Interval Timer vs Workout Timer Essential
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Interval Timer
This app provides a simple and customizable timer for interval training like HIIT, Tabata, and EMOM. It offers audio cues, background operation, and integrates with Apple Watch for health tracking. Pre-built routines and workout reminders help users stay consistent with their fitness goals.
- Customizable interval timer
- Audio alerts for rounds
- Background operation
- Apple Watch integration
- Workout reminders
- Pre-built routines
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Set your work and rest intervals, press start, and focus on your workout. PureHIIT is a simple timer for HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, circuits, and boxing rounds. • Adjust work, rest, and round settings to suit your session. • Follow sound cues as you move from one phase to the next. • Keep listening to your music while you train. • Use the timer in the background or in landscape mode. • Start with a prebuilt routine or save your own. • Set workout reminders to help you keep a routine. Getting started is simple: choose a routine or set your intervals, check the number of rounds, and press start. Clear phase colors help you see when to work and when to rest. Free to download, with optional in-app purchases. Apple Watch features require Premium. On Apple Watch, the app integrates with Health to record heart rate and energy used. Make time for your next workout with PureHIIT. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Workout Timer Essential
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.
- Essential bicolor layout
- HealthKit integration
- Apple Watch workout functions
- Streamlined design
- Optional ad removal
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Hi, my name is Alessandro, 23yo from Italy. I've been going to the gym since I was a teen and I've tried pretty much all the gym apps in the App Store, both paid and not. Nothing worked. They were either cluttered messes, no longer maintained, terribly designed or simply not working anymore. So I've set out to design my own, targeting the latest Apple hardware and Development Kit, sticking to the true simplicity of a bicolor, essential layout. I decided to share it with you, for free, with a small in app purchase to remove ads if you want to support the development, hoping you'll enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you.This App integrates with Health Kit to use the Workout functions in your Apple Watch.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Interval Timer at 4.8 against Workout Timer Essential's 2.7. Interval Timer also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 16 months) and ratings volume (296 vs 3). Workout Timer Essential's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Interval Timer sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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.
Interval Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Interval Timer has 296 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Interval Timer's written reviews are positive against 50% of Workout Timer Essential's.
Interval Timer ships an update fortnightly, Workout Timer Essential every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Interval Timer | Workout Timer Essential |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (296 ratings) — better | 2.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 296 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 16 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Miklos Pavel | Alessandro Pettazzoni |
Customer experience
Interval Timer
Workout Timer Essential
In-app purchases
Interval Timer
- Monthly$3.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium featuresFree
- Remove Ads$1.99
- Custom sounds$1.99
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- Premium features$4.99
- Premium features$9.99
- Premium features$14.99
Workout Timer Essential
- Ads Removal$0.99
Questions
Is Interval Timer free?
Is Workout Timer Essential free?
Which has better reviews, Interval Timer or Workout Timer Essential?
Do Interval Timer or Workout Timer Essential have ads?
Which is updated more often, Interval Timer or Workout Timer Essential?
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