Comparison

TetraClock vs Brutal Time

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

Head to head
About

TetraClock

This clock app uses falling tetromino blocks to display the time. Customize colors, animations, and display formats. Note that the displayed time may have slight discrepancies due to animation effects.

Highlights
  • Tetromino block time display
  • Customizable colors and animations
  • 12/24-hour format
  • Seconds display toggle
  • Adjustable falling speed
  • Background color options
Features
Read full description

'TetraClock' is a clock app that represents the time by stacking seven types of single-sided tetromino-shaped blocks as they fall. The differences from the paid version are as follows: ・Contains ads ・No Watch App [How to Use] Tap the screen: Open the settings screen. Long press the screen: Stack the blocks again. [Main Features] - Switch between 12/24-hour display - Toggle seconds display ON/OFF - Monotone display - Fill in ON/OFF - Change outline color - Change transition animations - Change falling speed - Change background color [Notices] Due to the animation effect used for changing numbers, there may be a discrepancy between the displayed time and the actual time. Please do not use the displayed time as a basis for important decisions.

About

Brutal Time

Features
Read full description

Brutal Time turns your iPhone into a brutalist desk clock. Put it on a charger and it fills the screen, edge to edge, with nothing but type. It tells time without decoration, distraction, or gimmicks. ON THE CHARGER StandBy widgets for every clock face, and widgets for the Home Screen. A full-screen, StandBy-style display for the app itself, with the status bar hidden so the clock owns the whole screen. Add a Shortcut and it opens by itself the moment you plug in. Always-On keeps it lit while charging and dims it after a few seconds, then lets the phone sleep again as soon as you unplug. FOUR TYPOGRAPHIC FACES Four distinct designs, each built on a different typographic system: digits locked to a ruled grid, editorial Swiss with a red accent, oversized poster glyphs cropped by the frame, and mono type over a dot-indexed field. Each reads as words or numerals, in dark or light, portrait or landscape. UNLOCK AMBIENT MOTION WITH THE FULL EDITION Each face can come alive. Continuous, ambient motion runs through the type — letters that breathe, sway, and resolve on their own unhurried rhythm, with several motions for every face. Calm and deliberate, never a screensaver. Ambient Motion is the only paid feature, and the Full Edition is a one-time purchase — buy it once, keep it forever. Everything else is free: every clock face, every typeface, every widget, the full-screen display and Always-On. Also included: - Three typefaces per face - Custom accent colors - Home Screen and StandBy widgets - No subscription. No ads. Ever. Brutal Time is shaped by brutalist design principles: visible structure, a restrained palette, and the removal of unnecessary ornament. Time is shown as type, grid, and rhythm — clear, functional, and deliberate.

Screenshots

TetraClock3 screens
Brutal Time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TetraClock at none against Brutal Time's 1. TetraClock also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). Brutal Time's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price 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. Brutal Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TetraClock asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TetraClock ships an update every 2 days, Brutal Time every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 4 level
TetraClock versus Brutal Time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTetraClockBrutal Time
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLegal Prompt Inc.Forager Lab LLC

In-app purchases

None

TetraClock

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Brutal Time

One-time1
  • Full Edition$4.99

Questions

Is TetraClock free?
TetraClock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brutal Time free?
Brutal Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TetraClock or Brutal Time have ads?
TetraClock shows ads; Brutal Time does not.
Which is updated more often, TetraClock or Brutal Time?
TetraClock ships an update every 2 days, and Brutal Time every 3 weeks. Most recently, TetraClock was updated on October 30, 2026 and Brutal Time on November 9, 2026.

Other comparisons