Comparison

PaceTimer vs CardBal

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

Head to head
About

PaceTimer

This app provides visual cues for time management during presentations and speeches. It uses a color-coded system (green, yellow, red) to indicate progress and alert users when time is running out. Features include full-screen mode, notifications, and an Apple Watch app.

Highlights
  • Color-coded time cues (green, yellow, red)
  • Full-screen display with large digits
  • Notifications and Live Activity support
  • Apple Watch app with haptic alerts
  • Multi-segment agenda timer (Pro)
  • History and statistics tracking (Pro)
Features
Read full description

PaceTimer shows your pace as a color. Green means you're on track, yellow means start wrapping up, red means time's up. Glance at the screen, not the clock. BUILT FOR SPEAKING UNDER A TIME LIMIT Speeches, presentations, lectures, debates, interviews, meetings, pitch practice. FREE • Green → yellow → red background, with sound, vibration and flash at each change • Set total time and the yellow point to the second • Quick presets: 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60 minutes • Elapsed, remaining, or both on screen; overtime counts up in red • Full-screen mode: huge digits readable from the back row • Keeps alerting when the screen is locked (notifications) and shows a Live Activity on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • Screen stays on while the timer runs • Apple Watch app with haptic alerts PRO (one-time purchase, no subscription) • Multi-segment agenda: chain up to 20 segments, each with its own warning, with auto-advance. Templates for talk + Q&A, debate rounds and pitches • Saved presets: start your favorite setups in one tap • History and stats: on-time rate and how far you run over or under If you bought the earlier paid version of PaceTimer, Pro is unlocked for you automatically. Questions or ideas? Write to us from the App Store page. We read everything.

About

CardBal

Read full description

CardBal turns your iPhone into a pro reader for transit and stored-value cards. Hold a card to the top of your iPhone to see its balance, rides and card details, and the raw data behind them. READ • Balance and remaining trips • Ride history with stations, lines, distances and fares where the card stores them • Card details such as card family, number, issue date and technology • Raw data and a full hex export, with an optional Developer Mode for KS X 6924 cards SEE WHERE YOU'VE BEEN • Ride Map draws the routes your cards remember • Transit Atlas maps every city and province you have ridden in KEEP YOUR CARDS • A wallet of every card you have read, with names, icons and your own card photos • iCloud backup and file export • Card numbers can be shown in full, masked or hidden APPLE WALLET CARDS Read a supported Apple Wallet transit card on another iPhone or Apple Watch with Service Mode turned on. SUPPORTED CARDS Japan (FeliCa): Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, SUGOCA, nimoca, Kitaca, manaca, TOICA, Hayakaken, SAPICA, IruCa, OKICA and more Japan (e-money): nanaco, Rakuten Edy, WAON Greater China (T-Union): 300+ city cards, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, plus City Union cards Hong Kong: Octopus South Korea (KS X 6924): T-money, EZL, Cashbee Mongolia: U-Money France (Calypso): Lignes d'Azur Readable balances and history depend on the card, its issuer and the data stored on it. CardBal reads card information; it cannot top up cards. CardBal is an independent reader and is not affiliated with transit operators.

Screenshots

PaceTimer4 screens
CardBal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CardBal at none against PaceTimer's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. PaceTimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CardBal asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PaceTimer ships an update every 3 weeks, CardBal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 7 level
PaceTimer versus CardBal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaceTimerCardBal
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.116.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer阳 孙Kitta Co.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PaceTimer

One-time1
  • PaceTimer Pro$0.99
None

CardBal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PaceTimer free?
PaceTimer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CardBal free?
CardBal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PaceTimer or CardBal have ads?
Neither PaceTimer nor CardBal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PaceTimer or CardBal?
PaceTimer ships an update every 3 weeks, and CardBal every 2 weeks. Most recently, PaceTimer was updated on November 12, 2026 and CardBal on November 9, 2026.

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