Alarms vs Smart Wake¶

Alarmify has two alarm modes. They work differently due to technical differences in how iOS handles audio and music services.

Alarms (free)¶

Uses Apple's native alarm system (available on iOS 26+)
Plays 30-second clips of your selected song
Free plan: 1 alarm, single songs only
Alarmify+: unlimited alarms, playlists, artists, and albums
Volume is controlled by your iPhone's ringer setting
Gradual volume is built into the audio track (volume rises over the 30-second clip)

Alarms are reliable, fast to set up, and don't require any overnight connection.

Smart Wake (Alarmify+)¶

Plays full-length songs, playlists, and albums
Works with Spotify Premium or Apple Music
Full volume control within the app
Customizable gradual volume: set your own duration
Sleep calculator to find optimal wake-up times
Sleep music and sleep playlists to help you fall asleep

Spotify vs Apple Music in Smart Wake¶

Spotify: Requires an overnight connection to keep Spotify active. You can't use other audio apps while the alarm is set.
Apple Music: No overnight connection needed. You can use other apps freely at night.

Backup alarm¶

If something goes wrong (connection breaks, app closes), the backup alarm kicks in automatically. It plays a short version of your song so you always wake up on time.

For more details, see How Smart Wake works.