Comparison

KanjiClock vs Slow Ink Clock

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

Head to head
About

KanjiClock

Features
Read full description

Experience time in a uniquely Japanese way with KanjiClock β€” a beautifully minimalist clock app that displays time using traditional kanji characters. KanjiClock transforms your device into a stunning timepiece that celebrates Japanese aesthetics. Watch as numbers gracefully appear in kanji, creating a meditative and culturally rich experience. Add a kanji clock widget to your Home Screen and bring a touch of Japanese aesthetics to your everyday view. FEATURES β€’ Two numeral systems: Standard Kanji and Daiji (formal kanji) β€’ 20 Japanese-inspired color schemes with inversion option (40 combinations) β€’ 8 font styles including Hiragino, Zen Maru Gothic, Noto Serif, Klee, and more β€’ Home Screen Widgets (Small & Medium) β€’ Show/hide seconds, 12h/24h format, digital time & date, weekday display β€’ Automatic vertical writing layout in portrait mode β€’ World time support for major cities β€’ Bilingual interface (English / Japanese) PERFECT FOR β€’ Adding a touch of Japanese aesthetics to your Home Screen β€’ Minimalist design lovers β€’ Anyone fascinated by kanji and Japanese culture β€’ Building a daily habit of reading kanji numbers PRIVACY No data collection. No tracking. No internet connection required. All settings are stored locally on your device. Transform your device into a window to Japanese culture β€” download KanjiClock today.

About

Slow Ink Clock

Features
Read full description

Slow Ink Clock turns time into a flowing Chinese ink-wash painting. It does more than show the hour and minute. It brings traditional time periods, the lunar calendar, the 24 solar terms, day and night, moon phases, and live weather into a quiet, atmospheric iOS clock experience. By day, the ink opens like morning light. At night, the screen settles into moonlight and deep ink. When the weather changes, sunlight, clouds, mist, rain, thunderstorms, and wind move through the scene in an ink-wash style. Slow Ink Clock uses Apple Weather data so weather becomes part of the artwork, not just a line of text. Place iPhone horizontally in StandBy and it becomes an ink-wash clock for your bedside or desk. Add it to your Home Screen as a Widget, and time and weather can stay with you in a calmer, more poetic way. Main features: β€’ Ink-wash clock: xuan paper, ink tones, white space, and red seals create an Eastern time painting β€’ Apple Weather: live weather affects clouds, rain, mist, thunder, and wind in the scene β€’ StandBy experience: place iPhone horizontally to create a bedside or desk ink clock β€’ Widget support: view calligraphy time and weather summaries directly on the Home Screen β€’ 24 solar terms: the visual atmosphere changes with the traditional seasonal calendar β€’ Lunar calendar and stems/branches: Chinese date and time culture shown in a clear visual form β€’ Day, night, and moon phases: the mood shifts with time of day and lunar phase β€’ Calligraphy fonts: choose different Chinese type styles to change the character of the clock The free version includes every calligraphy font and the basic clock experience. All calligraphy fonts are free for the main time and details. Ink Weather is an auto-renewable subscription that unlocks weather text and ink-wash weather animations. Monthly and yearly plans include a 7-day free trial. After the trial, the subscription renews automatically at the price shown by the App Store. You can cancel in Apple ID subscription settings. Lifetime Unlock is a one-time purchase that unlocks Ink Weather forever. All fonts are free. Apple Weather legal attribution: https://weatherkit.apple.com/legal-attribution.html Privacy Policy: https://www.cactalyst.com/slow-ink-clock/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

KanjiClock4 screens
Slow Ink Clock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KanjiClock at none against Slow Ink Clock's 4. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Slow Ink Clock sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. KanjiClock asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KanjiClock ships an update every 2 weeks, Slow Ink Clock every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
KanjiClock versus Slow Ink Clock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKanjiClockSlow Ink Clock
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad β€” better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size83 MB376 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBazooka Corp.Andrew Li

In-app purchases

None

KanjiClock

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Slow Ink Clock

Subscriptions2
  • Ink Weather Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Ink Weather Yearly$5.991 Year
One-time2
  • Slow Ink Clock Font Pack$0.99
  • Slow Ink Clock Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is KanjiClock free?
KanjiClock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Slow Ink Clock free?
Slow Ink Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do KanjiClock or Slow Ink Clock have ads?
Neither KanjiClock nor Slow Ink Clock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KanjiClock or Slow Ink Clock?
KanjiClock ships an update every 2 weeks, and Slow Ink Clock every 9 days. Most recently, KanjiClock was updated on October 9, 2026 and Slow Ink Clock on October 17, 2026.

Other comparisons