Seconds Interval Timer vs Ultra Intervals Workout Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Ultra Intervals Workout Timer
Create and customize interval training routines with simple text input. This app guides you through workouts with spoken cues, sound alerts, and large visual displays, allowing you to focus on your exercise. It supports various training styles like HIIT and Tabata, and can even manage music playback during sessions.
- Create custom interval workouts using plain text
- Spoken exercise names, times, and notifications
- Customizable sound cues and visual displays
- Support for HIIT, Tabata, and circuit training
- Mix timed and non-timed workout sections
- Music ducking for notifications
- Pre-loaded sample workouts
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Define basic interval timers and custom interval workouts with ease: Write the workout as plain understandable text and save it, launch the timer and start exercising! As an example, basic 'Tabata' interval timer can be defined by just typing this text: 8x 00:20 Work hard! 00:10 Rest Type those three lines in the text editor, save the file and launch the timer, then do your workout assisted by big display texts, spoken audio, sound cues and more. 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds rest! Same way you can define more complex workouts, with multiple interval sections consisting of any number of exercises. Check out the screenshots! Running, cycling, kettlebells,..., yoga: Ultra Intervals speaks the exercise names and custom notifications as you define, being capable of guiding you through a full workout with 'phone in your pocket' mode - just *listen* to the instructions and focus on the workout. No need to see the device screen at all. Ultra Timer supports 20+ languages (most languages supporting the iOS text-to-speech functionality are supported). Intervals, HIIT, Tabata, Circuit...equally easy to set up. Customise each workout separately: Choose if you want to have the interval names and notifications spoken or rather have the timer beep instead. Customise colours as you like, all the way to having each exercise step shown with a different colour. Mix timed and non-timed sections in one workout: Ultra Intervals can also guide you through your gym workout or weight training, timing just the breaks and rest periods acting as your set coach. Play music with your favourite music player. Ultra Intervals 'ducks' the music during spoken notifications and brings the volume back on ones audio cue has ended. ULTRA INTERVALS FEATURES: CREATE AND EDIT WORKOUTS WITH EASE Type your workouts in as text plain text, following just few super simple rules. Since the workouts are defined as text, they can be edited on a Mac or PC and imported from cloud services. SPEAKS EXERCISE NAMES, TIMES AND NOTIFICATIONS. AND IT BEEPS TOO. Speaks exercise names, times and custom notifications as you define (or you can turn speech off altogether). You can customize the notifications as you like. Choose between various 'beep' sounds or turn them off as well. SAMPLE WORKOUTS - USE AS SUCH OR AS TEMPLATES Comes with plenty of example workouts and timers which can be used as such or as templates for new ones. Copying a workout file can be done with one swipe & tap. MULTIPLE SECTIONS IN ONE WORKOUT You can define multiple interval sections in one workout. Again, super easily - see the App Store screenshots to get the idea how simple this is! CLEAR DISPLAYS READABLE FROM AFAR Large animated display of time, current and up-next workout steps. Big text you can truly read from afar. CUSTOM NOTIFICATIONS WITH 'TOKENS' Define custom notification messages spoken during the workout, use 'tokens' in the notifications, for example referring to name of the current or the next exercise, time of the next exercise, time remaining of current exercise, interval round number, heart rate and more. MIX TIMED AND NON-TIMED WORKOUT STEPS Following a simple rule (just add the '&' character in the exercise name!), you can make the timer pause automatically for a 'manual' step in your workout and then with one tap restart for the rest period. RUNS IN THE BACKGROUND You can lock the screen, put the phone in the pocket and do the workout guided by the spoken audio instructions. IMPORT, COPY, EXPORT WORKOUTS Straightforward one-step functionality for importing text files from the cloud, copying files and exporting to cloud, email and more. MUSIC Allows you to listen to music during the workout, lowers the music volume for spoken audio. CUSTOMIZABLE FEATURES (CAN BE SET FOR EACH WORKOUT SEPARATELY) For *example*: Language spoken, silent mode, speech/beeps in use, speech/beeps options, countdown time, HR monitor in use, colors and many many more!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ultra Intervals Workout Timer at none against Seconds Interval Timer's 1. Ultra Intervals Workout Timer also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (89% vs 75%). Seconds Interval Timer's advantage is ratings volume (24K vs 4) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ads and device support 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. Seconds Interval Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ultra Intervals Workout Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Seconds Interval Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Seconds Interval Timer has 24K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Seconds Interval Timer's written reviews are positive against 89% of Ultra Intervals Workout Timer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Seconds Interval Timer ships an update monthly, Ultra Intervals Workout Timer every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Seconds Interval Timer | Ultra Intervals Workout Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (24K ratings) — better | 4.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 74.6% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 24K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 95 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Runloop Ltd | Tapio Kuusisto |
Customer experience
Seconds Interval Timer
Ultra Intervals Workout Timer
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
Ultra Intervals Workout Timer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Seconds Interval Timer
- Advanced Version$7.99
Ultra Intervals Workout Timer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Seconds Interval Timer free?
Is Ultra Intervals Workout Timer free?
Which has better reviews, Seconds Interval Timer or Ultra Intervals Workout Timer?
Do Seconds Interval Timer or Ultra Intervals Workout Timer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Seconds Interval Timer or Ultra Intervals Workout Timer?
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