Comparison

Seconds Interval Timer vs Pacer Fitness

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

Pacer Fitness

This app provides a beautiful and intuitive interval timer to help you maximize your workouts. Easily create, customize, and share timers with friends, and enjoy seamless music integration. It's designed to help you reach your fitness goals faster.

Highlights
  • Intuitive interval timer visualization
  • Easy timer creation and customization
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Timer sharing with friends
  • Autostart workout feature
  • Seamless music integration
  • Featured workouts for beginners
Features
Read full description

REACH YOUR FITNESS GOALS FASTER WITH PACER Using an interval timer is the best way to get the most out of your fitness time. Whether training for a sport or working toward specific fitness goals, interval training is a proven method to help you achieve your goals. TIMER SCREEN IS BEAUTIFUL & INTUITIVE Timer visualization displays the entire timeline of your workout with color-coded interval bars that transition from right to left as you exercise. Timer screen works seamlessly in portrait and landscape. CREATING TIMERS IS EASY AND FUN Intuitive gesture controls empower you to make and share timers in mere seconds, not fumbling through multiple screens. Swipe up and down to change duration. Tap and swipe up and down to increase or decrease intensity. You can name each interval to match your exercise. Apple Watch® Support • Timers are automatically synced from your phone to your watch any time you create, edit, re-order or delete timers from your iPhone® • Watch settings are just a swipe away. Swipe right from any open timer to access settings. • Integration with Health and Activity (see "Sync with Health" from settings on the watch app) • Full interval alert options with haptics & sound options including: Melodic, Arcade, US English (female) & US English (male) SHARE TIMERS WITH FRIENDS Pacer supports deep linking and timer sharing. Open a timer and tap share to send to a friend via AirDrop®, your favorite messaging app or share with your followers on social media. Recipients with Pacer will be able to open and save your timers to their devices. AUTOSTART Pacer knows when you are holding your phone and when you set it down. With Autostart enabled, once you open a timer just set it down to start it. Pick it up again to pause. Visit Settings in the app to enable Autostart. SEAMLESS MUSIC INTEGRATION Play music from your favorite music app with no interruptions. Pacer will play audio cues over your music and you can even adjust the volume independent of your music volume. No matter what music you’re listening to, the audio cues won’t be too loud or too quiet. FEATURED WORKOUTS HELP YOU GET STARTED If you’re new to interval training, check out our featured workouts. Pacer can be used for many different fitness disciplines, so take a peek at what the pros are doing. SWIPE TO DELETE - On Timers screen, swipe left on any timer to expose share, edit and delete REORDER TIMERS - Long press a timer and then drag-and-drop to customize timer position Pacer is created and maintained with the help of a NASM™ certified personal trainer.

Screenshots

Seconds Interval Timer4 screens
Pacer Fitness4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Seconds Interval Timer at 24K against Pacer Fitness's 306. Seconds Interval Timer also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 60%). Pacer Fitness's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Pacer Fitness 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Seconds Interval Timer against 4.7 for Pacer Fitness. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Seconds Interval Timer has 24K ratings behind it against 306, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Seconds Interval Timer's written reviews are positive against 60% of Pacer Fitness's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Seconds Interval Timer ships an update monthly, Pacer Fitness every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Seconds Interval Timer versus Pacer Fitness: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeconds Interval TimerPacer Fitness
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (24K ratings)4.7 (306 ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24K — better306
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB132 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRunloop LtdBright Mediums

Customer experience

Seconds Interval Timer

All ratings23,673 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews1,244 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.2%
Negative18.8%

Pacer Fitness

All ratings306 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral15.3%
Negative24.7%

User reviews

Seconds Interval Timer

From 24K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great workout app
  • 👍 Customizable and user-friendly
  • 🔒 Reliable and stable
  • 💡 Versatile for various workouts
  • 👍 Easy to create and edit timers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional audio issues
  • 🔍 Limited Apple Watch integration
  • 💰 Paid version required for full functionality
  • 🕰️ Time-consuming to set up complex workouts

Pacer Fitness

From 306 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
  • 🎨 Beautiful, clean, and visually appealing design
  • ⚙️ Highly customizable timer configurations
  • 🔊 Satisfying and audible sound notifications
  • 💾 Ability to save and reuse custom timers

Room to improve

  • 💰 Misleading free-to-premium pricing model
  • 🔐 Privacy concerns with Apple Health data syncing
  • 🐛 App crashes when screen is locked
  • 🐛 App stops when switching to other apps
  • 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements

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

Pacer Fitness

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Intervals beyond the 8th one don't execute
  • Example workout has broken intervals
  • Apple Health sync toggle resets automatically
  • Timer stops when phone screen is locked
  • Timer stops when switching between apps
Show 5 more
  • App crashes during workout execution
  • Sound doesn't play over background music
  • App demands rating and stops timer without warning
  • Frequent crashing on startup (older versions)
  • Unable to purchase ad-free version

Requested features

10 requests
  • Auto-play functionality for continuous workouts
  • Apple Watch app support
  • GPS tracking for running workouts
  • Adjustable countdown time (longer than 3 seconds)
  • Ability to combine multiple timers in one workout
Show 5 more
  • Daily workout history instead of combined totals
  • Music control integration within the app
  • More pre-built workout templates (battle ropes, etc.)
  • Longer maximum timer duration (beyond 10 minutes)
  • Ability to run app with screen locked and other apps open

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Seconds Interval Timer

One-time1
  • Advanced Version$7.99
1 purchases

Pacer Fitness

One-time1
  • Unlock Pacer Plus$4.99

Questions

Is Seconds Interval Timer free?
Seconds Interval Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pacer Fitness free?
Pacer Fitness is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Seconds Interval Timer or Pacer Fitness?
Seconds Interval Timer and Pacer Fitness are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 24K and 306 ratings respectively.
Do Seconds Interval Timer or Pacer Fitness have ads?
Neither Seconds Interval Timer nor Pacer Fitness shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Seconds Interval Timer or Pacer Fitness?
Seconds Interval Timer ships an update monthly, and Pacer Fitness every 9 days. Most recently, Seconds Interval Timer was updated on September 28, 2026 and Pacer Fitness on September 26, 2026.

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