Comparison

AlwaysOn vs ChargeFlowRitual

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

Head to head
About

AlwaysOn

Transform a plugged-in iPhone into a convenient desk display. View the time, date, calendar, and weather at a glance. Features a sleep mode for nighttime use and custom display hours.

Highlights
  • Large digital clock display
  • Current date and calendar
  • Upcoming calendar events
  • Local weather forecast
  • Customizable display hours
  • Low-brightness sleep mode
  • Burn-in protection
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a beautiful desk and nightstand clock. Free, with no ads and no subscriptions. AlwaysOn shows the time, your calendar, weather and more on a screen you leave docked or propped up, and now on your Home Screen and Lock Screen too. WIDGETS FOR YOUR HOME SCREEN • Time Together, Daylight, Word Clock, Card Clock, Tube Clock, Countdown, Green Room, Moon Phase and Horizon • Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy • Tap ▶ to watch a whole day go by in seconds CLOCKS AND BACKGROUNDS • Digital clocks in eight styles, including big iPhone-style digits • Clock backgrounds: Lens, Card (split-flap), Tube, Prism, Stone, Shadow and Green Room • Animated and still backgrounds: Earth, Horizon, Moon Phase, Catnap, Soft Flow, Tide and more • Seasonal backgrounds for holidays and festivals MADE FOR NIGHT • Darker nights with a soft amber clock • Day Mode hours, Smart Dimming and burn-in protection • A sunrise alarm that wakes you with light YOUR LAYOUT • Arrange the clock with Calendar, Up Next, Weather, World Clock, Countdown, Photos and Battery • Separate layouts for portrait and landscape, made for both iPhone and iPad PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account, no tracking, no data collected • Available in English, Spanish and Simplified Chinese AlwaysOn turns a screen you're not using into something calm and useful.

About

ChargeFlowRitual

Features
Read full description

ChargeFlowRitual is a minimalist charging ritual app designed for iOS users. We believe that every time you plug in your charger can become a personal visual ceremony. Unlike the many generic charging show apps on the market, ChargeFlowRitual not only offers a curated library of high-quality animations, but also lets you use your own local images and GIFs as charging visuals, making your charging screen truly one of a kind. In ChargeFlowRitual, you can choose from built-in animation categories such as abstract, neon, nature, minimal, and anime, or import your own favorite images and animated graphics to create a fully personalized charging experience. When your charger is connected, the app is launched automatically through a system Shortcuts automation and plays your selected animation. Different animations and sounds can also be triggered when you disconnect, reach full battery, or hit low battery, giving every charging state its own sense of ritual. We understand the limits of iOS: third-party apps cannot replace the system charging popup. That is why ChargeFlowRitual focuses on delivering the most elegant and smooth charging visual experience within the boundaries of the system. Users on iOS 17 and later can also enjoy ChargeFlowRitual in StandBy landscape mode, combining charging animations with a clock to turn their charging iPhone into a unique desktop companion. Beyond visuals, ChargeFlowRitual helps you build healthier charging habits. The charging plan feature lets you set daily or weekly charging duration goals, and reminds you to unplug after your battery is full, helping reduce battery wear from overcharging. Charging statistics present your charging frequency, duration, and trends in clear charts, while the charging journal lets you record your mood and notes for each session, turning everyday charging into a memorable slice of life. All media and data are processed locally. No account registration is required, and no personal information is uploaded. Your charging visuals, usage habits, and journal entries belong only to you. Whether you want to enjoy a soothing animation while charging or manage your charging habits more mindfully, ChargeFlowRitualRitual is a quiet and beautiful presence on your iPhone.

Screenshots

AlwaysOn4 screens
ChargeFlowRitual4 screens

Verdict

The call

AlwaysOn and ChargeFlowRitual 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
AlwaysOn versus ChargeFlowRitual: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlwaysOnChargeFlowRitual
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (15 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings15 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWeijin Wang鑫宇 王

In-app purchases

None

AlwaysOn

No in-app purchases

None

ChargeFlowRitual

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AlwaysOn free?
AlwaysOn is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ChargeFlowRitual free?
ChargeFlowRitual is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AlwaysOn or ChargeFlowRitual have ads?
Neither AlwaysOn nor ChargeFlowRitual shows ads.

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