# Hourglass vs Real Hourglass

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Real Hourglass at 100% against Hourglass's 30%. Real Hourglass also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Hourglass's advantage is ratings volume (255 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hourglass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Real Hourglass sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Real Hourglass holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hourglass has 255 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Hourglass's written reviews are positive against 100% of Real Hourglass's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hourglass | Real Hourglass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (255 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-simple-timer/id6449443481/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-hourglass/id6758259094/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **255** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 52 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Focaccia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689143851) | [akira ohmachi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1338624340) |

## What reviewers say

### Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-simple-timer/id6449443481)

A visual timer app that uses falling sand to help you track time peacefully. Ideal for focus sessions, meditation, or any activity where a calm sense of time passing is desired. Offers customizable colors and time visibility with a Pro upgrade.

**Highlights:** Visual falling sand timer, Customizable timer durations, Relaxing sand animation, Timer completion notifications, Restart recent timers, Customizable colors (Pro), Toggle time visibility (Pro)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro - Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Hourglass Timer Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


### Real Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-hourglass/id6758259094)

A minimalist sand timer app that offers a realistic hourglass animation for focus, relaxation, and time management. It's designed to provide a distraction-free experience for various daily activities.

**Highlights:** Realistic hourglass animation, Intuitive interface, Focus sessions, Meditation aid, Daily routine timer, Distraction-free design

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hourglass free?

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

### Is Real Hourglass free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hourglass or Real Hourglass?

Real Hourglass is rated higher. Hourglass averages 4.5 out of 5 from 255 ratings, while Real Hourglass averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hourglass or Real Hourglass have ads?

Both Hourglass and Real Hourglass show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hourglass or Real Hourglass?

Hourglass ships an update weekly, and Real Hourglass weekly. Most recently, Hourglass was updated on November 3, 2026 and Real Hourglass on November 5, 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.*