Comparison

HIIT Interval Timer | Cero vs Next Up

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

Head to head
About

HIIT Interval Timer | Cero

This interval timer app enhances various workouts like HIIT, Tabata, and yoga with intuitive design and customizable timer modes. Create and save custom intervals, track calorie expenditure, and sync settings across devices, including Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • Customizable interval timers
  • Simple and advanced timer modes
  • Create and save multiple workout settings
  • Apple Watch compatibility with heart monitor
  • Automatic calorie tracking to Apple Health
  • Cross-device sync
Features
Read full description

Build an interval workout around the way you train. Cero is a flexible interval timer for HIIT, Tabata, circuit training, WODs and HYROX preparation. Set up a quick work/rest timer or program each interval in detail. Distinct colors, large controls and reliable cues keep you focused on the session instead of the clock. BUILD YOUR SESSION • Set work, recovery, sets, warm-up and cool-down. • Create advanced workouts with custom intervals, colors, icons and intensity levels. • Save, duplicate and reorder timers. • Share timers by file or QR code. • Review completed sessions in workout history. STAY IN THE WORKOUT • Follow compatible sessions with Live Activities and Dynamic Island. • Start saved or recent timers from Home Screen widgets. • Use Siri and Shortcuts to start, pause, resume and stop a timer. • Put Gym Display on a larger screen or mirrored TV. • Choose a default song or assign music to individual intervals. • Customize sounds, voice cues, vibrations and background alerts. TRAIN BY HEART RATE Adaptive HR can extend recovery until you reach your target heart rate, then guide hard efforts with low and high alerts. Pair a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor with iPhone or train with heart-rate data from Apple Watch. COUNTDOWN AND STOPWATCH The built-in countdown and lap stopwatch cover warm-ups, station changes, rest periods and race-day practice. Stopwatch sessions continue after you close and reopen the app. ON APPLE WATCH Run saved workouts from your wrist, follow heart rate and use the standalone countdown and stopwatch. Cero can save completed workouts and estimated calories to Apple Health. Automatic iCloud backups help protect saved timers and custom intervals. Useful for HIIT, Tabata, circuits, EMOM-style workouts, boxing rounds, strength and conditioning, indoor cycling, running intervals and hybrid race preparation. Feedback and suggestions: hi@flawless.studio Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Next Up

Create and customize interval timers with detailed options for reps, sets, colors, and sounds. Offers flexible display modes, quick actions for navigation, and background notifications. Organize timers with folders and choose between light and dark themes.

Highlights
  • Customizable intervals (reps, sets, colors, sounds)
  • Detailed and full-screen display modes
  • Portrait and landscape orientation support
  • Quick actions for navigation and editing
  • Background notifications
  • Timer organization with folders
Features
Read full description

