Gentle Timer vs Tempo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gentle Timer
This app offers a visually appealing, ad-free timer for focus, productivity, and managing children's routines. It supports various timer types, including countdown, Pomodoro, and interval, with extensive customization options for backgrounds, music, and themes. It also includes helpful everyday tools like a calculator and breathing exercises.
- Visual countdown timers
- Pomodoro focus sessions
- Interval training timers
- Multi timer support
- Customizable backgrounds and music
- Everyday utility tools
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Gentle Timer is a cheerful timer with cute animated characters. Set a time, and a character walks across the screen as the timer counts down. When it reaches the other side, time is up. You can always see how much time is left. • Pick a cute character, an animated background, and calming music. • Your character can leave a trail of sparkles, rubber ducks, or baby chicks. • A race car can drive around the timer and finish when time is up. • Choose a pet to pop up and cheer you on. • Your pet also shows on your Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Dynamic Island. • Fun animations play when your timer starts and when it ends. Use it for brushing teeth, homework, cooking, reading, or a short break at work. It also has a stopwatch, breathing exercises, and a Pomodoro timer for work and breaks. You can run more than one timer at once, too. There is also a simple Apple Watch timer. Free to download, with no ads and no subscription. Unlock more characters, pets, backgrounds, and music with a one-time purchase.
Tempo
This app transforms countdown timers into clear visual progress indicators, helping you stay focused on tasks like work, study, or cooking. It offers multiple visualization options and a distraction-free interface, working reliably offline without requiring an account.
- Multiple visualization options
- Clean, distraction-free interface
- Works offline
- No account setup
- Reliable background operation
- Privacy-focused
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If you have ever looked up and lost an hour, you do not need another number counting down. You need to see time move. Tempo turns time into something you can watch. A dandelion loses its seeds. An eclipse closes over. A snowman gives in to the sun. Glance at your phone from across the room and you know how much is left — no reading, no math. BUILT FOR TIME BLINDNESS Numbers are abstract. If your brain does not track elapsed time on its own, "20 minutes" means nothing until it is already gone. Tempo makes time spatial instead, so you feel it draining rather than having to calculate it. FROM ONE MINUTE TO ONE YEAR Most timers stop at an hour. Tempo has six scales: • MINUTE — a focus sprint or a short break • HOUR — the meeting, the work block • DAY — how much of today is actually left • MONTH — the deadline that still feels far away • SEASON — the stretch you keep meaning to use • YEAR — the one nobody shows you The longer scales run live against the real calendar. Open Tempo in August and the year is already most of the way gone. That is not a gimmick — for anyone who loses whole weeks, seeing it is the point. SEVEN VISUALIZATIONS Dandelion, Dots, Eclipse, Ember, Sand, Snowman, and Thunderstorm. Pick the one your brain actually reads, and set it as your default. ON YOUR WRIST AND HOME SCREEN An Apple Watch app and home screen widgets keep the current scale visible without unlocking anything — so checking the time stops becoming the distraction. BUILT TO STAY QUIET • No account, no sign-up, no email • Every timer works offline — no connection required • No streaks, no badges, no guilt mechanics • No ads, ever Tempo will not fix your relationship with time. It just makes time visible, so the hours stop disappearing without warning. Free to use, including the Dandelion and Dots visualizations and every scale from MINUTE through YEAR. A one-time Pro purchase adds the Eclipse, Ember, Sand, Snowman, and Thunderstorm visualizations and the SEASON scale. No subscription, ever.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Gentle Timer at every 2 days against Tempo's every 2 months. Gentle Timer also leads on ratings volume (366 vs 2). Tempo's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). 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
Both are free to download. Gentle Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Tempo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Tempo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Gentle Timer has 366 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Gentle Timer ships an update every 2 days, Tempo every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Gentle Timer | Tempo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (366 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 366 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 207 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | JOHNNY LI | Foundry24 LLC |
Customer experience
Gentle Timer
Tempo
Bugs and requests
Gentle Timer
Reported bugs
3 issues- No sound issues reported
- Seconds not displayed on countdown
- Landscape mode not working
Requested features
8 requests- More free options
- Landscape mode support
- Ability to set specific seconds
- Toggle off motion on settings menu
- Cat character option
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- View of all timers set all time
- Ability to create 'Goals' (e.g., set 40 hours)
- Dinosaur character option
Tempo
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Gentle Timer
- Go Premium$4.99
Tempo
- Tempo Pro$4.99
Questions
Is Gentle Timer free?
Is Tempo free?
Which has better reviews, Gentle Timer or Tempo?
Do Gentle Timer or Tempo have ads?
Which is updated more often, Gentle Timer or Tempo?
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