Comparison

Interval Timer vs Aerio

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

Head to head
About

Interval Timer

This app provides a customizable interval timer for various training routines, including HIIT and Tabata. Easily set up custom workouts, track your progress, and stay motivated with visual cues and audio notifications. It's suitable for a wide range of activities from fitness to productivity.

Highlights
  • Customizable workout setup
  • Progress tracking with calendar
  • Saveable custom presets
  • Color-coded notifications
  • Listen to music/audiobooks
  • Large, full-screen display
  • Widget for easy access
Features
Read full description

Interval Timer: Tabata and HIIT is a customizable timer for sports. Use it for High-intensity interval training and workout. It's a free sports interval timer app that makes it easy to create your custom training routine. Use it as your timer for training or exercise. This sports timer is great for crossfit, fitness and running. The sports timer will also be useful for various activities such as crossfit, jogging, boxing,circuit training,breathing exercises and yoga. You can use this circuit timer as a productivity timer to focus on your work tasks. Key features: Setup workout Tracking your progress Customizable presets Notifications & colors Motivation Listening music or books Huge digits Widget SETUP WORKOUT Set up, edit and save your own workouts with the customizable feature. Add as many intervals as you like. You can add a 10 second rest period and a 20 second work period, as well as a 5 second interval between exercises. TRACKING PROGRESS Track your workouts with a Calendar. Plan and track events, and get notified when you have a training scheduled. With this feature, you will not miss a single workout and will keep track of your progress. CUSTOMIZABLE PRESETS Save your workouts in the presets section. It's also possible to create your own custom intervals. You can add an unlimited number of presets. NOTIFICATIONS & COLORS Each training phase is easy to distinguish by a different color and is initiated by an individually adjustable signal (sound, vibration, voice) MOTIVATION Each completed exercise motivates you to achieve higher goals. Enjoy your training and achieve your fitness goals with the interval timer. LISTENING MUSIC Listen to motivational audiobooks or your favorite music and get inspired and energized. Full screen color coded display is easy to read from a distance. Widget helps you train without being distracted by the constant unlocking of your phone. Interval Timer: Tabata and HIIT is an easy to use sports workout timer for your daily fitness training at home, at the gym or everywhere else.

About

Aerio

Features
Read full description

Most breathing apps give you a timer and a circle. Aerio guides every breath with a calm animation and a distinct haptic cue for each phase, on iPhone and on Apple Watch. With Premium, your Apple Watch also shows how your heart rate settles while you breathe. 18 TECHNIQUES, 6 OF THEM FREE Box Breathing, 4-7-8, Coherent Breathing, Belly Breathing, Physiological Sigh and Lion's Breath are free, with no account. Every technique comes with exact timing and a short how-to. PICK BY PURPOSE Techniques are grouped by what you need right now: fall asleep, focus, stress relief or energy. ON YOUR WRIST A full Apple Watch app with its own session flow. Inhale, exhale and hold each feel different, so you can breathe with your eyes closed. No iPhone needed nearby. A complication shows your streak. MINDFUL MINUTES With your permission, every session is saved to Apple Health as mindful minutes. PROGRAMS AND COLLECTIONS 7 Days Calm and 5 Days Focus take you through it day by day; days that use a Premium technique are marked. Collections for getting started, quick calm and bedtime. ALWAYS AT HAND Home and lock screen widgets, a Live Activity during the session, a Control Center button and Shortcuts. Optional sound cues, background sound, spoken phases, a gentle start and finish, and a daily reminder. Your history syncs through your private iCloud. Heart-rate data stays on your iPhone and Apple Watch. YOUR PROGRESS Streak, sessions and minutes per week, and a weekly chart. AERIO PREMIUM • All 18 techniques, including Nadi Shodhana, Ujjayi, Kapalabhati and Buteyko • Live heart rate during Apple Watch sessions, and a calm score (0–100) afterwards • Find your resonance rate, and an adaptive pace that follows your pulse • Three longer programs: 14-Day Sleep Reset, 10-Day HRV Training, 21-Day Mindfulness • Your own protocols: seconds per phase, cycles or a target duration, import from a file • Advanced statistics: weekday average, 30-day history, CSV export • Reminder schedules with your own times for each weekday Heart-rate features need an Apple Watch. Intense techniques show a safety note and ask you to confirm before the first start. Aerio is a practice app, not a medical product. It does not diagnose or treat anything; the calm score is a wellness hint, not a medical value. Terms of Use By using this app, you agree to Apple's standard End User License Agreement (EULA), available at: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Interval Timer4 screens
Aerio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Aerio at none against Interval Timer's shown. Interval Timer's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence 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. Interval Timer sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.09 per month and Aerio sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Interval Timer ships an update monthly, Aerio every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Interval Timer versus Aerio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInterval TimerAerio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (388 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews96.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings388 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimpleInnovation LLCAlexander Nikonov22270669431

Bugs and requests

Interval Timer

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional app crashes
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • More pre-designed workout routines
  • Ability to name and customize exercises
  • Option to adjust countdown time between intervals

Aerio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Interval Timer

Subscriptions8
  • Timer PRO for 1 month: 30% OFF7 Days trial$2.091 Month
  • Timer PRO for 1 month: 25% OFF7 Days trial$2.291 Month
  • Interval Timer PRO for 1 month$2.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Interval Timer PRO for 1 month7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Interval Timer PRO - 30% OFF7 Days trial$15.001 Year
  • Interval Timer PRO - 25% OFF7 Days trial$16.491 Year
  • Interval Timer PRO for 1 year$21.991 Year
  • Tabata Timer PRO for 1 year7 Days trial$21.991 Year
One-time4
  • Interval Timer - no Ads$2.99
  • HIIT Timer PRO Forever 30% OFF$27.99
  • HIIT Timer PRO Forever 25% OFF$29.99
Show 1 more
  • Exercise Timer PRO Forever$39.99
3 purchases

Aerio

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$0.997 Days
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$12.991 Year

Questions

Is Interval Timer free?
Interval Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aerio free?
Aerio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Interval Timer or Aerio have ads?
Interval Timer shows ads; Aerio does not.
Which is updated more often, Interval Timer or Aerio?
Interval Timer ships an update monthly, and Aerio every 2 weeks. Most recently, Interval Timer was updated on October 25, 2026 and Aerio on October 24, 2026.

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