Comparison

RetroDotTimer vs Clockffiti

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

Head to head
About

RetroDotTimer

Features
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A full-screen countdown that looks like the dot-matrix displays of vintage arcades and early computing. Set the time, put your iPhone or iPad face up on your desk, and let the pixel grid count down. ONE TIMER, FULL SCREEN • A large dot-matrix countdown, readable across the room • Tap the display to start, pause, or resume — or turn on the Start/Pause button if you prefer one • Optional landscape mode that fills the whole screen • Keep the screen awake while a timer runs, with an only-while-charging option LOCK SCREEN AND DYNAMIC ISLAND • The Live Activity shows a real dot-matrix face, not a plain text label • It counts down on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • It follows the color scheme you chose in the app, including changes made mid-run • At zero it morphs into a checkmark and chimes once WIDGETS, CONTROLS, AND SIRI • A Home Screen widget that mirrors the timer, display-only • Control Center buttons to start a Pomodoro or a preset without opening the app • Siri and Shortcuts: start a timer, a preset, a Pomodoro, or the stopwatch, and pause, resume, or reset TIMER MODES • Presets: 5, 10, 25, and 45 minutes • Custom duration, 1 to 180 minutes • Classic Pomodoro: 25 minutes of work, 5-minute breaks, a 15-minute long break, 4 rounds • Stopwatch with a live hundredths-of-a-second sub-display • Multi-phase custom timers for intervals, rounds, and routines DISPLAY STYLES • Dot Matrix — the original pixel grid, with adjustable dot weight and square or round dots • 7-Segment — slanted LED calculator digits • Flip Clock — split-flap digits with animated transitions (Pro) • Big & Small — blocky digits with size-varied segments (Pro) COLOR • Transparent, Dark, and Light schemes • Six premium schemes: Amber, Green Terminal, Blue Glow, VFD Cyan, Sunset, Neon Pink (Pro) • Any text and background color you like (Pro) • Multicolored digits with Rainbow, Pastel, Neon, and Sunset palettes (Pro) WHEN TIME IS UP • Freeze at 00 or morph into a checkmark • A notification when the countdown ends • Sound and haptic alerts between Pomodoro and custom-timer phases WHAT THIS IS NOT Retro Dot-Matrix Timer runs one timer at a time. No task lists, no labels, no session history, no analytics, no cloud sync. It is a single, quiet countdown. PRIVACY No accounts, no tracking, no analytics, no data collection. Everything works offline. FREE AND PRO The app is a free download and stays useful forever without paying. Presets, custom durations, the Dot Matrix and 7-Segment displays, square dots, Pomodoro, the stopwatch, the widget, Control Center buttons, Siri shortcuts, and the Live Activity are all free. Pro is a single one-time purchase, never a subscription. On iPhone and iPad it adds the Custom Timer Editor, six premium color schemes, custom colors, multicolored digits, and the Flip Clock and Big & Small displays. Pro is a Universal Purchase — the same payment unlocks the Mac menu-bar app. Every Pro feature is unlocked free for 14 days, starting automatically at first launch. No signup, no payment details. When the trial ends nothing is charged, Pro features simply return to the free tier, and any custom timers you saved stay runnable. LANGUAGES English, Spanish, Spanish (Latin America), German, French, Simplified Chinese. REQUIREMENTS iOS 18.0 or later. iPhone and iPad. SUPPORT contact@andeanbearstudios.com

About

Clockffiti

Features
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Make time feel personal. Clockffiti turns your handwriting into custom clock widgets, focus timers, countdowns and full-screen desk clocks. Draw the digits 0-9 once, choose a style you like, then let your own numbers follow you across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Create a clock that feels like yours Use hand-drawn numbers, analog clock faces, digital time layouts, soft doodle themes, scrapbook styles, cyber looks, retro pixels and more. Your clock can be playful, calm, minimal or bright. Custom widgets for everyday time Put your handwritten clock on the Home Screen, Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Check the time, your next focus session or a countdown without opening the app. Focus timers and countdowns Use 15, 25 or 45 minute focus sessions, Pomodoro-style timers, reminders, tasks and countdowns with the same digits you drew yourself. Full-screen desk clock Turn your iPhone, iPad or Mac into a personal desk clock for studying, working, relaxing, bedside time or a cozy workspace. Made for iPad and Mac Enjoy a larger canvas for drawing digits, browsing themes, previewing widgets and keeping a beautiful full-screen clock nearby while you work. Why Clockffiti is different Most clock apps give you another default style. Clockffiti lets you make the numbers yourself, then reuse them everywhere time appears. One-time Pro unlock. No subscription. No ads.

Screenshots

RetroDotTimer4 screens
Clockffiti4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Clockffiti at every 6 days against RetroDotTimer's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. RetroDotTimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Clockffiti sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RetroDotTimer ships an update fortnightly, Clockffiti every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
RetroDotTimer versus Clockffiti: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroDotTimerClockffiti
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndean Bear Studios GmbH亮亮 尹

In-app purchases

1 purchases

RetroDotTimer

One-time1
  • RetroDotTimer Pro$4.99
3 purchases

Clockffiti

Subscriptions2
  • Clockffiti Pro Monthly3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Clockffiti Pro Yearly3 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Clockffiti Pro Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is RetroDotTimer free?
RetroDotTimer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Clockffiti free?
Clockffiti is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RetroDotTimer or Clockffiti have ads?
Neither RetroDotTimer nor Clockffiti shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RetroDotTimer or Clockffiti?
RetroDotTimer ships an update fortnightly, and Clockffiti every 6 days. Most recently, RetroDotTimer was updated on September 20, 2026 and Clockffiti on September 19, 2026.

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