Time Timer vs Writing Wizard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Time Timer
This app provides a visual representation of time passing, making it easier to manage tasks and routines. It's designed to be inclusive and flexible for various needs, from educational settings to personal productivity.
- Iconic visual timer with disappearing disk
- Inclusive design for various needs
- Flexible routine creation and sequencing
- Multiple timers and preset options
- Customizable sound, vibration, and color
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Feel time move. Stay on track. Stress less. From the makers of the original red disk timer, the Time Timer® App transforms the powerful visual tool trusted by families, teachers, therapists, and productivity pros for over 30 years into a fully customizable experience on your device. Whether you’re helping students build focus, supporting kids through daily routines, or simply managing your own tasks without overwhelm—Time Timer makes time feel more tangible and manageable. What Makes Time Timer Different? Iconic Visual Timer Watch time disappear as the disk gets smaller—a simple, intuitive way to feel time passing, not just track it. Inclusive by Design Trusted by people with ADHD, Autism, executive function challenges, or just a busy brain. Invented by a mom for her child, Time Timer has supported users of all abilities for decades. Flexible for Every Routine Use it once or build structured sequences. Create presets for daily habits. Run multiple timers at once. Make routines visual and calm transitions. Trusted in Schools, Homes & Workplaces From kindergarten classrooms to therapy sessions to boardrooms, Time Timer helps reduce resistance, improve focus, and make time awareness easier for everyone. Free Features Include: Create up to 3 timers Run multiple timers at once Use the original 60-minute red disk — or choose any duration Adjust sound, vibration, and color with limited options Premium Features Unlock Even More: Unlimited customization Build routines with timer sequencing (morning checklists, therapy steps, work sprints) Organize timers with Groups Sync across mobile and desktop devices Quick Set +/- buttons for fast adjustments Customize disk size and detail level Use Time Timer For: Morning and bedtime routines Homework and study blocks Transitions between tasks Work sprints and focus sessions Therapy, coaching, or classroom support Daily life skills for kids, teens, and adults Why It Works Time Timer® transforms time from something abstract and invisible into something your eyes can track and your brain can trust. That’s why it’s backed by research, loved by educators, and recommended by occupational therapists worldwide. Created for real life. Trusted for decades. Download Time Timer today and feel the difference.
Writing Wizard
This app helps children learn to trace letters, numbers, and words with a fun, motivating system. It offers customizable tracing practice, interactive games, and progress reports for parents and educators.
- Trace letters, numbers, and words
- Customizable tracing practice
- Interactive games and animated stickers
- Create custom word lists with audio
- Progress reports for tracking
- Printable PDF worksheets
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"Fantastic, customizable tracing practice with fun rewards." 5 Stars - Common Sense Media 500,000+ units sold (including 300,000+ to schools) ! Writing Wizard is designed to help every child learn how to trace letters, numbers, and words through a fun system carefully designed to maintain motivation. • Show and enforce how to trace letters correctly • Letter names and phonics (customizable) • 16 Fonts available (including 3 most popular in the US) • Fun tracing using 50+ animated stickers, sound effects and interactive games that animate letters at the end of tracing • Uppercase & lowercase letters, numbers, and words • Ability to create your own word lists (and record audio for each word) • Fully customizable to suit every child’s needs (letter size, difficulty,...) • Check progress thanks to reports that display what the child has traced • Shapes tracing activity for toddlers • Create PDF Worksheets and print them to help your child to write on paper • Use Apple pencil to write at a very small size All the shapes, the first 7 letters, numbers, and words are free. The remaining letters and the ability to add your own words can be unlocked with a one-time purchase or a monthly subscription. _______ ACCOLADES • "Writing Wizard is the most complete and intelligent letter tracing app we’ve seen"" AppoLearning.com • "This brand-new app should be the go-to for every parent, teacher and therapist to work on handwriting" - TOP PICKS - 5 stars - SmartAppsForKids.com • "Writing Wizard by L’Escapadou is everything a parent wants in a handwriting app, and more." 5/5 - kids-app-reviews.com • "L’Escapadou has made handwriting fun." AppyMall.com 5/5 • Listed in "20 best educational iPhone and iPad apps for kids of 2013" - appsplayground.com • Editor's Choice Award for Excellence in Design - Children's Technology Review _______ PERFECT FOR KIDS Kids want to have fun, and Writing Wizard offers a lot of fun to keep them motivated in the learning process! • They can trace using 50+ animated stickers and sound