Comparison

Seconds Interval Timer vs Quick Steps

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

Head to head
About

Seconds Interval Timer

This app provides a versatile interval timer for various workout types like Tabata, HIIT, and circuit training. It features a clear, full-screen display, customizable alerts, and background operation. Users can also utilize a stopwatch and countdown timer, with integration for Apple Health.

Highlights
  • Full-screen colored display
  • Templates for HIIT, Tabata, Circuit Training
  • Voice and audio alerts
  • Music assignment per interval
  • Background operation
  • Apple Health integration
  • Stopwatch and countdown timer
Features
Read full description

Seconds is an interval timer for HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, circuits and any workout built from timed intervals. It calls each interval out loud, keeps running with the screen off, and runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Apple has featured it, and Joe Wicks, The Body Coach, has said it is the fitness app he uses more than any other. BUILD ANY WORKOUT - Start from a HIIT, Tabata or circuit template, or build a timer from scratch with sets, rounds and intervals of different lengths. - Chain timers into one compound timer, so a warm-up flows into the main set and then a cool-down. - Color-code every interval so you know what is coming before the beep. - Share a timer with a friend in one tap. HEAR IT, DON'T WATCH IT - Voice cues call out each interval by name and warn you before the next one starts. - Beeps and bells are there too if you would rather not be talked at. - Play your own music, per timer or per interval. Cues duck the music and it comes back up when they are done. - The timer keeps going in the background while you use other apps or the screen sleeps. ON THE GYM FLOOR - A full-screen, color-coded display you can read from across the room, in portrait or landscape. On iPad it uses the whole screen. - A lock button stops a stray tap from pausing your set. APPLE WATCH - Seconds runs on the watch by itself, so the phone can stay in the locker. Timers you build on the phone sync to the wrist, and Quick Intervals builds a basic circuit on the watch itself. MORE TIMERS - A stopwatch that marks your best and worst laps. - A countdown timer with five preset durations (three on Apple Watch). APPLE HEALTH - Save workouts and mindful sessions to Health. With a heart rate monitor connected, Seconds reads your body measurements and year of birth from Health to estimate calories burned. FREE TO TRY, ONE PAYMENT TO UNLOCK - Everything is available from the first launch. Build any timer and run it. - Each timer locks after you run it once. A single in-app purchase removes the lock on every timer you make. SECONDS AND SECONDS PRO - Seconds Pro is the same app, paid once up front, with nothing to unlock. The two are separate products and a purchase in one does not carry over to the other. If you bought Seconds Pro, download Seconds Pro. If you bought the unlock in Seconds, download Seconds and use Restore Purchases.

About

Quick Steps

This app helps runners improve their stride rate to increase speed and reduce injury risk. It provides audio cues to guide your pace and tracks your running activity, even when in the background. Customize your target cadence for personalized training.

Highlights
  • Improve running cadence
  • Audio step-sound cues
  • Customizable target cadence
  • Background activity tracking
  • Run summary with average cadence
  • Reduce injury risk
Features
Read full description

Quick Steps is a fitness app to help improve your running cadence (steps per minute). 180 steps per minute has been recognised as the ideal running cadence. By increasing your cadence, you will be able to run faster and will be less prone to certain types of injury. The free version of Quick Steps defaults to a cadence of 180 steps per minute and will display your current cadence and activity time. It will also play a step-sound at 180 beats per minute to allow you to synchronise your cadence to 180. Through in-app purchase, you can change the target cadence to suit your needs. Using this feature, you can ease towards 180 steps per minute. If you put Quick Steps in the background the sound will continue to play, allowing you to add cadence training to your workout alongside other fitness apps. Quick Steps still tracks your activity, even in the background. At the end of your run, hold down the stop button to finish and show a summary of your activity, including an average cadence.

Screenshots

Seconds Interval Timer4 screens
Quick Steps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Seconds Interval Timer at 75% against Quick Steps's 0%. Seconds Interval Timer also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 13 months). Quick Steps's advantage is iOS requirement (10.3 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Seconds Interval Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Quick Steps sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Seconds Interval Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Seconds Interval Timer has 24K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Seconds Interval Timer's written reviews are positive against 0% of Quick Steps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Seconds Interval Timer ships an update monthly, Quick Steps every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Seconds Interval Timer versus Quick Steps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeconds Interval TimerQuick Steps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (24K ratings) — better1.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews74.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24K — better8
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 13 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.010.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRunloop LtdRichard Levy

Customer experience

Seconds Interval Timer

All ratings23,711 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews1,260 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative19.0%

Quick Steps

All ratings8 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Seconds Interval Timer

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Timer sometimes stops working unexpectedly
  • Issues with restoring purchases on new devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to change beep/alert volume independently
  • Option to delay transition between intervals
  • Sync workouts across devices
  • More preset workout templates
  • Heart rate monitoring integration

Quick Steps

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Seconds Interval Timer

One-time1
  • Advanced Version$7.99
1 purchases

Quick Steps

One-time1
  • Change Target Cadence$0.99

Questions

Is Seconds Interval Timer free?
Seconds Interval Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Quick Steps free?
Quick Steps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Seconds Interval Timer or Quick Steps?
Seconds Interval Timer is rated higher. Seconds Interval Timer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Quick Steps averages 1.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Seconds Interval Timer or Quick Steps have ads?
Neither Seconds Interval Timer nor Quick Steps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Seconds Interval Timer or Quick Steps?
Seconds Interval Timer ships an update monthly, and Quick Steps every 13 months. Most recently, Seconds Interval Timer was updated on October 10, 2026 and Quick Steps on October 3, 2026.

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