Comparison

LabTimer vs Kitchen Timer

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

Head to head
About

LabTimer

This app provides multiple configurable timers for various uses, from scientific experiments to everyday tasks like cooking and workouts. It features a clear display, customizable labels, and the ability to repeat count-down timers.

Highlights
  • Four configurable timers
  • Count-up and count-down modes
  • Large display and buttons
  • Customizable text labels
  • Repeat count-down functionality
  • Disables iPod sleep
Features
Read full description

LabTimer is a count-up and alarming count-down multi-timer. ***NEWS*** LabTimerPhD is now available. It has all the same functionality as LabTimer. If you like LabTimer, please consider picking up LabTimerPhD! I'll use the suggestions on LabTimerPhD for future changes. All updates will be applied to both applications. ***NEWS*** The look and feel of LabTimer is designed to emulate that of standard lab timers, providing quick access to count-down timers and repeat runs. LabTimer is not just good for the lab, though - it is also convenient for cooking, medication timing, working out, and child timeouts. LabTimer has the following features: - Four timers, individually configurable as count-up or alarming count-down - Large display and buttons - Display in Hours : Minutes : Seconds (limit above 1000 hours) - Customizable text labels for each timer - Small icons describing the state of all timers - Disables iPod sleep, keeping your timer running and visible - Designed to satisfy the lab needs of my molecular biologist wife Count-down timers each: - Display the projected finish time - Alarm for one minute - After the alarm, display the time elapsed since finish in red - Repeat the last count-down by: -- pressing clear while the timer is paused -- pressing start/stop twice after the timer has finished The iPhone currently prevents background processes, so LabTimer cannot alarm if the application is not running. However, the screen can be locked while the timers are running. The alarm also plays over and does not interrupt any playing music. While this will finally let you keep your noise-isolating headphones on during long incubations, please remember to experiment responsibly. There are many timers and stopwatches on the App Store, but they did not fulfill my (or my wife's) needs. We're now using LabTimer, and we hope you will too. LabTimer is free and will remain free. I've created LabTimerPhD, a pay app with identical features, if you'd like to contribute to future development. I haven't seen anyone else doing this and it seems like an interesting way of handling donations. :) Please let me know what you think and how LabTimer can be improved, either via a review or the e-mail address on the website. Thanks for looking!

About

Kitchen Timer

A straightforward kitchen timer designed for everyday cooking. It offers customizable patterns and colors, with a convenient long-press function for quick time setting. Receive notifications even when the app is running in the background.

Highlights
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Long press for quick time setting
  • Background notifications
  • Customizable patterns and colors
  • Simple cooking aid
Features
Read full description

A simple kitchen timer for everyday cooking. Kitchen Timer makes it quick and easy to keep track of cooking time, whether you're boiling eggs, baking, preparing pasta, using the oven, or making your favorite meal. With a clear display and simple controls, you can set your timer and get back to cooking. Perfect for: • Boiling eggs and pasta • Baking and oven cooking • Meal prep • Roasting and grilling • Making bread and desserts • Everyday cooking at home Features: • Long press buttons to set the time quickly • Quickly reuse recently used timer settings • Background notifications when your timer finishes • Customize the timer with colors and patterns Simple, practical, and easy to use. Keep track of your cooking time and enjoy a smoother kitchen routine.

Screenshots

LabTimer4 screens
Kitchen Timer3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Kitchen Timer at 4.6 against LabTimer's 4.0. Kitchen Timer also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 11 months). LabTimer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

Both are free to download. Kitchen Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. LabTimer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kitchen Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 172 and 204 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 91% of LabTimer's written reviews are positive against 89% of Kitchen Timer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LabTimer ships an update every 11 months, Kitchen Timer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
LabTimer versus Kitchen Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLabTimerKitchen Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (172 ratings)4.6 (204 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.7% of reviews — better88.9% of reviews
Number of ratings172204 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer0x0cFocaccia, Inc.

Customer experience

LabTimer

All ratings174 ratings
Positive70.1%
Neutral12.1%
Negative17.8%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive90.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative3.4%

Kitchen Timer

All ratings201 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral3.5%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

LabTimer

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • iPad notifications not displaying correctly
  • App fails to open on iPhone X with iOS 14.4
  • Alarm non-functional on iOS 5 in lock mode
  • No audio output on iOS 9.x
  • Timer stops when iPhone enters sleep mode (older versions)
Show 1 more
  • App incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

17 requests
  • Landscape orientation support (especially for iPad)
  • Keyboard/direct number input for faster time entry
  • Multiple selectable alarm sounds/tones
  • Ability to customize alarm volume independently
  • Countdown voice announcements
Show 12 more
  • Screen lock display of timer countdown
  • Millisecond/decimal second precision
  • Different alarm sounds for different timers
  • Visual alerts (screen flash) in addition to sound
  • Ability to decrease time values (not just increase)
  • Timer interaction/chaining (one timer starts another)
  • Configurable alarm duration
  • Days display option for very long timers
  • All timers visible on single screen
  • Ability to add notes to timers
  • Push notifications when app is closed
  • Recording custom alarm messages

Kitchen Timer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

LabTimer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Kitchen Timer

One-time1
  • Kitchen timer Pro$3.99

Questions

Is LabTimer free?
LabTimer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kitchen Timer free?
Kitchen Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LabTimer or Kitchen Timer?
Kitchen Timer is rated higher. LabTimer averages 4.0 out of 5 from 172 ratings, while Kitchen Timer averages 4.6 from 204 ratings.
Do LabTimer or Kitchen Timer have ads?
Kitchen Timer shows ads; LabTimer does not.
Which is updated more often, LabTimer or Kitchen Timer?
LabTimer ships an update every 11 months, and Kitchen Timer fortnightly. Most recently, LabTimer was updated on October 22, 2026 and Kitchen Timer on October 24, 2026.

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