effects • Once tracing is complete, they can interact with them on 4 games that animate letters • They can trace any word - like their name - and record their voice for each word • They can collect stars in 5-Stars play mode _______ PERFECT FOR PARENTS & TEACHERS • Ability to create your own word lists (and record audio for each word) • Detailed reports provide information on what kids have done, including the ability to replay and export the tracings to view kids' progress • Share word lists via iCloud Drive or other cloud providers, adhoc network, or email • Multiple parameters to customize the app according to the child’s current education level (e.g. letter size, difficulty, show/hide model, allow to stop between key points, etc.) • 3 most popular fonts in the US (ZB, DN & HWT) and 13 international fonts (UK, Scandinavia, Australia, Germany and France) • Upper and lower case letters, numbers (and word lists) • Letter names and letter sounds (which can be customized) • A customizable 5-Stars play mode prompting the child to trace a letter or a word 5 times using different parameters (each step is more challenging) • Create an unlimited number of users • Many settings to customize the app (sound, game time limit, black background,...) • In the A-Z section, special graphics available to match letters (e.g. ant graphic for A/a) _______ Privacy Policy KNOW WHAT'S INSIDE As a Moms with Apps member, we follow the "Know what's inside" best practices for kids’ apps L’Escapadou takes children’s privacy seriously. We believe you should not have to worry about your kids being tracked by apps or websites. This app: • Does not collect any user information (we do not use data collection tools) • External Links : Before accessing a parent section, an operation must be solved so that young kids cannot access it. Terms of use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Time Timer at every 2 weeks against Writing Wizard's every 4 months. Writing Wizard's advantage is review sentiment (73% vs 63%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Time Timer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.95 per year and Writing Wizard sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Time Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 5.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Time Timer's written reviews are positive against 73% of Writing Wizard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Time Timer ships an update every 2 weeks, Writing Wizard every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.
| Parameter | Time Timer | Writing Wizard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (15K ratings) — better | 4.4 (5.2K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | 73.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | 5.2K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 174 MB | 68 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Time Timer LLC | Pierre Abel |
Customer experience
Time Timer
Writing Wizard
User reviews
Time Timer
From 15K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Helpful for ADHD and autism
- 🚀 Great visual timer
- 👍 Customizable timers
- 👍 Useful for presentations and meetings
- 👍 Indispensable for organization and time management
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable sound/vibration alerts
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior when phone is locked or app is minimized
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔋 Screen turns off during timer
- 👎 Subscription model for some features
Writing Wizard
From 5.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Engaging animations
- 💡 Customizable word lists
- 👍 Helpful for children with special needs
- 👍 Effective for improving handwriting
Room to improve
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Paid version not working as expected
- 💰 Expensive for the limited features
Bugs and requests
Time Timer
Reported bugs
4 issues- No timers show up in app
- Timer stops working when phone is locked
- Inconsistent dark mode implementation
- Vibration doesn't work as expected
Requested features
7 requests- Add Apple Watch complication
- Allow rearranging of timers
- Ability to continue timer after time is up
- Option to change timer color and background
- Lock timer settings on Apple Watch
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Add percentage countdown option
- Integrate current time into app
Writing Wizard
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when trying to access locked features
- Purchased content not unlocking properly
- Inconsistent letter formation guidance
Requested features
4 requests- Add more letters, numbers, and shapes
- Allow recording of custom voice instructions
- Improve compatibility with stylus/digital pens
- Provide more customization options
In-app purchases
Time Timer
- Unlock all Time Timer features$9.951 Year
Writing Wizard
- Full Access - Monthly$2.491 Month
- All Letters and Numbers$5.99
- Add Your Words and Word Lists$5.99
- Lifetime Full Access$9.99
Questions
Is Time Timer free?
Is Writing Wizard free?
Which has better reviews, Time Timer or Writing Wizard?
Do Time Timer or Writing Wizard have ads?
Which is updated more often, Time Timer or Writing Wizard?
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