Comparison

Hourglass vs Minimal Hourglass

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

Head to head
About

Hourglass

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
Read full description

Watch the sand fall and enjoy a calmer way to keep track of time. Hourglass is a simple visual timer that lets you enjoy the gentle motion of falling sand while counting down your time. Use it for studying, focused work, reading, breaks, meditation, or any moment when you want time to feel a little more peaceful. Unlike an ordinary digital timer, Hourglass gives you a visual sense of time passing as the sand slowly falls. Perfect for: • Studying and focus sessions • Work and productivity • Reading and hobbies • Pomodoro sessions • Meditation and quiet time • Relaxing breaks Features: • Set any timer duration you like • Relaxing falling-sand animation • Quickly restart recently used timer durations • Notifications when the timer finishes • Customize sand and background colors with Pro • Show or hide the remaining time with Pro Whether you're studying, working, meditating, or taking a break, Hourglass gives you a simple and calming way to experience time. standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Minimal Hourglass

Features
Read full description

Minimal Hourglass is a simple and elegant visual timer app designed to help you stay focused without distractions. Watch time flow naturally with a beautifully animated hourglass timer that makes it easier to stay calm, centered, and productive. Whether you’re meditating, studying, cooking, or managing your child’s screen time, this sand timer provides a soothing and effective way to track time visually — without numbers or loud alarms. Key Features: • Minimalist hourglass animation with flowing sand • Multiple sand color options to match your mood or focus • Custom timer durations – set minutes and seconds freely • Elegant circular progress indicator • Simple one-tap start, pause, and reset controls • No internet required – works fully offline

Screenshots

Hourglass3 screens
Minimal Hourglass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Minimal Hourglass at none against Hourglass's 2. Minimal Hourglass also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Hourglass's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, ads 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. Hourglass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Minimal Hourglass asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hourglass ships an update weekly, Minimal Hourglass every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hourglass versus Minimal Hourglass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHourglassMinimal Hourglass
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (254 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings254 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB37 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFocaccia, Inc.Seulki Eom

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Hourglass

Subscriptions1
  • Pro - Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Hourglass Timer Pro$4.99
None

Minimal Hourglass

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hourglass free?
Hourglass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Minimal Hourglass free?
Minimal Hourglass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hourglass or Minimal Hourglass have ads?
Both Hourglass and Minimal Hourglass show ads.
Which is updated more often, Hourglass or Minimal Hourglass?
Hourglass ships an update weekly, and Minimal Hourglass every 2 months. Most recently, Hourglass was updated on October 30, 2026 and Minimal Hourglass on October 28, 2026.

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