# Hourglass vs The Kitchen Timer

The clearest difference is price: Hourglass at Free against The Kitchen Timer's $0.99. Hourglass also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). The Kitchen Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Hourglass is free to download; The Kitchen Timer costs $0.99 up front. Hourglass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. The Kitchen Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hourglass ships an update weekly, The Kitchen Timer every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourglass | The Kitchen Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-simple-timer/id6449443481/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **216** | — |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 52 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Focaccia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689143851) | [Matthew Hiles](https://appshunter.io/developer/1006499180) |

## What reviewers say

### 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

**In-app purchases (2)**

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


### The Kitchen Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-kitchen-timer/id6463170826)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hourglass free?

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

### Is The Kitchen Timer free?

The Kitchen Timer costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Hourglass or The Kitchen Timer have ads?

Hourglass shows ads; The Kitchen Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hourglass or The Kitchen Timer?

Hourglass ships an update weekly, and The Kitchen Timer every 6 months. Most recently, Hourglass was updated on October 6, 2026 and The Kitchen Timer on October 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*