Comparison

Binary Clock by jhale.dev vs Cool Penguin Clock

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Binary Clock by jhale.dev

This utility displays time using binary code, representing numbers with illuminated dots. It offers personalization options and includes instructions for reading the binary time format. The application is open-source.

Highlights
  • Binary time display
  • Customizable settings
  • Instructions for binary time
  • Open-source code
  • Personalization options
Features
Read full description

Instead of the digits 1, 2, 3, etc... this clock uses columns of dots that turn on and off like the 1s and 0s of the binary form of the number. Binary Clock also includes several settings you can use to personalize the clock to your liking. Just press and hold the clock to access them. If you don't know how to tell time on a Binary Clock, check out the instructions in the blog post announcing the app: https://links.jhale.dev/binaryclock Binary Clock is open-source! Check out the code yourself on GitHub: https://github.com/thehale/BinaryClock DISCLAIMER: All marketing pictures in this app store listing are designed to complement the nerdy theme of this app. The presence of various books in some marketing pictures in this app store listing does not imply an endorsement of this app by the authors of those publications. Those authors retain copyright and trademark rights to their works.

About

Cool Penguin Clock

Features
Read full description

How about a cool penguin clock for the hot summer? You can choose from 20 different pictures of penguins. You can move the time text, analog clock, and penguin with your fingers. The analog clock and penguin can be zoomed in and out with two fingers. Seconds can also be displayed. Background color can be selected from 5 different colors. The year, month, day of the week, a.m./p.m., and seconds can be erased by touching them. Touching the time character switches to setting mode. When in setting mode, touch to change the year, month, and date to various formats. You can also switch between 12-hour and 24-hour displays. Screen rotation in portrait and landscape mode is also supported. By pressing buttons such as "2X" and "3X," the font size can be adjusted in steps. The time signal can be selected from 78 different tones.

Screenshots

Binary Clock by jhale.dev4 screens
Cool Penguin Clock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Binary Clock by jhale.dev at none against Cool Penguin Clock's 1. Binary Clock by jhale.dev also leads on ads (none vs shown). Cool Penguin Clock's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cool Penguin Clock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Binary Clock by jhale.dev asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Binary Clock by jhale.dev ships an update every 4 months, Cool Penguin Clock every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 4, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Binary Clock by jhale.dev versus Cool Penguin Clock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBinary Clock by jhale.devCool Penguin Clock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.112.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoseph HaleMihoko Araki

In-app purchases

None

Binary Clock by jhale.dev

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cool Penguin Clock

One-time1
  • Penguin Clock with no ads$1.99

Questions

Is Binary Clock by jhale.dev free?
Binary Clock by jhale.dev is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cool Penguin Clock free?
Cool Penguin Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Binary Clock by jhale.dev or Cool Penguin Clock have ads?
Cool Penguin Clock shows ads; Binary Clock by jhale.dev does not.
Which is updated more often, Binary Clock by jhale.dev or Cool Penguin Clock?
Binary Clock by jhale.dev ships an update every 4 months, and Cool Penguin Clock every 3 weeks. Most recently, Binary Clock by jhale.dev was updated on June 4, 2026 and Cool Penguin Clock on September 11, 2026.

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