Act Four vs Barista Espresso Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Act Four
Learn to brew perfect espresso with video guidance and taste analysis. The app tracks your brew automatically, helping you adjust your machine and recipe for your ideal cup. Designed for both beginners and experienced baristas.
- Video-guided brewing workflow
- Speed and taste analysis
- Machine and grinder adjustment guidance
- Automatic recipe tracking
- Hands-free operation
- Brew Weight and Timing adjustments
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Let’s brew amazing espresso. New to espresso? Act Four’s video-guided workflow is designed to quickly walk you through the same steps used by professional baristas. We’ll analyze the speed and taste of each brew to tweak your machine, grinder, and brew recipe until you land on your ideal cup. Espresso pro? Let’s dial in by taste. After each brew, we’ll dive into the tasting experience to drive adjustments to Brew Weight and Brew Timing. Each brew iterates on the previous until we hit that magic cup. Act Four’s minimal workflow is designed to be hands-free and out of your way. Just open the app for automatic recipe, preinfusion, brew, and flow rate tracking. Privacy Policy: https://actfour.coffee/privacy Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Barista Espresso Timer
This app automatically times your espresso shots by listening to your grinder and espresso machine. It precisely measures the actual brewing time, ignoring brief noises, and allows you to set target times with visual and audio alerts. It also features auto-calibration for your kitchen environment.
- Automatic shot timing via sound detection
- Separate timers for grinding and brewing
- Precise 1/100th second measurement
- Adjustable sensitivity and target times
- Auto-calibration for kitchen environment
- Apple Watch app for standalone use
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Espresso Timer listens to your machines and times them for you. Tap LISTEN, then make coffee. The clock starts the second your grinder or pump kicks in, stops when it goes quiet, and shows the real running time down to a hundredth of a second. Your hands stay on the machine. I built this because my espresso kept drifting. Same beans, same setting, different cup. I'd been timing by feel. Once grind time and shot time are actually measured, every morning tastes like the good one. WHAT IT DOES Two clocks · One for grinding, one for the shot. Each with its own target time and its own sensitivity · Classic watch-inspired analog dial, plus a digital readout to 1/100 of a second · Opens on last used clock Detection that holds up · The clock winds back to where the noise really began and trims the tail. You see your machine's time, not the app's reaction time · Clatter doesn't count: portafilter down, cups, spoons. Only sustained noise starts the clock, Reset anytime · Short pauses while dosing don't end anything. The clock just waits · Tip: Works best with the iPhone sitting close to your machines Target time · Your target sits on the ring as a colored segment · Tap the target button, then turn the outer ring like a click wheel. The hand jumps to your target and follows your finger. It locks again after two seconds or tap so nothing shifts by accident · Or save a good run as your new target · When you hit the desired target time the whole dial flashes and a tone sounds. The clock keeps running in case you realize that you need more Calibration · Run your grinder and your machine once. The app measures your room and both devices, then sets the trigger levels for your kitchen · Repeat it whenever you like. You can also set both sensitivities by hand, with a live level meter Small things that matter · Tap the dial to start or stop by hand · Autostart and autostop listening options · The display stays awake while the app is open. Nothing goes dark mid-shot · Haptics on every control, modern iOS 26 look, English and German – more to come APPLE WATCH · A real app on your wrist. It runs without the iPhone · Same dial, same detection. Grind and shot are two pages you swipe between, with the bean and portafilter as small marks on the face · Tap the window at three o'clock, then turn the crown. It locks again after two seconds or tap · A firm double tap on your wrist when the time is up · Target times stay synced on both devices, Device to device, no account, no internet. Switch it off in Settings if you'd rather not · Tip: set the watch's Wake Duration (Watch settings > Display & Brightness) to 70 seconds and the display stays on for the whole shot PRIVACY The microphone signal never leaves your device. Sound is reduced to a single loudness value in memory. Nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded. No account, no ads, no tracking, no network access. Found a bug or have an idea? Write to espresso@alex-zimmermann.com, ideally with your device and iOS version. I read everything. Privacy Policy: http://espresso.alex-zimmermann.com/privacy-policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Act Four at Free against Barista Espresso Timer's $0.99. Act Four also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Barista Espresso Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (daily vs every 8 days). On review sentiment and ads 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
Act Four is free to download; Barista Espresso Timer costs $0.99 up front. Act Four sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Barista Espresso Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Act Four ships an update every 8 days, Barista Espresso Timer daily. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Act Four | Barista Espresso Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (17 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AIV, LLC | Alexander Zimmermann |
Customer experience
Act Four
Barista Espresso Timer
In-app purchases
Act Four
- Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- SwitchBot Integration$19.99
Barista Espresso Timer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Act Four free?
Is Barista Espresso Timer free?
Do Act Four or Barista Espresso Timer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Act Four or Barista Espresso Timer?
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