Comparison

Next Up vs Exercise Timer

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

Head to head
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

About

Exercise Timer

Create and guide custom interval training routines with this app. It supports timed and rep-based exercises, offers voice coaching, and logs your workout history with detailed analytics. Track progress over time and organize routines into training plans.

Highlights
  • Custom workout routines
  • Voice coach for next exercise
  • Timed and rep-based exercises
  • Workout logging and analytics
  • Training plans
  • Background operation
  • Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

Create custom workout routines & let Exercise Timer guide you through your interval training. Exercise Timer supports both timed exercises and even reps-based exercises (press 'done' when exercise complete). Use Exercise Timer with your screen on or even in the background with your screen locked. Keep your phone in your pocket & Exercise Timer will still let you know which exercise is coming up by voice, vibration & bell. Keep a log of every workout along with an exercise breakdown & take notes. Know how much time you spend exercising with weekly, monthly & yearly charts. In addition to this, Exercise Timer generates reports of individual exercises with overall totals & Exercise Progression charts FEATURES • Create your custom workout routines • Voice Coach announces the next exercise • Optional Metronome to improve cadence • Multiple Bell Sounds • Group Exercises. E.g.: for Warm-Up/Cool-Down • Timed Exercises & Reps exercises supported • Color code your Exercises • Explain your exercises better with our library of exercise GIFs • Log & keep track of your workouts • Workout Analytics • Organize your workouts in Training Plans • Training plans designed by our fitness experts • Works in Background with device locked and screen off • Use Exercise Timer on your Apple Watch IDEAL FOR: • Interval Training, Tabata & Circuit Training • Yoga • Boxing • Keeping all your Workout Routines & Plans in one place • Gym Timer ARE YOU A FITNESS TRAINER? Create your Training Plans and workout routines in Exercise Timer and easily share them with your clients. APPLE WATCH Yes, Exercise Timer works on your Apple Watch! All your workouts are automatically synced on your Apple watch. Workouts performed on your apple watch are also logged on your phone. Download Exercise Timer Now and get moving! UNLOCK PREMIUM FEATURES Exercise Timer Premium is available with a monthly or annual subscription. If you choose to purchase Exercise Timer Premium, payment will be charged to your iTunes account, and your account will be charged for renewal 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Your subscription will automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24hrs before the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and Auto-renewal may be turned off at any time by going to the ‘Manage Subscription’ page after purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of service: https://exercisetimer.net/terms Privacy policy: https://exercisetimer.net/privacypolicy

Screenshots

Next Up4 screens
Exercise Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Next Up at 13.0 against Exercise Timer's 17. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Next Up sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Exercise Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 Next Up against 4.8 for Exercise Timer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.8K and 1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Next Up's written reviews are positive against 73% of Exercise Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Next Up ships an update every 5 weeks, Exercise Timer monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Next Up versus Exercise Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNext UpExercise Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.8K ratings)4.8 (1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.0% of reviews — better73.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.8K — better1K
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlysha KwokNeurondigital Ltd

Customer experience

Next Up

All ratings2,831 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews208 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative17.3%

Exercise Timer

All ratings1,000 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive73.2%
Neutral7.1%
Negative19.6%

Bugs and requests

Next Up

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Exercise Timer

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Syncing issues with Apple Watch
  • Randomly locking users out and requiring upgrade
  • Deleting all routines after uninstalling
  • Exercises not updating properly on Apple Watch
  • Apple Watch app causing native exercise app to crash
Show 1 more
  • Phone locked, no chime when locked

Requested features

5 requests
  • Sync workouts across devices without logging out/in
  • Ability to duplicate workouts on iPhone
  • Search, sort, or reorder routines
  • Connect with Apple Health app
  • Shortcut/automation support

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Next Up

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

Exercise Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Exercise Timer Premium Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Exercise Timer Premium Yearly3 Days trial$30.991 Year
One-time1
  • Exercise Timer Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is Next Up free?
Next Up is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Exercise Timer free?
Exercise Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Next Up or Exercise Timer?
Exercise Timer is rated higher. Next Up averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while Exercise Timer averages 4.8 from 1K ratings.
Do Next Up or Exercise Timer have ads?
Neither Next Up nor Exercise Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Next Up or Exercise Timer?
Next Up ships an update every 5 weeks, and Exercise Timer monthly. Most recently, Next Up was updated on September 28, 2026 and Exercise Timer on September 30, 2026.

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