Comparison

Best Interval Timer vs TABATA Timer / Interval Timer

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

Head to head
About

Best Interval Timer

This app acts as your personal coach, guiding you through workouts with customizable routines. Focus on your exercise while it manages timing for warm-up, high/low intensity intervals, cool-downs, and rest periods.

Highlights
  • Customizable workout routines
  • Warm-up, intensity, cool-down, rest periods
  • Background and multitasking support
  • Adjustable interval sounds and vibrations
  • Workout practice tracking
  • Landscape and portrait orientation
Features
Read full description

This app is like your personal coach, just focus on your workout without having to worry about time, Best Interval Timer will lead you to finish them perfectly. There is one default routine in this free version, but you can edit it to your own one which include warm-up, high/low intensity, cool down and rest time etc, you can custom as many sets as you wish to do. Key Features: ⁃ One default routine. ⁃ Big readable counting down time. ⁃ Start, pause or reset routine. ⁃ Warm up, low intensity, high intensity, cool down, rest time. ⁃ Support background, foreground playing and multitasking. ⁃ Music plays. ⁃ Vibrate or not. ⁃ 15 interval switch sounds. ⁃ 12 background interval pictures available. ⁃ Show number of times you have practiced of one routine. ⁃ Support landscape and portrait. ⁃ Create one reminder to alert you doing your workout. ⁃ Supports universal version. If you have any question or suggestion, please send email to our support userfeed@vip.tom.com.

About

TABATA Timer / Interval Timer

This app provides a customizable interval timer for high-intensity workouts like Tabata. Easily set up custom workout routines with adjustable intervals, rest periods, and set counts. Personalize the timer with custom colors, sounds, and notifications for a tailored training experience.

Highlights
  • Unlimited timer creation
  • Customizable intervals (warm-up, workout, rest, cool-down)
  • Adjustable set counts
  • Color and text customization
  • Background notifications
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

It's a timer app suitable for Tabata training. All features are completely free to use. Features: - Quick start-up and comfortable operability. Create unlimited timers. - Freely set warm-up, ready, workout, interval, cool-down seconds, and set counts. - Customize colors, texts, background notifications, sounds, speeches, vibrations, screen flashes and icon badges. - Dark mode - Free URL scheme: tabatatimer:// --- What is Tabata Training? The Tabata Training workout requires 8 intervals of 20 seconds-all-out intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Many of you might think how can one do 8 intervals in just 4 minutes? However, according to the research result by Professor Tabata, it is proven the best cardio workout as one can achieve both the aerobic and anaerobic exercises at the same time. Tabata training is a workout with high intensity and high efficiency. Quoted from: http://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/rs/category/tokushu/150715/

Screenshots

Best Interval Timer4 screens
TABATA Timer / Interval Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TABATA Timer / Interval Timer at every 2 months against Best Interval Timer's every 12 months. TABATA Timer / Interval Timer also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). Best Interval Timer's advantage is ratings volume (81 vs 20) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TABATA Timer / Interval Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 81 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Best Interval Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of TABATA Timer / Interval Timer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Best Interval Timer ships an update every 12 months, TABATA Timer / Interval Timer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Best Interval Timer versus TABATA Timer / Interval Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBest Interval TimerTABATA Timer / Interval Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (81 ratings)4.8 (20 ratings) — better
Positive reviews89.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings81 — better20
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer倩 赵FugaPiyo Inc.

Customer experience

Best Interval Timer

All ratings81 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral4.9%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive89.3%
Neutral6.8%
Negative3.9%

TABATA Timer / Interval Timer

All ratings20 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Best Interval Timer

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • App stops working after rating notification
  • Buttons don't work after rating notification
  • Crashes when saving timers
  • Crashes when editing exercises
  • Freezes and stops working
Show 2 more
  • Lost all timers after reinstalling
  • Side view unusable

Requested features

10 requests
  • Ability to save multiple intervals/routines
  • Voice cues for start/stop
  • Apple Watch compatibility
  • Larger buttons and text
  • Option to save different schedules (e.g., Tabata)
Show 5 more
  • Fix crashing when saving timers
  • Fix crashing when editing exercises
  • Improve side view usability
  • Remove ads or reduce frequency
  • Option to have cool down at the end of all intervals

TABATA Timer / Interval Timer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Best Interval Timer

No in-app purchases

None

TABATA Timer / Interval Timer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Best Interval Timer free?
Best Interval Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TABATA Timer / Interval Timer free?
TABATA Timer / Interval Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Best Interval Timer or TABATA Timer / Interval Timer?
TABATA Timer / Interval Timer is rated higher. Best Interval Timer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 81 ratings, while TABATA Timer / Interval Timer averages 4.8 from 20 ratings.
Do Best Interval Timer or TABATA Timer / Interval Timer have ads?
Both Best Interval Timer and TABATA Timer / Interval Timer show ads.
Which is updated more often, Best Interval Timer or TABATA Timer / Interval Timer?
Best Interval Timer ships an update every 12 months, and TABATA Timer / Interval Timer every 2 months. Most recently, Best Interval Timer was updated on October 2, 2026 and TABATA Timer / Interval Timer on October 4, 2026.

Other comparisons