Comparison

Chime Squirrel vs Timer

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

Head to head
About

Chime Squirrel

This app helps you stay productive by setting customizable recurring chimes for repetitive tasks, exercise routines, or study sessions. It runs in the background, providing timely audio reminders without requiring manual dismissal. Optimize your daily workflow with flexible interval settings and a user-friendly interface.

Highlights
  • Variable interval chimes
  • Quick chime setup
  • Multiple chime sounds
  • Light and dark themes
  • Runs in the background
  • Repeating interval sequences
Features
Read full description

Chime Squirrel is a flexible interval timer and chime app. Set up repeating chimes at any interval, run multiple chimes simultaneously, and stay on track without checking your phone. Whether you're timing meditation sessions, workout intervals, work sprints, pomodoro timer, or any repeating activity, Chime Squirrel keeps the screen active and sounds your chime right on schedule. FEATURES • Quick Chime — set up and start a simple interval chime in seconds • Interval Chimes — create and save custom chime sequences with multiple intervals • Multiple themes — choose from several color themes to match your style • Screen stays on — no need to unlock your phone between chimes • iPad support — works on iPhone and iPad with a shared layout Upgrade to Pro to unlock additional interval chimes beyond the free limit.

About

Timer

This app offers a simple and intuitive way to manage your time for various activities. Set custom timers, utilize quick presets, and adjust alarm volumes to suit your needs. Stay on track with home screen widgets and an optional ambient ticking sound.

Highlights
  • Easy timer setting
  • Customizable presets
  • Adjustable alarm volume
  • Ambient ticking sound option
  • Home screen widgets
  • Flexible subscription options
Features
Read full description

Meet Minimal Timer, your perfect companion for all your timing needs. This easy-to-use timer app helps you stay focused and manage your time well, whether you're working, studying, cooking, or just need a gentle reminder. We've designed it to be simple and helpful, so you can do more with less fuss. Set Timers with Ease: With Minimal Timer, setting a timer is straightforward and quick. You can easily set your desired duration in minutes or hours using the clear, easy-to-use keypad interface. Simply type in the time you need, and you're ready to go. If you often use the same times, you'll also love our selection of handy presets that get you started quickly. Or, if you need something specific, you can customize your own timers to fit any activity. Minimal Timer is built to be flexible for your everyday life. Custom Presets: Create and save your own frequently used timer durations. Whether it's for a 25-minute focus session, a 7-minute workout, or a 30-minute cooking reminder, you can set it once and use it again and again with just a tap. This makes starting your favorite timers super quick and easy. Custom Alarm Volume: Adjust your alarm sound to be just right for any situation. Whether you need a loud reminder to get your attention or a quiet chime that won't disturb others, you're in control. This means your timer will always alert you exactly how you want it to. Ambient Ticking Sound: If you like to feel time passing, you can turn on an optional, gentle ticking sound. This subtle feature can help you stay aware of the duration and maintain your focus, creating a calm and productive environment without being distracting. Widgets: Keep an eye on your timers right from your home screen. Our handy widgets let you see your active timers at a glance, so you're always updated on your progress without needing to open the app. It's a convenient way to stay on track throughout your day. Subscription & Cancellation: Enjoy flexible subscription options for premium features. Your payment is charged to your Apple account when you confirm your purchase, and subscriptions renew automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends. If you start with a free trial, it will switch to a paid subscription unless canceled before the trial is over. You can easily manage or cancel your subscription anytime through your Apple account settings. Ready to make managing your time a breeze? Minimal Timer is designed for everyone, with a clean look and straightforward features that just work. Give it a try today and enjoy the convenience of a reliable and simple timer tool! Terms of Use & Privacy Policy: https://regular-wednesday-69a.notion.site/Terms-of-Use-2b99efd494008031afe9f5cc09712f48 https://regular-wednesday-69a.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-2b79efd4940080e1b734f1af1d853ddb

Screenshots

Chime Squirrel4 screens
Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chime Squirrel at 68% against Timer's 20%. Chime Squirrel also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Timer's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and rating (4.4 vs 4.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Chime Squirrel sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Timer holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 94 and 442 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Chime Squirrel's written reviews are positive against 20% of Timer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chime Squirrel ships an update monthly, Timer every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chime Squirrel versus Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChime SquirrelTimer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (94 ratings)4.4 (442 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.9% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings94442 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.2 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuke Ryan, LLCStudio 1J, LLC

Customer experience

Chime Squirrel

All ratings94 ratings
Positive73.4%
Neutral5.3%
Negative21.3%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive67.9%
Neutral3.8%
Negative28.3%

Timer

All ratings442 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral2.9%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral2.9%
Negative77.1%

User reviews

Chime Squirrel

From 94 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and effective
  • 👍 Great for repeating timers
  • 👍 Useful for exercise reminders
  • 👍 Perfect for meditation prompts
  • 👍 Reliable for study sessions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Does not work in background
  • 🐛 Last update erased data
  • 🐛 Stops working when app is not on screen
  • 🐛 Poor interface for some users
  • 🐛 Quiet sounds for some users

Timer

From 442 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Minimal and simple design
  • 👍 Great for meditation timers
  • 👍 Custom volume feature
  • 👍 Sleek and wonderful app
  • 👍 Imposes discipline for time monitoring

Room to improve

  • 💸 Extremely high weekly subscription cost
  • 💸 Unfair trial requiring subscription
  • 💸 Predatory pricing model
  • 💸 No free version for basic use
  • 💸 App is too expensive

Bugs and requests

Chime Squirrel

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App stops working when in background
  • Interval data lost after update
  • Timer resets to start when app is not on screen
  • App behaves erratically
  • Edit page does not change settings
Show 3 more
  • App freezes and hangs up
  • Notifications announce chime finish instead of start
  • Chiming constantly and getting multiple alerts after setup attempt

Requested features

11 requests
  • Apple Watch compatibility
  • Ability to set different intervals within a timer
  • Siri integration for speaking chime titles
  • Option to have notifications announce chime start instead of finish
  • More subtle and longer chime sounds (like a gong)
Show 6 more
  • Custom ringtones
  • Schedule timers for specific days/times (e.g., Mo-Fr 8-17h)
  • Ability to save multiple timer configurations
  • Ability to set timers to keep chiming until reset
  • More sound options beyond basic chimes/beeps
  • Ability to start timers automatically in the morning

Timer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App swirls for over a minute before loading
  • No widgets found after paying for subscription
  • Unable to get past the first screen without subscribing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow limited access to try before subscribing
  • Add an option to control the timer from the widget
  • Add shortcuts support for setting and naming timers
  • Add a 24-hour timer option

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chime Squirrel

One-time1
  • Upgrade To Pro$3.99
3 purchases

Timer

Subscriptions3
  • Minimal Timer+3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Minimal Timer+3 Days trial$19.997 Days
  • Minimal Timer+3 variants$79.001 Year

Questions

Is Chime Squirrel free?
Chime Squirrel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Timer free?
Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chime Squirrel or Timer?
Timer is rated higher. Chime Squirrel averages 4.0 out of 5 from 94 ratings, while Timer averages 4.4 from 442 ratings.
Do Chime Squirrel or Timer have ads?
Neither Chime Squirrel nor Timer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chime Squirrel or Timer?
Chime Squirrel ships an update monthly, and Timer every 4 days. Most recently, Chime Squirrel was updated on October 15, 2026 and Timer on October 8, 2026.

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