Comparison

Medtimer vs Respi

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

Head to head
About

Medtimer

This app provides a fast and accurate way for medical professionals to measure heart and respiratory rates. It features a simple tap interface, instant calculations, and reference charts for all age groups. Designed for efficiency in clinical settings, it keeps users focused on their patients.

Highlights
  • Tap-anywhere interface for recording
  • Intuitive HR and RR recording
  • Instant automatic rate calculations
  • Flexible measurement periods
  • Reference charts for all ages
  • iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch support
  • Lock screen widgets
Features
Read full description

The essential heart and respiratory rate tool for clinicians. Medtimer is built for health professionals who need fast vital sign counts. Extremely simple to use, it frees you from watching the clock or performing mental calculations. Count heart rates (HR) and respiratory rates (RR) with a few simple taps, and instantly see reference range charts for adults and children of all ages. IDEAL FOR: * Nurses & Respiratory Therapists * Doctors, EMTs & Paramedics * Medical Assistants & CNAs * Caregivers & Home Health Aides * First Aid Providers * Athletic Trainers & Sports Scientists * Veterinarians & Pet Owners Developed in collaboration with physicians, Medtimer is designed for efficiency and simplicity in even the busiest clinical environments. Tap to record — everything else is done for you. Our app is trusted by medical professionals worldwide. "Simple but brilliant! Very simple, clear and uncluttered app to help quickly assess HR and respiratory rate."
— x2scoops "Best app ever! Every health care professional should have this! It's brilliant. It's on my Apple Watch. I use it with every patient. So simple but so effective."
— AG03 OLD KEY FEATURES: * Simple tap-anywhere interface to record heartbeats and breaths * Intuitively record both heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) * Instant automatic rate calculations (BPM) * Flexible measurement periods from 6 to 60 seconds * Reference charts for all age ranges * Works across iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch * Lock Screen widgets for iPhone and Apple Watch faces — start a timer instantly with a single tap * No accounts, no advertising, and no patient data stored Medtimer keeps you focused on your patient. Measurements are taken discreetly, with no need for anyone else to touch your device. There are no pop-ups or distractions — just the information you need, when you need it. You can also contact us directly via the app with any feedback. All of this is available for free. Medtimer Pro adds history, custom charts, and a CPR metronome. Medtimer is a counting timer and reference tool for trained users. It does not diagnose, monitor, or treat any condition. Download now and experience the simplest way to count heart and respiratory rates.

About

Respi

This tool helps you manually record and calculate human breathing frequency by timing observed respiratory phases. The Pro version offers historical data, regularity analysis, phase timing ratios, and age-specific reference intervals for informational comparison.

Highlights
  • Manual breathing frequency calculation
  • Simple measurement interface
  • Haptic feedback
  • Measurement history
  • Breathing regularity analysis
  • Inspiratory/expiratory phase timing
Features
Read full description

Respi-Rate is a focused general-purpose tool for manually recording and quantifying observed human breathing cycles. Observe breathing and use the Lungs button to manually record visible respiratory phases. Respi-Rate calculates breathing frequency from the timing of these manually recorded events. Depending on the recorded intervals, additional breaths may be required before a result is displayed. Key features: • Manual breathing-frequency calculation • Simple, focused measurement interface • Haptic feedback Respi-Rate Pro adds: • History of recorded measurements • Regularity — summarizes the consistency of manually recorded intervals • I Timing — displays the ratio between manually recorded inspiratory and expiratory phase timing • Age Reference Intervals — compares recorded values with published age-specific reference intervals for informational comparison • Dark Mode Respi-Rate does not automatically detect breathing and does not use iPhone sensors to identify individual breaths. Respi-Rate is intended for informational, educational and measurement-training purposes.

Screenshots

Medtimer4 screens
Respi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Respi at 88% against Medtimer's 40%. Respi also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Medtimer's advantage is ratings volume (590 vs 118). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Medtimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Respi sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Respi holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Medtimer has 590 ratings behind it against 118, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Medtimer's written reviews are positive against 88% of Respi's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Medtimer ships an update every 3 months, Respi every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Medtimer versus Respi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMedtimerRespi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (590 ratings)4.7 (118 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings590 — better118
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB29 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTigerpixelmedappear s.r.o.

Customer experience

Medtimer

All ratings582 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral4.3%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral15.8%
Negative44.2%

Respi

All ratings118 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral4.2%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

Medtimer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Not downloading on Apple Watch
  • Crashes on Apple Watch
  • Stops working after OS updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for new Apple Watch models
  • Integrate with Apple Health app
  • Add option to manually enter counts
  • Add complication for Apple Watch
  • Add option to disable sounds

Respi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Medtimer

One-time1
  • Medtimer Pro$3.99
3 purchases

Respi

One-time3
  • 7-Day Free Pro TrialFree
  • Lifetime Pro — Intro Offer$9.99
  • Lifetime Pro$12.99

Questions

Is Medtimer free?
Medtimer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Respi free?
Respi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Medtimer or Respi?
Respi is rated higher. Medtimer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 590 ratings, while Respi averages 4.7 from 118 ratings.
Do Medtimer or Respi have ads?
Neither Medtimer nor Respi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Medtimer or Respi?
Medtimer ships an update every 3 months, and Respi every 10 days. Most recently, Medtimer was updated on November 6, 2026 and Respi on November 7, 2026.

Other comparisons