# ESS Play vs Ride Timer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ESS Play at none against Ride Timer's 2. ESS Play also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). Ride Timer's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ride Timer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. ESS Play asks for nothing beyond the download.

ESS Play ships an update every 3 weeks, Ride Timer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ESS Play | Ride Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Size | 35 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [StayLive AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1405632964) | [Starck Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484768223) |

## What reviewers say

### ESS Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ess-play/id1457807666)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ride Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ride-timer/id6780640009)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ESS Play free?

ESS Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ride Timer free?

Ride Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do ESS Play or Ride Timer have ads?

Neither ESS Play nor Ride Timer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ESS Play or Ride Timer?

ESS Play ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ride Timer every 4 days. Most recently, ESS Play was updated on October 4, 2026 and Ride Timer on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*