Comparison

ZenClock vs Big Clock

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

Head to head
About

ZenClock

This app transforms your iPad or iPhone into a visually appealing desk clock. It offers interactive time displays with customizable background color modes, including a unique spectrum that cycles through millions of colors over time.

Highlights
  • Minimalist design
  • Interactive time display
  • Widgets for quick access
  • Single background color modes
  • Color Clock modes with spectrum cycling
  • Optimized for desk stands
Features
Read full description

Zen Clock is a minimalist iPhone clock built around calm, legibility, and strong typography. Designed to work beautifully on a desk, nightstand, charging stand, or an always-nearby spare iPhone, it offers a full-screen time surface that never demands your attention. We intentionally avoided building a generic alarm, timer, or productivity app. Instead, Zen Clock’s promise is simple: make checking the time feel quiet, polished, and visually intentional. Signature Color Clock Modes Experience time as a living color, not just digits. Our signature Color Clock modes transform the current time into a shifting, live background gradient. Full Spectrum: Maps Unix time across the entire color spectrum. Day Mode: Maps the current day from midnight to night. Hour Mode: Maps the current hour from the top to the end of the hour. Curated Visual Themes & Typography Choose from seven striking visual themes, including White on Black, Black on White, White on Blue, Red on Black, and our signature Color Clock modes. Pair your theme with four distinct typographic styles (Zen, Rounded, Mono, and Serif) to make your clock feel airy, friendly, precise, or editorial. Composed for Your Space With our preview-first settings, you aren't just toggling options—you are composing a timepiece. Choose the layout that fits your environment: Pure: The ultimate minimalist experience. Time only. Calendar: Elegantly integrates the weekday and date. Editorial: A beautiful, designed asymmetric composition. Board: A restrained status surface that gracefully holds supporting information without overpowering the time. Supporting Context (Premium) For those who want a bit more at a glance, Zen Clock gracefully integrates extra details without the clutter. Add a curated World Clock rail to display up to two global cities (such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, or Sydney). Access live local weather conditions and temperatures seamlessly integrated into your composed layout while the app is open. Home Screen Widget Bring a touch of Zen Clock to your Home Screen with our included minimal clock widget, featuring a stark black background, crisp white text, and our signature aesthetic. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sociallycs.com/privacy.html

About

Big Clock

Transform your device into a large, clear digital clock. Ideal for bedside tables, desks, or workouts, it offers an always-on display with customizable themes and brightness for easy readability in any environment.

Highlights
  • Fullscreen digital clock
  • Always-on display mode
  • Light and dark themes
  • Brightness control
  • Portrait and landscape support
  • Minimal design
Features
Read full description

Big Clock turns your iPhone or iPad into a clean, easy-to-read digital clock that stays visible when you need it most. Use it as a bedside night clock, desk clock, workout clock, or minimal always-on clock during work and study. Designed for simplicity, readability, and focus. FEATURES • Big fullscreen digital clock • Always-on display mode • Optional seconds display • Light and dark themes • Brightness control • Fullscreen mode • Works in portrait and landscape • One tap controls • Minimal and distraction-free design • Supports iPhone and iPad PERFECT FOR • Bedside nightstand clock • Desk setup clock • Kitchen clock • Study sessions • Work focus • Workout sessions • Low-light environments • Time visible from a distance Big Clock launches instantly and keeps the time clearly visible from across the room.

Screenshots

ZenClock4 screens
Big Clock4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Big Clock at 100% against ZenClock's 50%. Big Clock also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). ZenClock's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, 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. ZenClock sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Big Clock sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Big Clock holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of ZenClock's written reviews are positive against 100% of Big Clock's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZenClock ships an update every 3 months, Big Clock weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ZenClock versus Big Clock: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZenClockBig Clock
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.7 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings46 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSocially Conscious Software LLCNataliia Zarudna

Customer experience

ZenClock

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Big Clock

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ZenClock

Subscriptions2
  • Zen Clock Plus Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Zen Clock Plus Yearly$19.991 Year
4 purchases

Big Clock

One-time4
  • Premium$1.99
  • Premium + Coffee$3.99
  • Premium + Coffee + Croissant$7.99
Show 1 more
  • Premium + Big Support$12.99

Questions

Is ZenClock free?
ZenClock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Big Clock free?
Big Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ZenClock or Big Clock?
Big Clock is rated higher. ZenClock averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Big Clock averages 4.7 from 6 ratings.
Do ZenClock or Big Clock have ads?
Neither ZenClock nor Big Clock shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZenClock or Big Clock?
ZenClock ships an update every 3 months, and Big Clock weekly. Most recently, ZenClock was updated on October 6, 2026 and Big Clock on October 14, 2026.

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