Comparison

Pirates vs Cat Hourglass

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

Head to head
About

Pirates

Take back control of your time by blocking distracting apps and websites. Utilize a focus timer with custom soundscapes to enhance productivity. Enjoy a fun, engaging experience with unique characters and ships while gaining clear insights into your progress.

Highlights
  • App and website blocking
  • Focus timer with Pomodoro
  • Customizable soundscapes
  • Engaging character and ship designs
  • On-device blocking via Screen Time API
  • Progress insights
Features
Read full description

A cozy Pomodoro timer with a crew of cat pirates. Start a focus round, sail with your cats, and earn gold when the timer ends. Your distracting apps stay locked until you're done. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. A TIMER THAT FEELS LIKE A GAME • Pick your focus and break lengths, or use the classic 25/5 • Earn gold every time a round ends, not at the end of the week • Recruit 7 cats, dress them in 170+ outfits, and decorate your ship and camp • Come home to a cozy camp with a hammock, a campfire, and cats wandering around while you work BUILT FOR DISTRACTED BRAINS • One big button to start. No setup, no to-do list first • Short rounds with a visible timer, so time stops feeling invisible • Streaks start at 1 day, so a bad week never wipes you out • Mix your own ambient sound: waves, rain, fireplace, lo-fi, and a purring cat KEEPS YOUR PHONE QUIET • Optional app and website blocking with iOS Screen Time. No VPN, no servers • You pick which apps lock during a round. Calls and texts always work • Quit a round early and you lose the reward. Hard mode locks the timer so you can't end it early MORE ON DECK • Live Activity keeps the timer on your lock screen and Dynamic Island • Three daily missions arrive in your mailbox and pay extra gold • Climb 11 pirate ranks from Deckhand to Legend of the Seven Seas • The Captain's log charts every focus minute PERFECT FOR • Students who want study sessions to feel less lonely and more finished • ADHD brains that do better with short rounds and instant rewards • Writers, developers, and anyone whose work needs long stretches of focus PRICING A monthly subscription, an annual subscription with 14 days free, or a one-time lifetime purchase. All unlock the full app. No ads, ever. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your progress stays on your phone. No account, no ads, no tracking. The lock runs on your device through Apple's Screen Time, and your app choices never leave it. The only things the app sends out are anonymous usage statistics and crash reports. Terms of Use: https://cachepapi.github.io/pirates-legal/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://cachepapi.github.io/pirates-legal/privacy/ Study with cat pirates. Your first voyage awaits, Captain!

About

Cat Hourglass

Features
Read full description

Turn focused time into small rewards with a little cat companion. Choose one of four illustrated hourglasses for a countdown, or use a count-up timer where steady drops slowly shape a stone. Earn fish from completed focus sessions and exchange them for rewards you choose. • Custom tasks, session lengths and personal rewards • Four hourglasses, a dripping stone and long-term achievement badges • Statistics from real sessions, task distribution and a movable fish jar • Focus sessions and records shared between iPhone and Apple Watch • Optional Screen Time restrictions, phone-rest detection and wrist-flip controls • Multiple languages; light and dark appearances Local timers and records work without an account. Optional Sign in with Apple syncs this app’s tasks, records and reward ledger. Phone-rest and wrist gestures operate only while foreground sensor sampling is available. Basic timers and records are free. Premium unlocks additional hourglasses, advanced statistics, all widgets, task categories and Night Owl mode. Choose an auto-renewing annual subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the app. Restore purchases from the membership page. Cancel annual renewal in Apple subscription settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pirates4 screens
Cat Hourglass4 screens

Verdict

The call

Pirates and Cat Hourglass are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Pirates sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Cat Hourglass sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Pirates versus Cat Hourglass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPiratesCat Hourglass
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size160 MB103 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn JangQUN LIN

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pirates

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Annual14 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99
2 purchases

Cat Hourglass

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Premium$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Cat Hourglass Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is Pirates free?
Pirates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cat Hourglass free?
Cat Hourglass is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pirates or Cat Hourglass have ads?
Neither Pirates nor Cat Hourglass shows ads.

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