Comparison

Tabata Timer vs Loop Timer

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

Head to head
About

Tabata Timer

This app provides a straightforward timer for Tabata-style workouts, featuring 4-minute sessions with 8 rounds. It's designed for users who want an effective method to burn fat and improve fitness. Download this free application to enhance your training.

Highlights
  • Tabata timer
  • 4-minute workouts
  • 8 rounds per session
  • Fat burning
  • Muscle conditioning
  • Anaerobic and aerobic capacity improvement
Features
Read full description

Tabata Timer for HIIT, gym sessions, and classic 20/10 × 8 — simple to start, solid when it counts. Open the app, tap a timer, and train. Big work and rest phases, optional beeps and spoken cues, and a countdown you can trust with the phone locked. Live Activity and Dynamic Island keep the interval visible. CLASSIC TABATA & MORE • Traditional Tabata: 8 rounds, 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest (~4 minutes) • Beginner Tabata, HIIT 40/20, Norwegian 4×4, boxing rounds • Full custom: rounds, work, rest, countdown, warm-up, cool-down • Optional exercise names per round (shown and spoken) BUILT FOR REAL WORKOUTS • Glanceable gym-first UI • Accurate timing with lock screen / background use • Live Activity + Dynamic Island • Haptics, beeps, and announcements you can mute • Screen stays awake while the timer runs PHONE & SHORTCUTS • Favorites and recent timers • Reorder, duplicate, and edit • Siri / Shortcuts • History of completed sessions • Optional Apple Health HIIT logging This app is a training timer, not medical advice. Always train safely and consult a professional if you have health concerns. Download free and run your next Tabata or HIIT session with less friction.

About

Loop Timer

Features
Read full description

A simple interval timer that loops work and rest. Works with Apple Watch and the Dynamic Island. Set your times, tap start, and it loops automatically — for Tabata, HIIT, circuit training, stretching, or timing sets at the gym. ■ Always visible in the Dynamic Island and on the Lock Screen See the remaining time and current phase even while using other apps. The timer keeps running with the screen locked and alerts you with sound and vibration. ■ Apple Watch, right on your wrist Start, pause and skip from your Apple Watch while your iPhone stays in your bag. Phases are signalled by haptics. Both devices stay in sync and show the same remaining time. Live heart rate appears on the Watch, the iPhone and the Dynamic Island. ■ Apple Health Sessions are saved as HIIT workouts. With Apple Watch, heart rate and calories are recorded too. Review your history in the app: duration, energy, average and maximum heart rate. ■ Three counter styles • Digits — just a big number • Ring — the remaining time shrinks clockwise • Bars — a bar chart you can read at a glance Switch styles while running. Landscape is supported. ■ Sounds you can choose Three volume levels and three sounds (beep, chime, wood). Preview each one with a tap. A voice can also announce Start, Stop and Finish (voice cues). ■ Train to a beat Set 40–240 BPM and choose 2, 3, 4 or 5 beats per bar. The first beat is accented to help you keep pace. Pick click, wood, cowbell or beep. By default it plays only during work. ■ Fine control Adjust times in steps of 1, 5, 10 or 30 seconds — 23 seconds is no problem. ■ Two looks, nine languages Choose the gray or pastel theme. Available in English, Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Spanish, German, French and Portuguese. ■ Ready-made presets • Tabata 20s/10s × 8 rounds • HIIT 30s/30s × 10 rounds • 4020 40s/20s × 8 rounds × 2 sets • EMOM 50s/10s × 10 rounds ■ Free and unlocked The free version runs all four presets, lets you switch counter styles and shows the Dynamic Island. A one-time purchase (no subscription) unlocks: • Changing every duration • Saving your own named presets • Volume and sound choice • Apple Watch app with heart rate • Apple Health recording and workout history • Metronome rhythm (BPM, beats, sound) • Voice cues for start, stop and finish

Screenshots

Tabata Timer4 screens
Loop Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Loop Timer at none against Tabata Timer's shown. Loop Timer also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Tabata Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Loop Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tabata Timer ships an update every 3 weeks, Loop Timer every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Tabata Timer versus Loop Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabata TimerLoop Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron RockettYOSHIYUKI UEMATSU

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tabata Timer

One-time1
  • Remove ads$0.99
1 purchases

Loop Timer

One-time1
  • Unlock custom timing$2.99

Questions

Is Tabata Timer free?
Tabata Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loop Timer free?
Loop Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tabata Timer or Loop Timer have ads?
Tabata Timer shows ads; Loop Timer does not.
Which is updated more often, Tabata Timer or Loop Timer?
Tabata Timer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Loop Timer every 3 days. Most recently, Tabata Timer was updated on September 28, 2026 and Loop Timer on October 24, 2026.

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