Comparison

Desk Clock vs meloClock

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

Head to head
About

Desk Clock

Features
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Turn your iPhone into a beautiful desk clock. Prop it on a nightstand, a dock, or your desk, pick a face, and let it run. The screen stays awake for as long as the clock is up. TEN FACES, EACH ONE CRAFTED - Digital, in three materials: solid, frosted, and glass - Flip, the classic split-flap board - Analog, a Bauhaus-inspired dial with a golden second hand - E-ink, quiet as paper - Pixel, LED, and Time Tuner, for a warm retro glow - Card, Caption, and Photo, ambient faces with personality Swipe to change faces. Long-press to browse them all in a gallery. EASY ON YOUR EYES AT NIGHT Most faces sit on a true black canvas, so the screen stays quiet in a dark room and OLED displays sip power. The Photo face goes further: its scenery changes from day to night with the real sun in your time zone. MADE FOR THE DESK AND THE BEDSIDE - Works in portrait and landscape - No ads, no account, nothing to set up FREE TO USE, ONE PURCHASE TO OWN IT ALL Digital, Flip, and E-ink are free, and you can preview every face live. A single lifetime purchase unlocks all ten. No subscription. PRIVACY Desk Clock collects no data. No analytics, no tracking, nothing leaves your iPhone.

About

meloClock

Features
Read full description

This is what 15:35 sounds like. meloClock is a digital clock that turns the digits of the current time into scale degrees, staff notation, and melody. With practice, you may even recognize the current time just by listening. Tap the digits or notes, and the clock becomes a small instrument. Use everyday glances at the time as a playful part of ear training. Using meloClock as a clock is completely free, with no ads. For those who want to explore ear training and customization further, meloClock Pro is also available. ■ A clock for your everyday space ・A large digital clock designed for landscape display ・Optional date, weekday, and staff notation ・Customizable fonts, weights, and display styles ・Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac ■ Hear and play the time ・See the current time as notes on a staff ・Play the time as a melodic chime ・Tap the time, date, or notes to make music ・Repeat melody chimes at your chosen interval ■ For ear training, too Play while watching how digits, scale degrees, and notes correspond, or listen while following the melody on the staff. meloClock is useful as a clock and enjoyable as a small musical instrument. ■ meloClock Pro An optional upgrade for exploring ear training and customization further. With the same Apple Account, one subscription unlocks Pro on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. meloClock has no ads and does not collect usage data. Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Desk Clock4 screens
meloClock1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: meloClock at every 5 days against Desk Clock's every 2 months. meloClock also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Desk Clock's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Desk Clock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and meloClock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Desk Clock ships an update every 2 months, meloClock every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
Desk Clock versus meloClock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDesk ClockmeloClock
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB123 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnh PhongYuichi Sato

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Desk Clock

One-time1
  • All Access$9.99
2 purchases

meloClock

Subscriptions2
  • meloClock Pro Monthly$1.491 Month
  • meloClock Pro Yearly$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Desk Clock free?
Desk Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is meloClock free?
meloClock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Desk Clock or meloClock have ads?
Neither Desk Clock nor meloClock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Desk Clock or meloClock?
Desk Clock ships an update every 2 months, and meloClock every 5 days. Most recently, Desk Clock was updated on October 29, 2026 and meloClock on October 24, 2026.

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