# Best Sand Timer vs Time’s Up!

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Time’s Up! at 84% against Best Sand Timer's 46%. Time’s Up! also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 14 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Best Sand Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.4). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Time’s Up! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Best Sand Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Time’s Up! holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Time’s Up! has 435 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Best Sand Timer's written reviews are positive against 84% of Time’s Up!'s.

Best Sand Timer ships an update every 14 months, Time’s Up! every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Best Sand Timer | Time’s Up! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-sand-timer/id501940934/reviews) | **[4.6 (435 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-up-visual-timer/id1550456653/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **435** |
| Positive reviews | 45.6% of reviews | **84.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serhii Simkovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/959904647) | [Overdesigned, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/914665832) |

## 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


### Time’s Up!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-up-visual-timer/id1550456653)

This app offers a fun and engaging way to track time with visually appealing countdowns. It's perfect for managing tasks, study sessions, or bedtime routines for both children and adults. Choose from unique visual styles or traditional clocks, and customize alerts for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Visual countdown styles (Reveal, Pixelate, Puzzle), Customizable alert sounds and colors, iCloud timer syncing across devices, Live Activities for Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, Guided Access for child lock, AirPlay and tvOS support for TV display, Minute-by-minute audio updates

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time’s Up! Unlimited | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with time blindness
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 👍 Customizable timer settings
- 👍 Useful for ADHD and autism
- 👍 Great for classrooms and kids

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🔒 Paywall after limited free usage
- 🔒 Lack of flexibility in timer settings
- 🔒 Cannot move timer window freely

**Reported bugs**

- Hotkey functionality broken after update
- Timer not working after app update
- No sound at the end of timer

**Requested features**

- Allow longer timer durations
- Add ability to set multiple timers
- Improve customization options
- Provide more sound/alert options
- Add child-proof timer lock feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Best Sand Timer free?

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

### Is Time’s Up! free?

Time’s Up! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Best Sand Timer or Time’s Up!?

Time’s Up! is rated higher. Best Sand Timer averages 4.2 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Time’s Up! averages 4.6 from 435 ratings.

### Do Best Sand Timer or Time’s Up! have ads?

Neither Best Sand Timer nor Time’s Up! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Best Sand Timer or Time’s Up!?

Best Sand Timer ships an update every 14 months, and Time’s Up! every 6 weeks. Most recently, Best Sand Timer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Time’s Up! on October 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.*