Fliqlo Alternatives: Flip Clocks for Mac, Windows, Browser

Most people searching for a Fliqlo alternative are not unhappy with Fliqlo. They hit a wall: it will not install on their OS version, it is a screensaver and they wanted a desk clock, or they are on a platform it never covered. Each of those problems has a different answer, so this guide sorts the options by the problem rather than by popularity.

Why are people looking for a Fliqlo alternative?

Fliqlo is a flip clock screensaver by Yuji Adachi: large white numerals on a black background, with a split-flap animation. It is free on Mac and Windows. The reasons people leave it fall into four groups.

Version support. The current Mac release requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, with an older 1.8.6 build offered for macOS 13 Ventura and earlier. The current Windows release requires Windows 11. On a machine stuck on an older Windows version, the download page simply does not apply to you. This is the single biggest source of "fliqlo for windows 11" searches: people are checking whether their setup is still supported, and then looking for something else when it is not.

History of breaking. Older Windows versions of Fliqlo leaned on Flash, and threads from the period when Flash support ended are still around, full of people whose screensaver stopped working overnight. The current build does not have that problem, but the memory sticks, and so does the habit of looking for a second option.

Screensaver behavior. A screensaver appears when the machine is idle and vanishes the moment you touch the mouse. For a clock you glance at while working, that is the wrong tool. Fliqlo's own feature list covers display options like 12 or 24 hour time, landscape or portrait, dimming and showing or hiding the flaps. Nothing in it keeps the clock up while you use the computer, because that is not what a screensaver is.

Platform gaps. There is a Fliqlo for iPhone and iPad, but Fliqlo's own page is blunt about its limits: iOS does not allow apps to act as screensavers or replace the Lock Screen, and the app does not start automatically the way the Mac screensaver does. Android users and Linux users are not covered at all.

None of this is a mark against it. It is a free, well-made screensaver doing what it was built to do.

What does Fliqlo still do best?

Credit where it is due, because several of the alternatives do not match it on these points.

The look is the point. White numerals on black, large enough to read from across a room, with a physical-feeling flip. Fliqlo's page says people share it more in home office and desk photos than as screenshots, and that fits: it is a decor piece as much as a utility.

It is free on desktop. The Mac and Windows downloads are listed at $0.00, with optional PayPal donations. The iOS and iPadOS app is $0.99 as listed on Fliqlo's download page, which also shows the current version and system requirements for each platform. Those facts change, so check the page before you plan around them.

It works offline once installed, and it needs no account.

On Mac it can show on the primary display only or on all displays, which matters if you run more than one monitor. The page states that option as macOS only.

If you have a Mac on a supported version, want a flip clock when the machine is idle, and nothing else, there is no strong reason to switch. Install it and move on.

Which alternatives work on Windows 11?

Windows has no built-in flip clock, and the screensaver ecosystem on Windows is thinner than it used to be. You have three realistic routes.

Fliqlo itself. Version 1.6.1 requires Windows 11, so on Windows 11 the original is still an option. People searching "fliqlo for windows 11" sometimes land on mirror sites or download portals instead of the developer's page. Get it from the developer's page, since a screensaver is an executable file that runs on your machine.

A flip clock app from the Microsoft Store. Several exist. Store apps install and update through one channel, which is safer than a random download portal, and many run as a normal window you can maximize rather than only as a screensaver. Quality and pricing vary from app to app, so read the listing: look for whether it runs in a window, whether it shows seconds, and whether the free tier has ads or is time limited.

A browser tab. Open a clock page, press F11 or the page's full screen control, and put it on a second monitor. No install, no executable, nothing to keep updated. The trade is that the look is a large digital clock rather than a physical flip animation. If the animation is the whole point for you, use one of the first two routes. If what you want is a big, readable clock, this is less work.

Which alternatives work on Mac?

Mac is the best-served platform, which is partly why people stay with Fliqlo.

Native clock screensavers. There are several, ranging from flip clocks that copy the Braun look of the 1970s to minimalist typographic ones. Most are free or cheap. As with Windows, the limitation is built into the format: they run when the Mac is idle and stop when you move the mouse.

Desktop clock apps. A different category entirely: apps that draw the clock on the desktop layer or in a floating window, so it stays up while you work. Some bundle a matching screensaver. These tend to be paid or have a free tier with a limited set of styles. They solve the "visible while I work" problem natively, at the cost of an install and sometimes a price.

A browser tab. Same as on Windows. A full screen tab on an external display covers the always-on case without installing anything, and it works the same on an older Mac that no longer meets Fliqlo's macOS 14 requirement.

What does a browser clock do differently from a screensaver?

The difference is behavior, not looks, and it decides which one you actually want.

A screensaver is controlled by the operating system. It starts after a set idle time, takes over every display, and ends on any input. A browser clock is an ordinary page. It stays where you put it until you close it.

