# Best Sand Timer vs Hourglass

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Best Sand Timer at none against Hourglass's 2. Best Sand Timer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (46% vs 30%). Hourglass's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 14 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hourglass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Best Sand Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hourglass holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hourglass has 255 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of Best Sand Timer's written reviews are positive against 30% of Hourglass's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Best Sand Timer ships an update every 14 months, Hourglass weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Best Sand Timer | Hourglass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-sand-timer/id501940934/reviews) | **[4.5 (255 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-simple-timer/id6449443481/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **255** |
| Positive reviews | **45.6% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serhii Simkovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/959904647) | [Focaccia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689143851) |

## 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


### Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-simple-timer/id6449443481)

This app offers a simple and user-friendly hourglass experience. Set your desired time, pause it as needed, and enjoy the soothing visual of falling sand. It's designed for moments of calm and focused time management.

**Highlights:** User-friendly hourglass interface, Set custom timer durations, Pause and resume timer, Soothing falling sand animation, Comforting visual experience

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro - Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Hourglass Timer Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Best Sand Timer free?

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

### Is Hourglass free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Best Sand Timer or Hourglass?

Hourglass is rated higher. Best Sand Timer averages 4.2 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Hourglass averages 4.5 from 255 ratings.

### Do Best Sand Timer or Hourglass have ads?

Hourglass shows ads; Best Sand Timer does not.

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

Best Sand Timer ships an update every 14 months, and Hourglass weekly. Most recently, Best Sand Timer was updated on October 14, 2026 and Hourglass on October 15, 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.*