Comparison

Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer vs Workout Timer

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

Head to head
About

Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer

This app functions as a versatile timer for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and Tabata workouts. It guides users through structured exercise and rest periods, making it easy to follow popular interval training methods for effective, short-duration fitness sessions.

Highlights
  • Tabata timer
  • Interval timer
  • HIIT workout guidance
  • Structured exercise/rest periods
  • Customizable training
Features
Read full description

A dead simple interval timer. Open it, press play, train. Set your ready, work and rest times and the number of sets — that is the whole setup. A voice counts you in and calls every interval, so you never have to look at the screen while you train. WHAT PEOPLE USE IT FOR • HIIT and Tabata • Strength sets and weight circuits • Burpees, planks, mountain climbers, sprints • Stretching and mobility work • Anything that runs on a clock KEEPS GOING WHEN YOU LOOK AWAY Watch a video, change the music, lock your phone — the timer keeps counting and keeps talking. Glance at your Lock Screen to see how much is left. PLAYS WITH YOUR MUSIC Your music keeps going at its own volume. The announcements come over the top. FREE No account. No subscription. No full-screen ads. ABOUT TABATA Twenty seconds of work, ten seconds of rest, eight rounds, after a short warm-up. Devised by Professor Izumi Tabata at Ritsumeikan University, and used for squats, exercise bikes, running and much else. Maximum effort in each round is the point: a few minutes is said to do the work of far longer. Every duration is adjustable, so it does a great deal more than Tabata.

About

Workout Timer

Create and save custom interval timers for various workout routines like Tabata and HIIT. Features audio cues, haptics, and voice announcements for phase changes. Keeps running with the screen locked and offers Live Activities on iOS.

Highlights
  • Build custom interval timers
  • Save and reuse timer templates
  • Audio cues and haptic feedback
  • Voice announcements for phase changes
  • Live Activities on iOS Lock Screen
  • Runs with screen locked
Features
Read full description

A workout interval timer for Tabata, HIIT, and any work-and-rest routine. Build a timer once, save it, and run it again with one tap. It's free to use. No paywall. No ads. No tracking. No accounts. What it does: - Build interval timers with warm-up, work, rest, recovery, and cool-down phases - Save timers as templates and run them again in one tap - Audio cues, haptics, and optional voice announcements at every phase change - Watch the phase, set, and time left on a clear countdown screen - On iOS, a Live Activity shows your timer on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island - Keeps running with the screen locked, so the phone can sit in your pocket Made for any interval discipline: - Rock climbing: hangboard and fingerboard repeaters (try 7 seconds on, 3 seconds off, for 6 sets), plus campus-board and no-hang protocols - Boxing, MMA, and martial arts: timed rounds with rest between them - High-intensity interval training and functional fitness: Tabata, EMOM, and AMRAP - Running and cycling: sprint and interval training - Strength and calisthenics: timed sets and supersets - Yoga, mobility, and stretching: hold each pose for a set time - Physical therapy and rehab: timed holds and repetitions - Meditation and breathwork: steady, repeating intervals If it has a "work for a bit, rest for a bit, repeat" shape, you can build it here. Your data stays with you. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. Your timers stay on your phone. The only network activity is the check for app updates, which carries no information about you. Open source: https://github.com/Josh-Approved/workout-timer What it doesn't do: No paywall. No ads. No tracking. No accounts. No subscriptions. The whole app is the whole app: every feature is here, free. Josh Approved is supported by the people who use it. No ads, no subscriptions, no data harvest. What keeps this sustainable is whether it's worth a few dollars to you. If it is, there's an optional tip jar in the app. Send feedback: feedback@joshapproved.com

Screenshots

Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer3 screens
Workout Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer at none against Workout Timer's 5. Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer also leads on ratings volume (246 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). Workout Timer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). On price, rating and device support 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. Workout Timer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Workout Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer has 246 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer ships an update every 4 months, Workout Timer weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer versus Workout Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabata & HIIT Interval TimerWorkout Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (246 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings246 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTakahiro ToriiJosh Approved LLC

Customer experience

Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer

All ratings239 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral0.4%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral3.7%
Negative18.5%

Workout Timer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Workout Timer

One-time5
  • Tip$2.99
  • Tip$4.99
  • Tip$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Tip$19.99
  • Tip$49.99

Questions

Is Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer free?
Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Workout Timer free?
Workout Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer or Workout Timer?
Workout Timer is rated higher. Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 246 ratings, while Workout Timer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer or Workout Timer have ads?
Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer shows ads; Workout Timer does not.
Which is updated more often, Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer or Workout Timer?
Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer ships an update every 4 months, and Workout Timer weekly. Most recently, Tabata & HIIT Interval Timer was updated on October 24, 2026 and Workout Timer on October 7, 2026.

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