Comparison

Hourglass vs Hourglass The Sand Timer

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

Head to head
About

Hourglass

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
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

Hourglass The Sand Timer

Features
Read full description

Watch real falling sand count your time. Hourglass simulates thousands of grains, and every grain is metered by the clock - the top bulb runs empty at the exact moment your timer ends, for any duration from 5 seconds to 24 hours. Hold it like the real thing. Gravity mode is on from the first launch: tilt your phone and the piles lean, slip and avalanche exactly like real sand - while the timer stays perfectly on time at any angle. • Gravity mode: tilt your phone and the sand leans and avalanches like the real thing • Beautiful glass hourglass with seven sand themes • No buttons needed: turn your phone over to start the glass, and turn it over again when it runs out - just like the real thing • Alarm-grade alerts, even after a reboot • Zen mode: hide the digits, let the sand tell the time • Timers library: save the durations you use most and build multi-phase sequences like Pomodoro or interval workouts that advance on their own • Works offline, no account needed - your timers and settings stay on your device. • Free with a small banner ad. One purchase removes it forever and unlocks every sand color.

Screenshots

Hourglass3 screens
Hourglass The Sand Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hourglass The Sand Timer at none against Hourglass's 2. Hourglass's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Hourglass The Sand Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hourglass ships an update weekly, Hourglass The Sand Timer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Hourglass versus Hourglass The Sand Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHourglassHourglass The Sand Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (255 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings255 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFocaccia, Inc.Michal Dobrzanski

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Hourglass

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

Hourglass The Sand Timer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hourglass free?
Hourglass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hourglass The Sand Timer free?
Hourglass The Sand Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hourglass or Hourglass The Sand Timer have ads?
Both Hourglass and Hourglass The Sand Timer show ads.
Which is updated more often, Hourglass or Hourglass The Sand Timer?
Hourglass ships an update weekly, and Hourglass The Sand Timer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hourglass was updated on November 3, 2026 and Hourglass The Sand Timer on October 28, 2026.

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