That changes four things in practice:

1. It does not need the computer to be idle. The clock sits on the second monitor while you work on the first. A screensaver cannot share the desktop with your work.
2. It keeps the display awake. A page can ask the browser not to let the screen dim or lock, using the standard Screen Wake Lock API documented by MDN. The clock on this site's digital clock page does that, so a tab left open in full screen does not black out at your normal idle timeout.
3. It is cross-platform by default. The same URL works on Windows 10, Windows 11, any Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, a tablet, or an old phone on a charger. The old-phone case is covered in turning an old phone into a bedside clock.
4. It reads the system time. The page shows the time your device reports, which your operating system keeps correct against a time server, so there is nothing to set.

What it does not do: it does not play a split-flap animation, and it does not take over your screen when you walk away. If you want that, you want a screensaver. The longer version of this argument, with the second monitor setup, is in the always-on desk clock guide.

How do Fliqlo and its alternatives compare?

This table sorts the options by what they are, using only facts that hold across the category. Where a price or version is stated, it comes from the developer's own page as listed at the time of writing. Check the listing before relying on it.

Option	Platform	Install needed	Stays visible while you type	Works offline	Cost
Fliqlo screensaver	macOS 14 or later, Windows 11 or later	Yes	No, idle only	Yes	Free, donations optional
Fliqlo for iOS and iPadOS	iPhone, iPad	Yes (App Store)	Yes, while the app is open in the foreground	Yes	$0.99 as listed
Other Mac clock screensavers	macOS	Yes	No, idle only	Yes	Free to paid, varies by app
Mac desktop clock apps	macOS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Often a free tier with a paid upgrade
Flip clock apps in the Microsoft Store	Windows	Yes (Store)	Usually, if it runs in a window	Usually yes	Varies, read the listing
Android flip clock apps, such as Flip Clock: World Clock	Android	Yes (Play Store)	Yes, while the app is open	Usually yes	Free, with in-app purchases listed on the store page
Full screen browser clock tab	Any device with a browser	No	Yes, on a second monitor	Page must be loaded first	Free

Two cells deserve a note. "Works offline" for a browser clock means that once the page has loaded it keeps ticking from your device's own clock, but you do need a connection to open it the first time. And "Usually" in the Windows and Android rows is deliberate: those are categories with many individual apps, and I would rather tell you what to check than invent a feature list for software I have not run.

Which should you pick for a second monitor?

For a clock that stays on a second monitor all day, pick by how much setup you will tolerate and whether the look matters.

If the flip animation is the whole point: a flip clock app that runs in a window. On Mac, a desktop clock app. On Windows, a Store flip clock set to full screen on that monitor. Accept the install.

If you want it up in thirty seconds and never want to think about it again: a full screen browser tab. Open the digital clock, press F, drag the window to the second monitor first so full screen lands there. The digits scale to the screen, and you can toggle seconds and 12 or 24 hour format. Your preferences are stored in the browser, so it looks the same next time.

If the monitor is OLED: think about burn-in before you leave anything static on it all day. Any always-on clock is static content by definition. ViewSonic's guide to OLED burn-in explains that static elements left on screen for long stretches cause uneven pixel wear and recommends a screensaver for unattended machines. For an OLED secondary display, the sensible move is to turn the brightness well down for a clock and let the display sleep overnight rather than running it 24 hours.

If the screen is a bedside device: use the night clock instead, which is built dim on purpose. A bright white clock face is a poor thing to have next to your pillow.

Whichever you choose, keep the device on mains power if it is holding the screen awake. That is true of a laptop running a clock tab and doubly true of a phone.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fliqlo still free?

Yes on desktop. Fliqlo's download page lists the macOS and Windows versions at $0.00 and accepts optional donations. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate paid app, listed at $0.99 at the time of writing. Prices can change, so check the page before you download.

Does Fliqlo work on Windows 11?

Yes. The current Windows release, version 1.6.1 at the time of writing, lists Windows 11 or later as its requirement. Download it from the developer's own page rather than a third-party portal. If you are on an older Windows version, the current release will not be offered to you, and a Store flip clock or a browser clock is the practical alternative.

Is there a flip clock that works without downloading anything?

Yes: a clock page in a browser. You get a full screen clock on any device with a browser and no install. The distinction to be clear about is that a browser clock gives you large readable digits, not necessarily the physical flip animation that Fliqlo is known for. If the animation matters, you want an app. If a big clock that stays up is what you need, a tab does it. You can try the full screen clock now and see which side of that line you are on.

Can a flip clock screensaver burn in a monitor?

The risk is real mainly on OLED panels and mainly when a static image stays up for very long stretches. A screensaver is designed to move or blank the display when idle, which is exactly why it is the safer choice for an unattended machine, and why ViewSonic's guidance is to use one. A clock that sits on screen all day is the opposite case. On an LCD monitor this is much less of a concern in everyday use. On an OLED, dim it, avoid running it around the clock, and let the display sleep when you leave.