Customize Your Intervals, Your Way A fully customizable interval timer: Create your intervals. Specify reps, sets, colours and sounds. Tailor it to your purpose and needs. Minimal design and easy to use. Options for rep-based intervals and images. Display options: Choose to run your timer in a detailed view that auto-scrolls through intervals or a full-screen mode for a larger, easily visible display. Both modes support portrait and landscape orientations. Visual details: In detailed view, running intervals and sets are highlighted, providing a clear visual cue. For intervals with multiple reps, the highlighted area indicates the percentage completed. Set optional background colours on intervals for a visual cue. Light and dark mode versions are available and will adapt to your preferences set on your device. Quick actions: Set an interim interval that will automatically be added between intervals. Optionally, end your timer with the interim interval. Skip or backtrack through intervals using intuitive arrow buttons. Swipe actions allow for easy deletion and duplication of intervals and sets. --- Interval Timer features: • Interval timers: Create timers with unlimited intervals. • Description, Length, and Reps: Set the details of each interval, customizing it to your precise requirements. • Interim Intervals: Quickly set up timers by adding interim intervals that run between each interval. • Interval Sets: Group intervals into sets and specify the desired number of set reps. • Interval Customization: Differentiate intervals with background colors. • Time Display: View countdown of each interval and total remaining time, with an option to display total elapsed time. • Progress and Highlighting: View progress with highlighted current intervals and reps completed. • Start from Any Interval: Choose which interval to start the timer from, providing maximum control. • User-friendly Actions: Effortlessly manage intervals with swipe actions for deletion and duplication. Duplicate button allows for easy copying of intervals, sets, and timers. Arrow buttons enable smooth navigation between intervals. • Background Notifications: Run timers in the background and receive alerts for interval changes and timer completion. • Organize with Folders: Create folders to organize and easily access your timers. • Orientation and Display: Enjoy portrait and landscape orientations, and full-screen mode for a larger timer display. • Light and Dark Mode: Seamlessly switch between light and dark mode to suit your preference. Upgrade features include: • Unlimited timers: Create as many timers as you like. • Sound Options: Enable countdown beeps, set interval/timer sounds, and/or enable text to speech. • Rep-based Intervals: Option to create intervals based on reps instead of time to offer maximum flexibility. • More Interval Customization: Differentiate intervals with images/photos and sounds. • Edit received timers: Flexibility to modify all timers. Subscription - syncing and sharing timers: • Sync and Share: Sync timers across devices and choose to share timers and folders with other users. Sharing via email includes a direct download link and instructions. --- Privacy Policy: https://alysha.dev/interval-timer-privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://alysha.dev/interval-timer-terms-of-use

Screenshots

HIIT Interval Timer | Cero4 screens
Next Up4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Next Up at none against HIIT Interval Timer | Cero's shown. Next Up also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 435) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). HIIT Interval Timer | Cero's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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. HIIT Interval Timer | Cero sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Next Up sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for HIIT Interval Timer | Cero against 4.7 for Next Up. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Next Up has 2.8K ratings behind it against 435, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 75% and 75% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HIIT Interval Timer | Cero ships an update every 3 days, Next Up every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HIIT Interval Timer | Cero versus Next Up: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHIIT Interval Timer | CeroNext Up
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (435 ratings) — better4.7 (2.8K ratings)
Positive reviews74.6% of reviews75.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4352.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlawless Studio LLCAlysha Kwok

Customer experience

HIIT Interval Timer | Cero

All ratings435 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive74.6%
Neutral10.2%
Negative15.3%

Next Up

All ratings2,831 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews208 reviews
Positive75.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative17.3%

Bugs and requests

HIIT Interval Timer | Cero

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App runs in background draining battery
  • Rotation broke after update
  • Apple workout app overrides Cero app on Apple Watch
  • Interval signals too weak or not working

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to group timers
  • Option to add warm-up and cool-down features
  • Ability to type numbers for time adjustment
  • Timer sounds through headphones or interrupting music
  • Ability to change exercise names

Next Up

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

HIIT Interval Timer | Cero

Subscriptions1
  • Cero Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Cero Pro$14.99
2 purchases

Next Up

Subscriptions1
  • Syncing and Sharing$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Upgrade$2.99

Questions

Is HIIT Interval Timer | Cero free?
HIIT Interval Timer | Cero is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Next Up free?
Next Up is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HIIT Interval Timer | Cero or Next Up?
HIIT Interval Timer | Cero is rated higher. HIIT Interval Timer | Cero averages 4.7 out of 5 from 435 ratings, while Next Up averages 4.7 from 2.8K ratings.
Do HIIT Interval Timer | Cero or Next Up have ads?
HIIT Interval Timer | Cero shows ads; Next Up does not.
Which is updated more often, HIIT Interval Timer | Cero or Next Up?
HIIT Interval Timer | Cero ships an update every 3 days, and Next Up every 5 weeks. Most recently, HIIT Interval Timer | Cero was updated on October 12, 2026 and Next Up on October 9, 2026.

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