Voice Over Timer vs Penlock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Voice Over Timer
This app provides spoken announcements of remaining time, even when running in the background or with music playing. A widget allows for quick time checks, making it ideal for situations where screen visibility is limited.
- Spoken time announcements
- Background operation
- Music playback compatibility
- Widget for time checks
- Multiple voice options
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This app is a simple voice timer that announces the remaining time aloud, even while you’re listening to music or when the app is running in the background, using local notifications. This is especially useful when you can’t look at your iPhone. You can also check the remaining time using a widget. You have a choice of four voice options: English male, English female, Japanese male, and Japanese female. For more details, you can find additional information in the “App Information” section within the app.
Penlock
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Penlock is a beautiful journaling app built on one principle: your words never leave your device. No cloud sync. No accounts. No servers. No subscriptions. Everything you write is stored locally on your iPhone — private by design, not as an afterthought. WRITE FREELY Create journal entries, attach photos, set your mood, and organize with custom colored tags. Whether it's a quick daily reflection or a detailed travel log, Penlock gives you everything you need — and nothing you don't. START FROM YOUR DAY On iPhone, Journaling Suggestions bring up moments from your day — photos, places, workouts and music — so you never face a blank page. You choose what to use; Penlock only sees what you pick. STAY PRIVATE Your journal is protected by Face ID or Touch ID. All data lives in Apple's secure local storage — never uploaded, never shared, never seen by anyone but you. BUILD A HABIT Track your writing streak and keep the momentum going. Add the streak widget to your Home Screen or Lock Screen. Use built-in writing starters — gratitude, daily reflection, goal setting, weekly review, travel log — or create your own custom prompts. DISCOVER YOUR PAST The Timeline view lets you navigate entries by date at a glance. Memories and the On This Day widget show what you wrote on this day in previous years. Full-text search puts every thought you've ever written at your fingertips. SHARE YOUR PROGRESS, NOT YOUR WORDS Celebrate a streak or your Year in Penlock with a shareable card. Cards show only your numbers — days, entries, words — never what you wrote. ONE PRICE. YOURS FOREVER. Penlock is a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring charges, all future updates included. Try it free with up to 10 entries, then unlock everything for life. FEATURES · Unlimited journal entries (after one-time unlock) · Custom tags with 10 color options · Photo attachments — up to 10 per entry · Mood tracking with 12 emoji moods · Writing starters and custom templates · Journaling Suggestions on iPhone · Writing streak tracker · Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets · On This Day memories · Shareable streak and Year in Penlock cards · Timeline calendar view · Full-text search · Markdown export · Face ID / Touch ID protection · Daily writing reminders · No cloud, no accounts · All future updates included PRIVACY Penlock does not collect any personal data. Your journal entries, photos, and preferences never leave your device. The only third-party services are RevenueCat for purchase validation and anonymous crash reports that help fix bugs — neither ever receives any of your journal content. Full privacy policy at tonybach.io/Penlock/privacy.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Penlock at none against Voice Over Timer's shown. Voice Over Timer's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Voice Over Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Penlock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Voice Over Timer ships an update every 3 months, Penlock every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Voice Over Timer | Penlock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (20 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 20 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Takafumi AMANO | PHUC HOANG BACH |
In-app purchases
Voice Over Timer
- Remove Ads$1.99
Penlock
- Penlock Lifetime$7.99









