Comparison

timer. vs StartWatch

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

Head to head
About

timer.

Manage multiple countdown timers simultaneously with this intuitive app. Set custom names, sounds, and even use your own music for alarms. Access timers easily via widgets, Apple Watch, and Live Activities.

Highlights
  • Multiple simultaneous timers
  • Customizable names and alarm sounds
  • Background timer operation
  • Widget and Apple Watch access
  • Live Activities with Play/Pause
  • Siri Shortcuts support
  • Dark Mode and themes
Features
Read full description

timer. is a simple and easy too use countdown timer. You are able to run several timers at the same time. The timers can be paused / resumed by the user and still run in background. Also you are able to define a sound or name. With the timer. widget and Apple Watch app you have quick and easy access to your last created timer. Features: - Several timers at the same time - Save timer - Edit and reorder existing timers - Siri Shortcuts support - Define timer name and alarm sound - Define an unlimited amount of timers - Timers still run in backround - Choose different alarms for notification and In-App - Choose from your favorite music for In-App alarm from your locally stored Apple Music or iTunes Music files - Widget for easy access the last created timer - Filter for running timers - Full access to timers from widget - Apple Watch app to view last created timer - More than 30 different alarm sounds - Choose between 16 modern themes for App and Widget - Dark Mode - Live Activities with Play / Pause - Dynamic Island Support with Play / Pause - Home Screen Widgets with Play / Pause For feedback or feature requests visit us on twitter: https://twitter.com/timer_2018 Please note for devices which run iOS 18 or older: The mute switch should not be active when the app is in background. Finished timers are not notified with an alarm sound. This is a limitation of iOS 18 or older. If the app is running in foreground, the alarm sounds are also played when the mute switch is active.

About

StartWatch

This app allows you to start a stopwatch instantly and then convert it into a timer. You can run multiple timers and stopwatches simultaneously, with options to customize display and track past events. It offers advanced features like markers and live activities for efficient time management.

Highlights
  • Instant stopwatch start
  • Convert stopwatch to timer
  • Run multiple timers/stopwatches
  • Customize display units
  • History and undo functionality
  • Markers for elapsed time
  • Live Activities with Dynamic Island
Features
Read full description

Start the stopwatch instantly, then turn it into a timer. Most timers are inaccurate because it takes 5 to 30 seconds to set the timer while time slips away. With StartWatch, you start the timer like a stopwatch, then you can take as much time as you need to set the alarm. Features Include: Run multiple stopwatches and timers. Convert a stopwatch to a timer and back to a stopwatch. Stopwatch continues to count after the timer is finished. Set a timer based on the time the stopwatch began, or the current time. Change a timer without losing the start time. Customize how the StartWatch is displayed. For example you can choose to show in weeks, days, or years. History - Undo an accidentally stopped StartWatch or change the start time of any event. Markers - Mark a moment in time on a running StartWatch. View how much time has elapsed from the previous Marker. Icon Badges - View how many StartWatches are running at a glance. Live Activities with support for Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro Watch Features: Complications for timers and stopwatches. Run timers and stopwatches in the background.

Screenshots

timer.4 screens
StartWatch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StartWatch at none against timer.'s 5. StartWatch also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). timer.'s advantage is ratings volume (170 vs 49) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. timer. sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. StartWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StartWatch holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 170 and 49 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of timer.'s written reviews are positive against 86% of StartWatch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

timer. ships an update every 3 months, StartWatch every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
timer. versus StartWatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametertimer.StartWatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (170 ratings)4.7 (49 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.5% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings170 — better49
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTobias HaussApostol & Hall

Customer experience

timer.

All ratings170 ratings
Positive81.2%
Neutral4.7%
Negative14.1%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive63.5%
Neutral12.7%
Negative23.8%

StartWatch

All ratings49 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

timer.

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Widget opens the app when interacted with
  • Timers disappear or are lost
  • Watch app sync issues
  • Widget buttons overlap or are unreadable
  • App remains on Dynamic Island after closing
Show 5 more
  • Banner in notification center is unreadable
  • Live activity obscures status bar elements
  • App closes immediately upon opening
  • Purchases not restoring or working correctly
  • Custom timers and widgets disappear

Requested features

14 requests
  • Make widgets smaller and show only clicked timer
  • Allow Apple Watch to select and restart specific times
  • Add option to dynamically set timer from Shortcuts
  • Add option for timers to repeatedly loop
  • Option to hide seconds in Dynamic Island
Show 9 more
  • Redesign lock screen widget to remove alarm sound name
  • Show progress bar/circle on timer icon in live activity
  • Allow typing timer values instead of only wheel pickers
  • Add stopwatch function
  • Allow setting custom vibrate patterns
  • Make timer setting area larger for easier use
  • Separate page for created alarms
  • Option to play music from Apple Music library for alarms
  • Slower animation for swipe to show/hide create menu

StartWatch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

timer.

One-time5
  • Themes for timer.$0.99
  • iTunes Music as In-App Alarm$0.99
  • Edit All Widget Details$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Edit & Reorder Existing Timer$1.99
  • PRO (Bundle) - All Features$6.99
None

StartWatch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is timer. free?
timer. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StartWatch free?
StartWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, timer. or StartWatch?
StartWatch is rated higher. timer. averages 4.3 out of 5 from 170 ratings, while StartWatch averages 4.7 from 49 ratings.
Do timer. or StartWatch have ads?
Neither timer. nor StartWatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, timer. or StartWatch?
timer. ships an update every 3 months, and StartWatch every 6 days. Most recently, timer. was updated on October 7, 2026 and StartWatch on October 12, 2026.

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