Comparison

OSC Timer vs ShowPlay

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

Head to head
About

OSC Timer

This app provides advanced, customizable timer functionality controlled via Open Sound Control (OSC). It allows for real-time adjustments, multiple simultaneous timers, and dynamic display layouts for presentations and entertainment.

Highlights
  • Real-time OSC control
  • Multiple simultaneous timers
  • Customizable display layouts
  • Broadcast time and messages
  • Extensive OSC API
  • System time display
Features
Read full description

In the fast-paced world of presentations and entertainment, timing is everything. Yet, integrating show control software with traditional timer equipment has long been a challenge. Enter OSC Timer—a powerful, customizable solution designed to seamlessly bridge this gap. With Open Sound Control (OSC) embedded in nearly every show control software today, OSC Timer offers a robust and scalable timer that perfectly fits into any networked AV setup. Whether you need a single timer or multiple, OSC Timer adapts to your needs, providing unparalleled control and flexibility. Real-time Control & Customization: Thanks to OSC, you can control every aspect of the timer in real time—from starting, stopping, and resetting to adjusting colors, scaling, and at-end behaviors—all on the fly. The app’s versatility allows for multiple timers to run simultaneously, display system time, and even send OSC messages triggered at user-defined intervals. Enhanced Broadcast Features: Broadcast time, warnings, or custom messages across your network with ease. OSC Timer can subscribe to or unsubscribe from specific OSC messages, ensuring precise communication throughout your show. Dynamic Layout & Display: Arrange your timer display to suit your event’s needs—whether it’s a single timer dominating the screen or a multi-slot layout showing different timers, broadcasts, or even a system clock. The display is fully flexible, allowing you to tailor it perfectly to your requirements. Extensive OSC API: Explore the full potential of OSC Timer with an extensive OSC API that lets you manipulate everything from font size and alignment to background colors and border styles. Whether it’s adjusting the brightness, setting the text alignment, or configuring alert zones, OSC Timer gives you the tools to create the perfect timing setup. Growing Feature Set: OSC Timer is constantly evolving. We welcome feature requests at osctimer@rasmuskreiner.dk, and we’re committed to making this app the ultimate tool for time management in the entertainment and presentation industries. For a complete list of features, templates, and the full OSC API, visit http://rasmuskreiner.dk/OSCTIMER/OSCTIMER.html.

About

ShowPlay

This app allows users to remotely control various media and communication elements for theatrical and event productions. It supports video, audio, images, colors, and simulated calls/messages via OSC. Media can be imported locally or synced from cloud storage.

Highlights
  • Remote media playback (video, audio, images)
  • Color control via RGB values
  • Simulate incoming calls and messages
  • OSC integration for control
  • Dropbox cloud synchronization
  • Connection re-establishment on weak networks
  • Access to message logs for troubleshooting
Features
Read full description

Connect. Play. ShowPlay connects to entertainment networks to remotely trigger video, audio, images and colours, and simulate incoming calls and messages using OSC (Open Sound Control). It is the ideal solution for theatre, movie, TV and event production. Import media from the local device, or synchronise with Dropbox cloud storage. ShowPlay actively re-establishes connections on weaker networks, and provides easy to access logs of incoming messages for troubleshooting. Video Play video files, and control audio levels and looping behaviour. Audio Play audio files, and control audio levels, speakers and looping behaviour. Images Display images, and control stretching behaviour. Colours Display colours by providing RGB values. Call Simulate incoming calls, and control ring/vibrate behaviour and caller identification text. Message Simulate incoming messages, and control ring/vibrate behaviour and messenger identification text.

Screenshots

OSC Timer4 screens
ShowPlay3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: OSC Timer at 100% against ShowPlay's 50%. OSC Timer also leads on price ($3.99 vs $9.99). ShowPlay's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

OSC Timer costs $3.99 and ShowPlay $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OSC Timer ships an update every 9 months, ShowPlay every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
OSC Timer versus ShowPlay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOSC TimerShowPlay
Price$3.99 — better$9.99
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRasmus KreinerDaniel Murfin

Customer experience

OSC Timer

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ShowPlay

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

OSC Timer

No in-app purchases

None

ShowPlay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OSC Timer free?
OSC Timer costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ShowPlay free?
ShowPlay costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do OSC Timer or ShowPlay have ads?
Neither OSC Timer nor ShowPlay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OSC Timer or ShowPlay?
OSC Timer ships an update every 9 months, and ShowPlay every 4 months. Most recently, OSC Timer was updated on September 10, 2026 and ShowPlay on September 14, 2026.

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