Comparison

Disco Timer vs hourglass alarm timer

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

Head to head
About

Disco Timer

This app provides a visually intuitive countdown timer for various tasks, from cooking to presentations. Its unique rotary gesture for setting time and large display make it easy to use and read from a distance. Customize alerts and colors for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Rotary gesture time setting
  • Large, high-contrast display
  • Glanceable from a distance
  • Disable auto-lock option
  • Customizable color combinations (Premium)
  • Variety of exclusive alert tones
Features
Read full description

Boiling an egg, timing a presentation, or starting your next Pomodoro – Disco Timer is a universal countdown clock for all sorts of tasks. Setting the timer duration is based on 60-minute circle of traditional analog watches – you just wind it up with a single rotary gesture. Then tap the display to run, pause, or reset the timer. Large, high-contrast representation of the remaining time makes it glanceable from quite a distance. And an option to disable the Auto-Lock can keep the device awake while the timer is running. This comes in very handy when keeping an eye on the progress is as important as the finishing time itself. The face of the timer can be customized by choosing from a variety of color combinations (Premium feature). And for the completion alert – you can select from a dozen great-sounding tones, all of which are crafted exclusively for Codulis apps. Give Disco Timer a try, and let us know what you think!

About

hourglass alarm timer

This app simulates a customizable hourglass for various uses, from time management and study focus to meditation and interior decoration. It allows personalization of sand and hourglass appearance, offers background timer functionality with notifications, and supports saving multiple set times.

Highlights
  • Customizable sand and hourglass appearance
  • Background timer with notifications
  • Save multiple set times
  • Time management for cooking, study, and games
  • Meditation and relaxation aid
  • Decorative interior element
  • Educational tool for children
Features
Read full description

It's a normal hourglass. You can customize it a little. [Customization elements] * Falling sand color * Shape of falling sand * Sand size * Hourglass size * Hourglass background color * Alarm sound [Other functions] * Save multiple set times * Hourglass time continues even in the background * Notification when background hourglass ends It can be used for various purposes below. 1. Time management/timekeeping Cooking: Use an hourglass to measure cooking time for dishes and baked goods. Games: Used to set time limits for board games, quizzes, etc. Concentration time for studying or working: Used to encourage short periods of concentration, like the Pomodoro technique. 2. Meditation/relaxation Mindfulness: Use the time when the sand is falling to focus on meditation and deep breathing. Relax: Watching the sand slowly fall calms your mind. 3. Design/Interior Decoration: Add an accent to your space by placing an hourglass as an interior decoration. Symbolism: Used as an object to symbolize the passage of time and the importance of a moment. 4. Education/Learning Teaching children's sense of time: Used to teach children about the passage of time and the importance of time management. Science experiments: Used in school science and physics classes to teach principles of time measurement. [I want this kind of person to do it] 1. People looking for relaxation People who want to relieve stress: People who want to calm their mind by watching the passage of time as a tool to support meditation and relaxation time. People who want a relaxing pre-sleep routine: People who want to incorporate a short relaxation routine before bed. 2. Parents raising children Parents who want to develop their child's sense of time: People who want to teach their children the concept of time and use it to manage playtime. Parents who want to make cleaning and homework time fun: People who want to encourage their children to clean up and do homework in a playful way using an hourglass. 3. Health-conscious people Fitness Enthusiasts: People who want to do interval training or exercise in short bursts. People who do a lot of desk work: People who want to use this as a timer to get up regularly to prevent sitting for long periods of time. 4. People who are involved in creative activities Artists and designers: People who want to use it as a time management tool to focus on creative work. Writers and programmers: Anyone who wants to use the Pomodoro technique to stay focused. 5. People who are interested in games and education Board Game Enthusiasts: People who like to set time limits during gameplay. Teachers and educators: People who want to manage time during lessons or use it as a timer for experiments. 6. People who want to incorporate fashionable elements into their lives People who are particular about design: People who want to incorporate apps with stylish and unique interfaces into their daily lives. Interior enthusiasts: People who enjoy the hourglass design and want to take advantage of the app's interface.

Screenshots

Disco Timer4 screens
hourglass alarm timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Disco Timer at none against hourglass alarm timer's shown. Disco Timer also leads on ratings volume (97 vs 4). hourglass alarm timer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Disco Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and hourglass alarm timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

hourglass alarm timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Disco Timer has 97 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Disco Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of hourglass alarm timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Disco Timer ships an update every 5 months, hourglass alarm timer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Disco Timer versus hourglass alarm timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDisco Timerhourglass alarm timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (97 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews89.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings97 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB98 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCodulisM kajimura

Customer experience

Disco Timer

All ratings97 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive89.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative5.3%

hourglass alarm timer

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Disco Timer

One-time1
  • Disco Timer Premium$2.99
2 purchases

hourglass alarm timer

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (continued)$0.491 Month
  • Premium (yearly continued)$5.991 Year

Questions

Is Disco Timer free?
Disco Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is hourglass alarm timer free?
hourglass alarm timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Disco Timer or hourglass alarm timer?
hourglass alarm timer is rated higher. Disco Timer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while hourglass alarm timer averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Disco Timer or hourglass alarm timer have ads?
hourglass alarm timer shows ads; Disco Timer does not.
Which is updated more often, Disco Timer or hourglass alarm timer?
Disco Timer ships an update every 5 months, and hourglass alarm timer every 2 weeks. Most recently, Disco Timer was updated on September 25, 2026 and hourglass alarm timer on September 23, 2026.

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