Comparison

timer. vs TechRef

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

TechRef

Features
Read full description

The drawing says 50.000 +0.200 / -0.000. The machine needs 50.100. TechRef does that math, converts it into every unit, keeps the tables you reach for every day, and records what you measure. Built for the everyday questions on the shop floor. WHY THE CENTER VALUE MATTERS The center of an asymmetric tolerance is not the nominal size. TechRef calculates the true center and the full band, so you get it right in one setup. TOLERANCES FROM THE STANDARD (TechRef Pro) Pick an ISO 2768 class (f, m, c, v) or an ISO 286 fit (hole H7, shafts g6 to p6), and TechRef looks up the deviations for your size. Pick a shaft to see how it fits an H7 hole: clearance, transition or interference. Use ISO, JIS, EN, DIN or BS names. ENGINEERING CALCULATORS (TechRef Pro) • Section properties: A, I, Z, Ip and Zp for round bar, tube, rectangle and box section • Tension, compression and shear stress • Bending, torsion and combined stress, including von Mises • Beam deflection: cantilever and simply supported, point or uniform load • Weight of bars, tubes and plates • Thermal expansion and thermal stress Pick a material from the list to fill in density, E and α. Every result shows its formula. Metric (mm, N, MPa) or inch (in, lbf, psi). REFERENCE TABLES • Materials (TechRef Pro): 78 grades of stainless steel, steel, aluminium, copper, titanium, nickel, magnesium and plastics. JIS, AISI, UNS and EN names side by side, with density, E, α, strength and hardness • Thread dimensions (TechRef Pro): metric 6g/6H and Unified 2A/2B limits of size • Tap drills (TechRef Pro): metric, Unified and Whitworth, with minor diameter limits • Tolerances (TechRef Pro): ISO 2768, ISO 286 and inch fits (ANSI B4.1: RC, LC, LT, LN, FN) • Hardness conversion for steel (TechRef Pro): HRC, HV, HB, HRA, HRB, HS and approximate tensile strength, for reference Values are compiled with reference to officially published standards information. MAKE THE TABLES YOUR OWN (TechRef Pro) Change a tap drill or a material value to the one your shop uses, add your own drills and materials, and add a memo to any row. Your values are shown in color. If TechRef later corrects a default you changed, the cell is marked so you can choose which value to keep. Your own materials appear in the calculators too. RECORD WHAT YOU MEASURE Add measured values to any point in a sheet. Each entry updates the count, mean, max, min, range, standard deviation, deviation from target, out-of-tolerance count, Cp and Cpk. Measured values are free and not counted toward the save limit. INSPECTION SHEETS, HISTORY AND CSV Create a sheet per part with points, each with its own dimension and tolerance. Save conversions and calculator results to History with a label and a memo. Export CSV per point or per measured value. 13 CATEGORIES, 100+ UNITS Length, pressure, torque, force, temperature and more. Show only the units you use. Factors come from exact definitions, never rounded approximations. Tolerance bands are rounded inward, so a part inside the band on screen is inside it for real. iCLOUD BACKUP Sheets, history, settings and your own table values are backed up to your own iCloud, automatically or when you choose. Restore them on a new iPhone or iPad. The developer cannot see your data. No ads, no tracking, no analytics, no account. FREE, AND TechRef Pro Conversions, manual tolerances, drill charts, the cutting speed and feed calculator, Sheets, measured values, CSV export and iCloud backup are free. Saving dimensions has a limited number of free saves, then once per hour. TechRef Pro, a one-time purchase, removes the limit and unlocks the tables, tolerances from the standard, the engineering calculators and your own values. No subscription. ALSO 10 languages · 1 to 6 decimal places · How to Use · Dynamic Type · Light and dark · iPhone and iPad

Screenshots

timer.4 screens
TechRef4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TechRef at every 4 days against timer.'s every 3 months. timer.'s advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads 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. timer. sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and TechRef sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

timer. ships an update every 3 months, TechRef every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
timer. versus TechRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametertimer.TechRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (171 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings171 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTobias HaussMASARU KATO

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

TechRef

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
1 purchases

TechRef

One-time1
  • TechRef Pro$6.99

Questions

Is timer. free?
timer. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TechRef free?
TechRef is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do timer. or TechRef have ads?
Neither timer. nor TechRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, timer. or TechRef?
timer. ships an update every 3 months, and TechRef every 4 days. Most recently, timer. was updated on November 2, 2026 and TechRef on October 31, 2026.

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