# Shelf vs Clocks

Shelf and Clocks are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Shelf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Clocks sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Shelf against 4.6 for Clocks. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 295 and 469 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 58% of Shelf's written reviews are positive against 59% of Clocks's.

Shelf ships an update every 2 days, Clocks every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelf | Clocks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (295 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelf-create-live-activities/id6443596253/reviews) | **[4.6 (469 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clocks-a-fun-standby-mode/id6742508073/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 295 | **469** |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | **59.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 18 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Tigas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364337001) | [Daniel Destefanis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798752932) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelf-create-live-activities/id6443596253)

Pin photos, text, or app shortcuts to your iPhone's Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Customize the appearance with themes, colors, and fonts. Access content with a tap or use Siri and App Shortcuts for automatic launching.

**Highlights:** Pin photos, text, and app shortcuts, Dynamic Island and Home Screen support, Customizable themes, colors, and fonts, Always-on display integration, App Shortcuts and Siri integration, Quick access with a tap

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shelf Pro - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Shelf Pro - Yearly | $12.99 | per year |


### Clocks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clocks-a-fun-standby-mode/id6742508073)

Transform your device into a beautiful clock and weather display. Offers customizable clocks, animated backgrounds, and font options for a personalized experience. It's a private, ad-free alternative to standby modes, with optional matching screensavers for macOS.

**Highlights:** Animated backgrounds, Customizable clock variations, Font and color options, Private and ad-free, MacOS screensaver sync, Shortcuts support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clocks Pro Pack | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Simple, elegant, and beautiful design
- 🎨 Gorgeous and customizable clocks
- 💰 One-time purchase, no subscriptions or ads
- 🧠 Feels like an Apple-made app
- 🔥 Stunning animations and smooth interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficulty rearranging or removing clocks
- 🌙 Lack of dark mode option
- ⏱️ Inability to adjust background animation speed

**Reported bugs**

- Infinite loop of pop-up ads when trying to use the app

**Requested features**

- Timer with start/stop functionality
- Numbered screen savers for easier selection
- Widget support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelf free?

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

### Is Clocks free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shelf or Clocks?

Clocks is rated higher. Shelf averages 4.5 out of 5 from 295 ratings, while Clocks averages 4.6 from 469 ratings.

### Do Shelf or Clocks have ads?

Neither Shelf nor Clocks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shelf or Clocks?

Shelf ships an update every 2 days, and Clocks every 5 days. Most recently, Shelf was updated on October 30, 2026 and Clocks on October 28, 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.*