# Finger Timer vs AlarmChess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Finger Timer at 75% against AlarmChess's 33%. Finger Timer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). AlarmChess's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 16 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AlarmChess sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Finger Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

AlarmChess holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Finger Timer has 347 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Finger Timer's written reviews are positive against 33% of AlarmChess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Finger Timer ships an update every 16 months, AlarmChess weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Finger Timer | AlarmChess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (347 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finger-timer/id586062009/reviews) | **[4.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alarmchess/id6756176866/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **347** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | **75.4% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 23 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yu-Mao Feng](https://appshunter.io/developer/492241617) | [Ming Kang Siow](https://appshunter.io/developer/1858862011) |

## What reviewers say

### Finger Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finger-timer/id586062009)

This app functions as a speedcubing and speedstacking timer, offering a simple and elegant interface. It allows users to time their solves, track statistics like averages, and even connect to a display device for shared viewing. The app offers both free and full versions with varying features and limitations.

**Highlights:** Speedcubing timer, Speedstacking timer, Automatic statistics tracking, Display connection, Scramble generation, Ao5 and Ao12 calculation

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Nice timer with no ads
- 🚀 Great portable timer
- 💡 Useful for cubing and speed stacking
- 🚀 Accurate and efficient timer
- 👍 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer issues (not starting/stopping properly)
- 🔧 Needs more features (save times, averages, etc.)
- 💸 Ads can be intrusive
- 🔧 Compatibility issues on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Timer not stopping/resetting properly
- Scrambles not displaying correctly
- App crashing or freezing during use

**Requested features**

- Add ability to save/view past times and averages
- Expand to support more puzzle types (4x4, 5x5, etc.)
- Improve timer responsiveness and reliability
- Provide an ad-free paid version


### AlarmChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alarmchess/id6756176866)

This alarm clock requires users to solve a chess puzzle to dismiss it, ensuring a mentally engaging start to the day. It offers customizable alarms, curated puzzles with adjustable difficulty, and hints to help users wake up alert and focused.

**Highlights:** Solve chess puzzles to dismiss alarm, Customizable alarm times and repeat days, Curated chess puzzles with adjustable difficulty, Hints available for stuck users, Intuitive and clean interface, Reliable notifications even when app is closed

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Finger Timer free?

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

### Is AlarmChess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Finger Timer or AlarmChess?

AlarmChess is rated higher. Finger Timer averages 4.2 out of 5 from 347 ratings, while AlarmChess averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.

### Do Finger Timer or AlarmChess have ads?

AlarmChess shows ads; Finger Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Finger Timer or AlarmChess?

Finger Timer ships an update every 16 months, and AlarmChess weekly. Most recently, Finger Timer was updated on October 19, 2026 and AlarmChess on October 9, 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.*