# Tabata Timer □ vs Workout Timer Essential

The clearest difference is rating: Tabata Timer □ at 4.9 against Workout Timer Essential's 2.7. Tabata Timer □ also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 16 months) and ratings volume (10K vs 3). Workout Timer Essential's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tabata Timer □ sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Workout Timer Essential sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tabata Timer □ holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tabata Timer □ has 10K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Tabata Timer □'s written reviews are positive against 50% of Workout Timer Essential's.

Tabata Timer □ ships an update monthly, Workout Timer Essential every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tabata Timer □ | Workout Timer Essential |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabata-timer/id1134843005/reviews)** | [2.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/workout-timer-essential/id1316272592/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **71.4% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 16 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Float Tech, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/483697886) | [Alessandro Pettazzoni](https://appshunter.io/developer/1316272591) |

## What reviewers say

### Tabata Timer □

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabata-timer/id1134843005)

This app provides a straightforward and visually appealing timer for Tabata workouts. Easily customize workout intervals and rest periods by dragging elements. It offers audio guidance, background music support, and workout history tracking.

**Highlights:** Customizable workout intervals, Drag-and-drop interface, Audio guidance, Background music support, Workout history and statistics, Load previous workout settings

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Pass | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Pass | $2.99 | per month |
| Unlock One Workout | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pass | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pass | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium Forever Promo | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Straightforward setup
- 👍 Customizable settings
- 🚀 Efficient workout timer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Requires paid subscription after limited free use
- 🐛 Timer issues (pausing, resetting)
- 🔊 Volume balance problems (music vs. voice)
- 🔒 Lack of transparency about paid features

**Reported bugs**

- Timer stopping unexpectedly when phone is locked or app is backgrounded
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between exercises or rounds

**Requested features**

- Ability to save and reuse custom workout settings
- Option to disable voice instructions and use only audio cues
- Integration with Apple Watch or other wearables
- More advanced analytics and workout tracking


### Workout Timer Essential

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/workout-timer-essential/id1316272592)

A streamlined workout timer designed for simplicity and essential functionality. It offers a clean, bicolor interface and integrates with HealthKit for Apple Watch workout data. Support the developer with an optional in-app purchase to remove ads.

**Highlights:** Essential bicolor layout, HealthKit integration, Apple Watch workout functions, Streamlined design, Optional ad removal

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ads Removal | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tabata Timer □ free?

Tabata Timer □ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Workout Timer Essential free?

Workout Timer Essential is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Tabata Timer □ or Workout Timer Essential?

Tabata Timer □ is rated higher. Tabata Timer □ averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Workout Timer Essential averages 2.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Tabata Timer □ or Workout Timer Essential have ads?

Neither Tabata Timer □ nor Workout Timer Essential shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tabata Timer □ or Workout Timer Essential?

Tabata Timer □ ships an update monthly, and Workout Timer Essential every 16 months. Most recently, Tabata Timer □ was updated on October 9, 2026 and Workout Timer Essential on October 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*