Comparison

hourglass alarm timer vs Langston

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

Head to head
About

hourglass alarm timer

This app simulates a customizable hourglass for various uses, from time management and study focus to meditation and interior decoration. It allows personalization of sand and hourglass appearance, offers background timer functionality with notifications, and supports saving multiple set times.

Highlights
  • Customizable sand and hourglass appearance
  • Background timer with notifications
  • Save multiple set times
  • Time management for cooking, study, and games
  • Meditation and relaxation aid
  • Decorative interior element
  • Educational tool for children
Features
Read full description

It's a normal hourglass. You can customize it a little. [Customization elements] * Falling sand color * Shape of falling sand * Sand size * Hourglass size * Hourglass background color * Alarm sound [Other functions] * Save multiple set times * Hourglass time continues even in the background * Notification when background hourglass ends It can be used for various purposes below. 1. Time management/timekeeping Cooking: Use an hourglass to measure cooking time for dishes and baked goods. Games: Used to set time limits for board games, quizzes, etc. Concentration time for studying or working: Used to encourage short periods of concentration, like the Pomodoro technique. 2. Meditation/relaxation Mindfulness: Use the time when the sand is falling to focus on meditation and deep breathing. Relax: Watching the sand slowly fall calms your mind. 3. Design/Interior Decoration: Add an accent to your space by placing an hourglass as an interior decoration. Symbolism: Used as an object to symbolize the passage of time and the importance of a moment. 4. Education/Learning Teaching children's sense of time: Used to teach children about the passage of time and the importance of time management. Science experiments: Used in school science and physics classes to teach principles of time measurement. [I want this kind of person to do it] 1. People looking for relaxation People who want to relieve stress: People who want to calm their mind by watching the passage of time as a tool to support meditation and relaxation time. People who want a relaxing pre-sleep routine: People who want to incorporate a short relaxation routine before bed. 2. Parents raising children Parents who want to develop their child's sense of time: People who want to teach their children the concept of time and use it to manage playtime. Parents who want to make cleaning and homework time fun: People who want to encourage their children to clean up and do homework in a playful way using an hourglass. 3. Health-conscious people Fitness Enthusiasts: People who want to do interval training or exercise in short bursts. People who do a lot of desk work: People who want to use this as a timer to get up regularly to prevent sitting for long periods of time. 4. People who are involved in creative activities Artists and designers: People who want to use it as a time management tool to focus on creative work. Writers and programmers: Anyone who wants to use the Pomodoro technique to stay focused. 5. People who are interested in games and education Board Game Enthusiasts: People who like to set time limits during gameplay. Teachers and educators: People who want to manage time during lessons or use it as a timer for experiments. 6. People who want to incorporate fashionable elements into their lives People who are particular about design: People who want to incorporate apps with stylish and unique interfaces into their daily lives. Interior enthusiasts: People who enjoy the hourglass design and want to take advantage of the app's interface.

About

Langston

A minimalist writing application designed for focus and simplicity. It provides a distraction-free environment to draft your thoughts and save them as portable Markdown files.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free writing environment
  • Simple document creation
  • Portable Markdown file format
  • Focus on first sentence and continuation
Features
Read full description

Langston is a quiet, distraction-free place to write. Open a document, put down your first sentence, and keep going. Your words stay yours in simple, portable Markdown files.

Screenshots

hourglass alarm timer4 screens
Langston4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: hourglass alarm timer at 5.0 against Langston's 4.0. hourglass alarm timer also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1). Langston's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, 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 alarm timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Langston asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

hourglass alarm timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
hourglass alarm timer versus Langston: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterhourglass alarm timerLangston
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size98 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperM kajimuraMarciano Sordam

In-app purchases

2 purchases

hourglass alarm timer

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (continued)$0.491 Month
  • Premium (yearly continued)$5.991 Year
None

Langston

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is hourglass alarm timer free?
hourglass alarm timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Langston free?
Langston is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, hourglass alarm timer or Langston?
hourglass alarm timer is rated higher. hourglass alarm timer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Langston averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do hourglass alarm timer or Langston have ads?
hourglass alarm timer shows ads; Langston does not.
Which is updated more often, hourglass alarm timer or Langston?
hourglass alarm timer ships an update every 2 weeks, and Langston every 2 weeks. Most recently, hourglass alarm timer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Langston on October 31, 2026.

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