-time |
| iTunes Music as In-App Alarm | $0.99 | one-time |
| Edit All Widget Details | $0.99 | one-time |
| Edit & Reorder Existing Timer | $1.99 | one-time |
| PRO (Bundle) - All Features | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great widget functionality
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 👍 Useful for multiple timers
- 👍 Good integration with Dynamic Island
- 👍 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget opens app unexpectedly
- 🐛 Apple Watch control limitations
- 🐛 Timer data loss issues
- 🐛 Widget display issues
- 🐛 No sound in silent mode

**Reported bugs**

- Widget opens the app when interacted with
- Timers disappear or are lost
- Watch app sync issues
- Widget buttons overlap or are unreadable
- App remains on Dynamic Island after closing

**Requested features**

- Make widgets smaller and show only clicked timer
- Allow Apple Watch to select and restart specific times
- Add option to dynamically set timer from Shortcuts
- Add option for timers to repeatedly loop
- Option to hide seconds in Dynamic Island


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Best Sand Timer free?

Best Sand Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is timer. free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Best Sand Timer or timer.?

timer. is rated higher. Best Sand Timer averages 4.2 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while timer. averages 4.3 from 171 ratings.

### Do Best Sand Timer or timer. have ads?

Neither Best Sand Timer nor timer. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Best Sand Timer or timer.?

Best Sand Timer ships an update every 14 months, and timer. every 3 months. Most recently, Best Sand Timer was updated on November 1, 2026 and timer. on November 2, 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.*