Nobody advertises that they advertise, so the word “free” on an App Store page tells you nothing about whether you will see a banner while trying to turn off a 6 a.m. alarm. Fortunately there are two signals you can check yourself in under a minute.
How to check any app in 60 seconds
- Scroll to the app's Information section and look at Age Rating. If Apple has flagged it, you will see “Contains Advertising” there. This is the most authoritative signal, because the developer declares it to Apple.
- Read the In-App Purchases list. A “Remove Ads” purchase means there are ads to remove.
- Open App Privacy and tap See Details. If Third-Party Advertising appears as a purpose for any data category, the app is participating in an advertising ecosystem even if no banner is obvious.
None of these being present is not proof an app is ad-free, which is why the table below says “no advertising indicator” rather than “no ads” for apps we cannot confirm either way.
What each listing shows
| App | “Contains Advertising” | Sells ad removal | Third-Party Advertising as a data purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Clock | No | No | No |
| Mornio | No | No | No |
| Erly | No | No | No |
| Wayk | No | No | No, but lists developer's own advertising or marketing |
| Nuj | No | No | No |
| Sleep Cycle | No | No | Not listed |
| Kiwake | No | No | No |
| Alarm Scan | Not shown | Yes, $1.49/mo | No |
| SuperAlarm | Not shown | Yes, $2.99/mo | Not listed |
| Spin Alarm Clock | Not shown | No | Yes |
| Alarmy | Yes | Premium removes ads | Yes: Location, Device ID, Advertising Data |
“Not shown” means the age-rating note was not visible on the listing we read; combined with a paid ad-removal option, that still indicates an ad-supported app. This table reports published signals, not our own testing of every app.
The clearest cases
Apple Clock
No ads, no developer, no privacy label, no cost. If ads are your only complaint about your current alarm and you do not need a mission, the answer is already installed. Set the iOS 26 snooze duration to one minute and put the phone across the room.
Mornio
No ads, no ad SDK, and nothing declared under Data Used to Track You. There is no “remove ads” purchase because there is nothing to remove. The revenue model is the Pro subscription, which we would rather be the only thing we ask of you. Requires iOS 26.1, iPhone only.
Erly, Wayk and Nuj
None carries an advertising note or an ad-removal purchase. Erly runs on iOS 17.6 and later, Wayk on iOS 17, Nuj on iOS 15, so all three reach iPhones Mornio cannot. Two caveats worth knowing: Wayk's listing states a subscription is required to set alarms at all, and Erly declares Identifiers and Usage Data under tracking even without advertising.
The case worth understanding
Alarmy
Alarmy is the most complete free tier in this category, and it is funded by advertising. Its listing carries Apple's “Contains Advertising” note, and its privacy section lists Third-Party Advertising as a purpose for precise and coarse Location, Device ID and Advertising Data.
That is a coherent trade rather than a scandal: you get a genuinely capable app for nothing, and your data pays for it. If you would rather pay with money than with location data, that is exactly the decision this page exists to make visible.
Why ads matter more in an alarm app
Two practical reasons beyond taste. First, an interstitial ad between you and dismissing an alarm is friction at the worst possible moment, and if it fails to load on a poor connection, the friction gets worse. Second, ad SDKs are the usual reason an alarm clock ends up requesting location: the alarm does not need it, the advertising does. If you have ever wondered why an alarm app wants your precise location, this is usually the answer.