COMPARE APPS
The best interval timer apps, compared
Six popular interval timers for iPhone side by side: what’s free, what you pay, which devices they run on and who each one suits
We looked at the dedicated interval timer apps with the most ratings on the US App Store: Interval Timer by Float Tech, Tabata Stopwatch Pro, Timer Plus, SmartWOD Timer and Seconds, plus our own app, Cero. They all count work and rest for you. Where they differ is what’s free, which devices they run on, what you pay and what their App Privacy labels say.
At a glance
| Cero | Interval Timer | Tabata Stopwatch Pro | Timer Plus | SmartWOD Timer | Seconds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free version | Every feature; 2 saved timers, with ads | Not stated | A limited number of workouts every 7 days, with ads | Not stated | Every workout format, with ads; TV Cast needs Premium | Every feature; each timer locks after one run, except your newest |
| Apple Watch app | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPad app | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Saves workouts to Apple Health | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | 31 | 22 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 10 |
| Account needed | No | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | No | No |
The apps, one by one
Cero
Flawless Studio
Best for every feature free
Our app. A simple timer for work, rest and sets, and an advanced one for up to 200 intervals, each timed or open, with templates for Tabata, EMOM, Work / Rest, rounds for time and run + station. Everything is free; the free version saves 2 timers and shows ads.
- Apple Watch, Adaptive HR (rest until your heart rate drops), Gym Display, widgets and Siri, all free
- iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, in 31 languages
- Cero Pro: unlimited saved timers and no ads, $2.99 a month (a free week for eligible new subscribers) or $14.99 once
Interval Timer
Float Tech
Best for a quick drag-to-set timer
A simple interval timer from Float Tech, around since 2016: drag to set work, rest and rounds, tap to start, with voice or beep cues, your own music, and a history with statistics.
- iPhone and iPad, no Apple Watch app
- 22 languages
- Premium Pass is a monthly subscription with a free trial; its listing doesn’t say what Premium adds
Tabata Stopwatch Pro
Parabolic River
Best for classic Tabata
Listed on the App Store as Tabata Timer and HIIT Timer, from Parabolic River, since 2013. Exercise, rest, recovery and cooldown intervals with sets and cycles, beeps and voice, and Apple Health.
- iPhone and iPad, no Apple Watch app; English only
- Free: a limited number of workouts every 7 days; Pro adds unlimited workouts, presets, chest-strap heart-rate monitors and no ads
- Its label lists data used to track you, and “Contains Advertising”
- Pro Features: $19.99
Timer Plus
ArGames
Best for a plain timer on Apple Watch
A workout timer for HIIT, circuits and Tabata that shows rounds and cycles, keeps running in the background, flashes the screen and saves workouts to its history. Its Apple Watch app runs the workouts you save on iPhone.
- iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
- 15 languages
- Its label lists data used to track you
- Its listing doesn’t say what’s free or what each purchase adds
SmartWOD Timer
SmartWOD
Best for AMRAP, EMOM and For Time
Built for functional fitness: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time, Tabata and a MIX timer that chains them, with a round counter, a workout log, presets and guided cool-downs. TV Cast to a gym TV is part of Premium.
- iPhone, iPad and an Apple Watch companion you start from iPhone
- 8 languages; no account needed
- Its label lists data used to track you, and “Contains Advertising”
- Premium from $2.99 a month or $14.99 a year, Premium+ up to $4.99 a month or $34.99 a year, lifetime $89.99
Seconds
Runloop
Best for compound timers
A long-running interval timer from Runloop with templates, compound timers that chain a warm-up into the main set, voice cues by name and music per interval, on iPhone, iPad and a standalone Apple Watch app.
- Free to try: each timer locks after one run, except your newest
- 10 languages; needs iOS 18 and, on Apple Watch, watchOS 26
How to choose
Four questions before you download
- Decide what you need beyond work and rest: open intervals, rest by heart rate, a gym TV or a class format such as AMRAP.
- Check what the free version limits: saved timers, runs, workouts a week or features.
- Check your devices: two of these apps have no Apple Watch app.
- Compare a one-time price with a subscription, if you’d rather pay once.
What’s free
All six apps are free to download, but what you get for free differs. Cero’s free version has every feature, with no limit on runs or workouts, and saves 2 timers. Seconds locks each timer after one run, except your newest, and Tabata Stopwatch Pro limits workouts every 7 days. Cero Pro adds unlimited saved timers and no ads, for $2.99 a month, with a free week for eligible new subscribers, or $14.99 once. Read what Cero Pro adds.
Questions
What’s the best free interval timer app?
If you want every feature without paying, Cero includes its simple and advanced timers, templates, Apple Watch, Adaptive HR, widgets, Siri and Gym Display in the free version; it saves 2 timers and shows ads. Seconds’ free version has every feature too, but each timer locks after one run, except your newest.
Which interval timers work on Apple Watch?
Cero, Seconds, Timer Plus and SmartWOD Timer have Apple Watch apps; SmartWOD Timer’s is a companion you start from iPhone. Interval Timer and Tabata Stopwatch Pro don’t list one.
Is there a free alternative to Seconds?
Cero is free with every feature, including its advanced timer, Apple Watch app and Adaptive HR, and doesn’t lock a timer after one run; the free version saves 2 timers and shows ads. See Cero vs Seconds.
Do I need a paid interval timer?
No. Most of these apps time work, rest and rounds for free. Paying usually buys more saved timers, no ads, or extras such as a gym TV or heart-rate monitors. Try the free online interval timer first.
Seconds, Timer Plus, SmartWOD, Interval Timer and Tabata Stopwatch Pro are trademarks of their owners. Cero isn’t affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by any of them; their names and icons appear only to identify the apps compared.
YOUR NEXT SESSION STARTS HERE
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Cero is free to download for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
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Cero is a timer, not a medical device. If you’re new to hard exercise, are pregnant or have a health condition, check with your doctor first, and stop if you feel unwell.