Timer vs IRL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Easy timer setting
- Customizable presets
- Adjustable alarm volume
- Ambient ticking sound option
- Home screen widgets
- Flexible subscription options
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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
IRL
This app helps you regain focus by locking distracting applications and tracking your phone usage. It encourages real-life activities and offers social accountability features to help you achieve your goals. You can earn the service for free by consistently meeting your usage targets.
- App blocking with Apple's Family Controls
- Phone habit tracking
- Social accountability with friends
- Scheduled group focus sessions
- Post-session real-life activity sharing
- Solo mode for private use
- Science-backed claims
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Take your time back. Take your power back. IRL locks the apps that pull you in for real focus sessions, tracks your phone habits over time, and turns being off your phone into a social flex. Hit your daily goal six of seven days — phone genuinely locked, no slips — and IRL becomes free. The flex isn't your screen time. It's how little of it you have. WHAT MAKES IRL DIFFERENT - Real shielding, not just a timer. IRL uses Apple's Family Controls to block the apps you choose during a session. iOS shows a shield screen when you reach for them. - What still gets through, in plain sight. Calls, texts, Maps, your lifelines, and Emergency SOS are never blocked. - Sit with the urge. Tap "I need out" and IRL gives you a 15-second cooldown before the session ends — long enough for the craving to pass. - Real friends, real accountability. Add friends by handle or contacts (numbers hashed locally — we never see them). See who's locked in right now. React to each other's sessions. Schedule squad sessions where you all lock in together. - "What did you do instead?" After a session, post one line about the real-life thing you did. Friends see it. Celebrates the moment, not the absence. - Solo mode. Some people want the social pressure. Others are doing this for themselves. Both work. Flip Solo mode in Settings and you're invisible to everyone, your data stays yours. - The science, cited. Every claim links to a real study — Brain Drain (UChicago), notification attention costs (PLOS), the PNAS Nexus mobile-internet blocking trial, NIH sleep research. EARN IT FREE — HONESTLY Hit your daily goal six of seven days, phone genuinely locked, no slips, and we credit your next subscription period back via Apple. The only people who pay are the people who don't use it. To keep the promise honest, you pick a sleep window of at least 8 hours in onboarding. Sessions started during sleep don't count. We need to know it was a real choice, not a phone on a nightstand. PRIVACY YOU CAN VERIFY - We never see which apps you chose to shield. iOS keeps them private. - We never see your real phone number. Contact matches are SHA-256 hashed on your device before anything is sent. - We never sell, share, rent, or advertise against your data. No third-party trackers. No IDFA. - Every social toggle is enforced server-side. Off means off. - Delete your account from inside the app at any time. Permanent. SUBSCRIPTION - Monthly: $4.99 with 3-day free trial - Yearly: $39.99 with 7-day free trial (saves 33%) - Cancel anytime in iOS Settings, Apple ID, Subscriptions - Earn it free credits future periods via Apple's subscription extension API Privacy: irl.app/privacy Terms: irl.app/terms Support: hi@irl.app
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: IRL at 5.0 against Timer's 4.4. IRL also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription). Timer's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (442 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and IRL sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
IRL holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Timer has 442 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Timer ships an update every 4 days, IRL every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Timer | IRL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (442 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 442 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Studio 1J, LLC | Nathaniel Kramer |
Customer experience
Timer
IRL
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
IRL
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Timer
- Minimal Timer+3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Minimal Timer+3 Days trial$19.997 Days
- Minimal Timer+3 variants$79.001 Year
IRL
- IRL Plus Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- IRL Plus Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year









