# Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead vs Hotlap

The clearest difference is price: Hotlap at Free against Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead's $19.99. Hotlap also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.8) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead's advantage is chart position (#108 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Hotlap is free to download; Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead costs $19.99 up front. Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hotlap sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hotlap holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 153 and 79 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead's written reviews are positive against 69% of Hotlap's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead ships an update every 2 months, Hotlap monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead | Hotlap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harrys-laptimer-petrolhead/id338257907/reviews) | **[4.3 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotlap/id1277202844/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **153** | 79 |
| Positive reviews | **77.0% of reviews** | 69.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#108** | — |
| Size | 80 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Harald Schlangmann](https://appshunter.io/developer/307688601) | [Extravehicular Activity, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1277202843) |

## What reviewers say

### Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harrys-laptimer-petrolhead/id338257907)

**Currently charting:** #108 Top Paid · Sports (US App Store)

This app is an advanced tool for car enthusiasts to record and analyze sensor data for optimizing driving performance. It offers automated lap timing, video recording with data overlays, and real-time online racing competition features.

**Highlights:** Records sensor data (GPS, OBD II), Automated lap timing with 1300+ predefined tracks, In-car video recording with data overlays, Real-time online racing and competition, Driving performance analysis and optimization, Step-by-step sensor integration

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grand Prix Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📊 Comprehensive data logging and telemetry analysis
- 🎥 Excellent video overlay capabilities with telemetry
- 💰 Affordable alternative to expensive professional systems
- 🛠️ Highly responsive developer with active support
- 🏁 Accurate lap timing when properly configured

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🎮 Confusing and unintuitive user interface
- 📍 Unreliable GPS tracking without external devices
- 🔌 Poor Bluetooth connectivity with accessories
- 📹 Video export causes app malfunction

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when overlaying videos
- Video playback fails in Photos app until phone reboot
- Lap data not recording at certain tracks
- GPS location not recognized at specific venues
- Timer fails to start or record laps inconsistently

**Requested features**

- Ability to pause timer between sessions
- Automatic video overlay for all laps without manual processing
- Better track variant identification in database
- Improved nearby track suggestions based on location
- Dark mode option


### Hotlap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotlap/id1277202844)

This app offers GPS lap timing and data logging for track day enthusiasts. Compare your performance with others in a community setting to improve your personal bests.

**Highlights:** GPS lap timing, Data logging, Performance comparison, Community features, Personal best tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hotlap Plus Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Hotlap Plus Annual | $23.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🏎️ Great for track days
- 🤝 Good for comparing with friends
- 💰 Free to use
- 🏎️ Accurate lap times

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lost profile/data after phone transfer
- 🐛 App is buggy and doesn't always work
- 🐛 Photo upload feature broken
- 🐛 OBD2 recording feature not working
- 🐛 Live delta time not working

**Reported bugs**

- Data lost after phone transfer
- App not working/updating
- Photo upload stops at 90%
- App is very buggy and slow
- OBD2 recording feature broken

**Requested features**

- Record times while screen is off
- CarPlay support
- Update profile picture setting
- Make app work in background
- More accurate track layouts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead free?

Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Hotlap free?

Hotlap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead or Hotlap?

Hotlap is rated higher. Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead averages 3.8 out of 5 from 153 ratings, while Hotlap averages 4.3 from 79 ratings.

### Do Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead or Hotlap have ads?

Neither Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead nor Hotlap shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead or Hotlap?

Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead ships an update every 2 months, and Hotlap monthly. Most recently, Harry's LapTimer Petrolhead was updated on October 27, 2026 and Hotlap on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*