Comparison

Timer vs Ro

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

Head to head
About

Timer

This app offers a simple and intuitive way to manage your time for various activities. Set custom timers, utilize quick presets, and adjust alarm volumes to suit your needs. Stay on track with home screen widgets and an optional ambient ticking sound.

Highlights
  • Easy timer setting
  • Customizable presets
  • Adjustable alarm volume
  • Ambient ticking sound option
  • Home screen widgets
  • Flexible subscription options
Features
Read full description

Meet Minimal Timer, your perfect companion for all your timing needs. This easy-to-use timer app helps you stay focused and manage your time well, whether you're working, studying, cooking, or just need a gentle reminder. We've designed it to be simple and helpful, so you can do more with less fuss. Set Timers with Ease: With Minimal Timer, setting a timer is straightforward and quick. You can easily set your desired duration in minutes or hours using the clear, easy-to-use keypad interface. Simply type in the time you need, and you're ready to go. If you often use the same times, you'll also love our selection of handy presets that get you started quickly. Or, if you need something specific, you can customize your own timers to fit any activity. Minimal Timer is built to be flexible for your everyday life. Custom Presets: Create and save your own frequently used timer durations. Whether it's for a 25-minute focus session, a 7-minute workout, or a 30-minute cooking reminder, you can set it once and use it again and again with just a tap. This makes starting your favorite timers super quick and easy. Custom Alarm Volume: Adjust your alarm sound to be just right for any situation. Whether you need a loud reminder to get your attention or a quiet chime that won't disturb others, you're in control. This means your timer will always alert you exactly how you want it to. Ambient Ticking Sound: If you like to feel time passing, you can turn on an optional, gentle ticking sound. This subtle feature can help you stay aware of the duration and maintain your focus, creating a calm and productive environment without being distracting. Widgets: Keep an eye on your timers right from your home screen. Our handy widgets let you see your active timers at a glance, so you're always updated on your progress without needing to open the app. It's a convenient way to stay on track throughout your day. Subscription & Cancellation: Enjoy flexible subscription options for premium features. Your payment is charged to your Apple account when you confirm your purchase, and subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends. If you start with a free trial, it will switch to a paid subscription unless canceled before the trial is over. You can easily manage or cancel your subscription anytime through your Apple account settings. Ready to make managing your time a breeze? Minimal Timer is designed for everyone, with a clean look and straightforward features that just work. Give it a try today and enjoy the convenience of a reliable and simple timer tool! Terms of Use & Privacy Policy: https://regular-wednesday-69a.notion.site/Terms-of-Use-2b99efd494008031afe9f5cc09712f48 https://regular-wednesday-69a.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-2b79efd4940080e1b734f1af1d853ddb

About

Ro

This focus timer uses the Pomodoro Technique to break work into focused sessions with short breaks. It offers customizable timers, ambient sounds, and detailed stats to help users stay sharp and avoid burnout. Live Activity and Dynamic Island integration keep your countdown visible.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro Technique timer
  • Customizable work/break durations
  • Ambient soundscapes
  • Live Activity & Dynamic Island integration
  • Detailed focus stats
  • Background notifications
Features
Read full description

炉 Ro is a focus timer built for people who take their time seriously. Based on the Pomodoro Technique, Ro breaks your work into focused sessions separated by short breaks — helping you stay sharp, avoid burnout, and actually finish what you start. FOCUS WITHOUT FRICTION Start a session and get to work. Ro handles the rest — automatically starting breaks, tracking your time, and keeping you in flow. LIVE ACTIVITY & DYNAMIC ISLAND Your countdown lives on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. Glance and get back to work. AMBIENT SOUND Rain, café, or fire — choose a sound to block out the world and stay locked in. STATS THAT MEAN SOMETHING See your weekly sessions, total focus time, best day, and current streak. Every minute counts — even partial sessions are tracked. FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE Set your own work and break durations. Choose how many sessions before a long break. Auto-start breaks or step away on your own terms. NOTIFICATIONS Get notified the moment a session ends — even when the app is in the background. Ro is designed with a cinematic dark aesthetic inspired by forge light and darkroom photography. No ads. No subscriptions. No noise. Just work.

Screenshots

Timer4 screens
Ro2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ro at 100% against Timer's 20%. Ro also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). Timer's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and ratings volume (471 vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Timer is free to download; Ro costs $0.99 up front. Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Ro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Timer has 471 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Timer ships an update every 4 days, Ro every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Timer versus Ro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimerRo
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.4 (471 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings471 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStudio 1J, LLCZachary Foerst

Customer experience

Timer

All ratings442 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral2.9%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative77.1%

Ro

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Timer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App swirls for over a minute before loading
  • No widgets found after paying for subscription
  • Unable to get past the first screen without subscribing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow limited access to try before subscribing
  • Add an option to control the timer from the widget
  • Add shortcuts support for setting and naming timers
  • Add a 24-hour timer option

Ro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Timer

Subscriptions3
  • Minimal Timer+3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Minimal Timer+3 Days trial$19.997 Days
  • Minimal Timer+3 variants$79.001 Year
None

Ro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Timer free?
Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ro free?
Ro costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Timer or Ro?
Ro is rated higher. Timer averages 4.4 out of 5 from 471 ratings, while Ro averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Timer or Ro have ads?
Neither Timer nor Ro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Timer or Ro?
Timer ships an update every 4 days, and Ro every 3 weeks. Most recently, Timer was updated on October 30, 2026 and Ro on October 20, 2026.

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