# Minimal Hourglass vs Surface Time

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Minimal Hourglass at none against Surface Time's 1. Minimal Hourglass also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Surface Time's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price there is nothing between them.

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

Minimal Hourglass ships an update every 2 months, Surface Time weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Minimal Hourglass | Surface Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surface-time/id6747015704/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **3** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 37 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seulki Eom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1718927408) | [Neel Makhecha](https://appshunter.io/developer/1353167736) |

## What reviewers say

### Minimal Hourglass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/minimal-hourglass-sand-timer/id6745221020)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Surface Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surface-time/id6747015704)

This app encourages you to put your phone down with an intuitive, button-free timer. It uses subtle haptics and visual cues to guide you, and offers unique notification options like LED flash or calming sounds. Track your progress towards daily goals and customize them for different tasks.

**Highlights:** Button-free timer operation, Intuitive haptic feedback, Visual timer progression, LED flash notifications, Calming sound alerts, Customizable daily goals, Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Surface - One Time Purchase | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Minimal Hourglass free?

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

### Is Surface Time free?

Surface Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Minimal Hourglass or Surface Time have ads?

Minimal Hourglass shows ads; Surface Time does not.

### Which is updated more often, Minimal Hourglass or Surface Time?

Minimal Hourglass ships an update every 2 months, and Surface Time weekly. Most recently, Minimal Hourglass was updated on September 6, 2026 and Surface Time on August 22, 2026.

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