# Interval Timer vs Custom Fitness Timer

The clearest difference is rating: Custom Fitness Timer at 5.0 against Interval Timer's 4.5. Custom Fitness Timer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and review sentiment (100% vs 69%). Interval Timer's advantage is ratings volume (19K vs 6) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Interval Timer sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Custom Fitness Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Custom Fitness Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Interval Timer has 19K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Interval Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Custom Fitness Timer's.

Interval Timer ships an update every 9 days, Custom Fitness Timer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Interval Timer | Custom Fitness Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interval-timer-tabata-timer/id406473568/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-fitness-timer/id6448923014/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 69.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 143 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NEO PIXEL LABS PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788472183) | [Jared Rosenthal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686932132) |

## What reviewers say

### Interval Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/interval-timer-tabata-timer/id406473568)

This app helps you manage workout intervals with customizable work and rest periods. It runs in the background and allows music playback, with options to save settings and share progress. Integrates with Apple Health for heart rate monitoring.

**Highlights:** Customizable sets, intervals, and rest times, Runs in background and with screen locked, Music playlist integration, Save settings as templates, Apple Health integration for heart rate, Post workouts to social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus - 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium - 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Plus - 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium - 1 Month | $2.99 | per month |
| Plus - 1 Year | $4.99 | per year |
| Premium - 1 Year | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Free version works well
- 👍 Customizable intervals and timers
- 👍 Flexible for different workouts
- 👍 Easy to use and set up
- 👍 Provides visual and audio cues

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timer issues (stops, loses time)
- 🔋 Drains battery when used
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 📢 Intrusive ads
- 🔒 Incompatible with other apps

**Reported bugs**

- Ads block functionality
- App freezes or crashes
- Timer doesn't work in background

**Requested features**

- Add notes to workouts
- Provide workout history and analytics
- Allow syncing with Apple Health
- Improve Apple Watch integration
- Add more customization options


### Custom Fitness Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-fitness-timer/id6448923014)

Create and manage custom timers for various fitness activities like countdowns, intervals, and work/rest periods. Features include intuitive navigation, a press-and-hold stopwatch, and optional sound alerts. Personalize timers with custom names and colors to match different phases.

**Highlights:** Unlimited custom timer creation, Countdown timer, Interval timer, Work/Rest timer, Press and hold stopwatch, Optional timer sounds, Color-coded timer phases

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Interval Timer free?

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

### Is Custom Fitness Timer free?

Custom Fitness Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Interval Timer or Custom Fitness Timer?

Custom Fitness Timer is rated higher. Interval Timer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Custom Fitness Timer averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Interval Timer or Custom Fitness Timer have ads?

Both Interval Timer and Custom Fitness Timer show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Interval Timer or Custom Fitness Timer?

Interval Timer ships an update every 9 days, and Custom Fitness Timer every 4 days. Most recently, Interval Timer was updated on September 25, 2026 and Custom Fitness Timer on June 11, 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.*