Brutal Time vs Retrotick
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Brutal Time
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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.
Retrotick
This app transforms your iPhone or iPad into a visually appealing split-flap clock, mimicking the mechanical flip of classic station displays. Enjoy authentic animations, customizable themes, and widgets for your Home and Lock Screens, all designed with a modern aesthetic.
- Authentic split-flap animation
- Liquid Glass design
- Home and Lock Screen widgets
- Live Activities and Dynamic Island support
- 12/24 hour format with optional seconds
- Multiple digit fonts
- Gallery of premium themes
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Retrotick turns your iPhone and iPad into a beautiful split-flap clock, the satisfying mechanical flip of a classic station and bedside display, rebuilt for iOS with Apple's Liquid Glass design. Set it on your nightstand, your desk, or your Home and Lock Screens and watch the digits flip on every tick. FEATURES • Authentic split-flap animation that flips on every second • Liquid Glass design with clear, black, and white backdrops • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets in multiple sizes • Live Activities and Dynamic Island to keep the time glanceable while you use other apps • 12- or 24-hour time, with optional seconds • Multiple digit fonts to match your style • A gallery of themes, from minimal to bold, with a free set to start • A countdown timer with a split-flap duration picker that rings through silent and Focus • Optional flip sound and haptics for the mechanical tick THEMES Unlock premium themes your way. Buy any theme once and keep it forever, or subscribe to Retrotick Plus to unlock every theme while your subscription is active. Preview any theme before you decide, and your purchases stay with your Apple ID. DESIGNED FOR iOS Built in SwiftUI for iOS 26, Retrotick looks right on every device size and adapts to portrait and landscape automatically. No accounts. No ads. No tracking. Just a gorgeous clock. Retrotick Plus is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://makekamac.github.io/retrotick/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://makekamac.github.io/retrotick/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Brutal Time at 17.0 against Retrotick's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Brutal Time sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Retrotick sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Brutal Time | Retrotick |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Forager Lab LLC | Ekam Singh |
In-app purchases
Brutal Time
- Full Edition$4.99
Retrotick
- Monthly$1.991 Month
- Annual$14.991 Year
- Midnight$1.99
- Retro Flip$1.99
- Forest Pine$1.99
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- Aurora$1.99
- Liquid Glass$1.99
- Retro LCD$1.99
- Synthwave$2.99
- Gold Luxe$2.99
Questions
Is Brutal Time free?
Is Retrotick free?
Do Brutal Time or Retrotick have ads?
Which is updated more often, Brutal Time or Retrotick?
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