Comparison

Swimming Lap Tracker vs LapView

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

Head to head
About

Swimming Lap Tracker

This app transforms your Apple Watch into an accurate lap counter for swimming. Easily track laps, view live metrics, and analyze detailed swim statistics on your iPhone. Supports both pool and open water swimming with GPS tracking.

Highlights
  • Fast lap marking with Digital Crown/Action Button
  • Manual lap timing and rest
  • Live swim metrics
  • Customizable pool lengths
  • Open water mode with GPS
  • Post-swim analysis on iPhone
  • HealthKit sync
Features
Read full description

Swimming Lap Tracker is a precise lap counter, interval timer and swim workout log for Apple Watch and iPhone. Mark laps with the Digital Crown or the Action Button on Apple Watch Ultra. You control exactly when each lap or interval is recorded, without relying on automatic lap detection. Live swim metrics stay visible on your wrist, with detailed analysis waiting on iPhone. BUILD CUSTOM SWIM SETS Create structured training sessions in the Set Builder, then sync them to Apple Watch. • Build complete workouts with multiple named stages • Set distance or repeats with a separate interval distance • Choose stroke, drills, equipment, rest and notes • Add breathing targets and bilateral breathing • Reorder stages and keep multiple training sets • Follow stage-by-stage prompts and progress on Apple Watch • Sync new, edited and deleted sets between iPhone and Watch PRECISE LAP AND INTERVAL TRACKING • Fast manual lap marking with the Digital Crown • Action Button support on Apple Watch Ultra • Manual Lap Mode for separate swim and rest timing • Interval modes with distance, fixed rest or manual rest • Repeat intervals with optional send-off times • Mixed-distance interval sessions • Metres and yards • Pool presets or custom lengths from 1m to 250m or 1y to 250y • Open Water Mode with GPS distance LIVE METRICS ON APPLE WATCH See lap time, total time, distance, completed lengths, strokes and heart rate while you swim. Custom workouts also show the current stage, interval progress, stroke, drill, equipment, breathing target and rest. DETAILED SWIM ANALYSIS ON IPHONE Review total distance, duration, average pace, individual lap and interval times, custom workout stages, heart rate, strokes, active calories, motion charts and recorded swim locations. Motion data can also be exported as CSV. Swimming Lap Tracker supports metre and yard results and saves completed workouts to Apple Health. HOW IT WORKS Choose your pool length or Open Water Mode, select a workout mode and tap Start Swim. Mark each lap or interval from your wrist while Swimming Lap Tracker records your workout for later review. PERMISSIONS Health access is required to record workouts and heart rate. Motion access enables stroke and movement analysis. Location access enables swim locations and open-water GPS distance. APPLE WATCH ULTRA ACTION BUTTON After installation, open Settings on Apple Watch and choose Action Button. Select Swimming Lap Tracker as the app, set First Press to Start a Workout, and choose Swim Laps as the workout. Open Swimming Lap Tracker with the Action Button before using it to mark laps. Requires iOS 18.2 or later and watchOS 11.2 or later.

About

LapView

Features
Read full description

LapView offers a simple and intuitive way to monitor swimming sessions in a pool. While you swim, LapView displays current lap and distance in large fonts, making it easier for farsighted people to check their progress. A selection of themes, including high-contrast ones, is available. Furthermore, the app provides haptic feedback at the end of each lap, letting you know the lap has been registered. Once you finish, the app on your phone provides detailed statistics, including lap times, stroke counts and heart rate change during the exercise. Highlights: - Simple, one-touch interface to start a new swim session - Large fonts displaying lap count and distance covered - High contrast themes, aligned with WCAG recommendations - Pool length is adjustable both on the watch and the phone - Details post-session information on the phone The app offers 10 free workouts, after which unlimited workouts can be unlocked through a small, one-off purchase. Terms and Conditions: https://www.instant-ps.com/terms-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.instant-ps.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Swimming Lap Tracker4 screens
LapView4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LapView at Free against Swimming Lap Tracker's $1.99. Swimming Lap Tracker's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#163 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

LapView is free to download; Swimming Lap Tracker costs $1.99 up front. LapView sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Swimming Lap Tracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swimming Lap Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, LapView monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Swimming Lap Tracker versus LapView: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwimming Lap TrackerLapView
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#163 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.218.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristopher RichesInstant Professional Services Ltd

In-app purchases

None

Swimming Lap Tracker

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

LapView

One-time1
  • Unlimited Laps$4.99

Questions

Is Swimming Lap Tracker free?
Swimming Lap Tracker costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LapView free?
LapView is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Swimming Lap Tracker or LapView have ads?
Neither Swimming Lap Tracker nor LapView shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swimming Lap Tracker or LapView?
Swimming Lap Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, and LapView monthly. Most recently, Swimming Lap Tracker was updated on October 1, 2026 and LapView on September 21, 2026.

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