iTimeBox vs Tempo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iTimeBox
This app helps you overcome procrastination and build focus by breaking down large tasks into manageable timed sessions. It encourages consistent effort over perfection, allowing you to track progress and build momentum for any activity.
- Timed focus sessions
- Multi-stage sessions
- Live Activities integration
- Home screen widgets
- Siri voice control
- iCloud sync
- Session history and export
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Stop overthinking. Start a timer. Get it done. iTimeBox is a focus timer that turns big, intimidating goals into small, achievable sessions. Pick an activity, set a duration, and commit. No multitasking, no distractions — just you and the task in front of you. When the timer ends, you've won. Every completed session is proof that you showed up. WHY IT WORKS Most productivity apps track what you did. iTimeBox changes what you do next. By committing to a focused block of time — even just 10 minutes — you overcome the resistance that keeps you from starting. Use it for anything: studying, exercise, physical therapy, language practice, deep work, creative projects, or breaking a procrastination habit. FLEXIBLE BY DESIGN • Set a minimum duration to push through tasks you avoid • Set a maximum to keep enjoyable activities from consuming your day • Create multi-stage sessions with warm-up, focus, and cool-down phases • Works with Timeboxing, Pomodoro, GTD, or your own approach BUILT FOR MODERN iOS • Live Activities — see your timer on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • Widgets — start sessions right from your Home Screen • Siri — start and stop sessions with your voice • iCloud Sync — your activities and history stay in sync across devices • Session History — review your progress with a contribution-style activity graph • Export — take your data with you THE GOAL ISN'T PERFECTION iTimeBox is built around a simple idea: showing up consistently matters more than measuring outcomes. Ten focused minutes on physical therapy, language practice, or a creative project adds up. You don't need to be perfect — you just need to start. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://e-string.com/itimebox/privacy
Tempo
This app transforms countdown timers into clear visual progress indicators, helping you stay focused on tasks like work, study, or cooking. It offers multiple visualization options and a distraction-free interface, working reliably offline without requiring an account.
- Multiple visualization options
- Clean, distraction-free interface
- Works offline
- No account setup
- Reliable background operation
- Privacy-focused
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If you have ever looked up and lost an hour, you do not need another number counting down. You need to see time move. Tempo turns time into something you can watch. A dandelion loses its seeds. An eclipse closes over. A snowman gives in to the sun. Glance at your phone from across the room and you know how much is left — no reading, no math. BUILT FOR TIME BLINDNESS Numbers are abstract. If your brain does not track elapsed time on its own, "20 minutes" means nothing until it is already gone. Tempo makes time spatial instead, so you feel it draining rather than having to calculate it. FROM ONE MINUTE TO ONE YEAR Most timers stop at an hour. Tempo has six scales: • MINUTE — a focus sprint or a short break • HOUR — the meeting, the work block • DAY — how much of today is actually left • MONTH — the deadline that still feels far away • SEASON — the stretch you keep meaning to use • YEAR — the one nobody shows you The longer scales run live against the real calendar. Open Tempo in August and the year is already most of the way gone. That is not a gimmick — for anyone who loses whole weeks, seeing it is the point. SEVEN VISUALIZATIONS Dandelion, Dots, Eclipse, Ember, Sand, Snowman, and Thunderstorm. Pick the one your brain actually reads, and set it as your default. ON YOUR WRIST AND HOME SCREEN An Apple Watch app and home screen widgets keep the current scale visible without unlocking anything — so checking the time stops becoming the distraction. BUILT TO STAY QUIET • No account, no sign-up, no email • Every timer works offline — no connection required • No streaks, no badges, no guilt mechanics • No ads, ever Tempo will not fix your relationship with time. It just makes time visible, so the hours stop disappearing without warning. Free to use, including the Dandelion and Dots visualizations and every scale from MINUTE through YEAR. A one-time Pro purchase adds the Eclipse, Ember, Sand, Snowman, and Thunderstorm visualizations and the SEASON scale. No subscription, ever.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Tempo at 5.0 against iTimeBox's 4.4. Tempo also leads on device support and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). iTimeBox's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (7 vs 2). On price 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. Tempo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iTimeBox asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tempo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | iTimeBox | Tempo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 2 months |
| Ads | — | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | — | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | E-String Technologies, Inc. | Foundry24 LLC |
In-app purchases
iTimeBox
No in-app purchases
Tempo
- Tempo Pro$4.99





