# Sandy Timer vs Hourglass

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hourglass at none against Sandy Timer's 1. Hourglass also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Sandy Timer's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sandy Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hourglass asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sandy Timer ships an update weekly, Hourglass every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sandy Timer | Hourglass |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandy-timer/id6480015861/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cesar Mejia Valero](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506871861) | [kenji abe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1461779902) |

## What reviewers say

### Sandy Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sandy-timer/id6480015861)

Simulates a real sand timer using your device's orientation. Simply flip your phone to start the countdown. Tap the screen to adjust timer settings.

**Highlights:** Realistic sand timer simulation, Device orientation control, Tap to change settings, Simple and intuitive interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


### Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hourglass-physics-simulation/id6670490622)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sandy Timer free?

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

### Is Hourglass free?

Hourglass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Sandy Timer or Hourglass have ads?

Hourglass shows ads; Sandy Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sandy Timer or Hourglass?

Sandy Timer ships an update weekly, and Hourglass every 4 days. Most recently, Sandy Timer was updated on September 29, 2026 and Hourglass on September 15, 2026.

---

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