Ares vs FitCycles
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ares
This app provides a customizable interval timer for various workouts like HIIT, Tabata, yoga, and stretching. It features real-time heart rate zone tracking with Apple Watch integration and allows users to create and save unlimited training sessions and workout sets. Voice cues guide users through workouts, ensuring focus remains on exercise.
- Customizable interval timer
- HIIT, Tabata, Yoga, Stretch modes
- Apple Watch control and heart rate zones
- Unlimited training session saving
- Workout set creation
- Voice and sound cues
- Training history tracking
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An interval timer that does the counting for you. Set rounds, work and rest in seconds, and Ares guides you by voice through the whole workout: HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, AMRAP, circuits, yoga, stretching and mobility. Heart rate from Apple Watch or earbuds, your workout on the Lock Screen, no ads. INTERVAL TIMER • Work time, rest time and number of rounds, down to the second • Left/Right mode times each side for you. Perfect for stretching, yoga and exercises done one side at a time • Countdown before you start, the option to begin with a warmup and an optional final rest • Pin favorite workouts to the Home Screen and repeat your last one with a single tap WORKOUTS, SETS AND EXERCISES • Ready-made workouts and sets to get you started: 14 workouts and 6 sets, free • Save as many workouts as you like, each with its own name and icon, and edit or duplicate them anytime • Workout sets: rounds, custom rests between workouts, edit straight from the list • Share workouts and sets with a link or QR code, with a preview before adding • Exercise library, expanded regularly • Exercise names read aloud during your workout HEART RATE: APPLE WATCH AND EARBUDS • Control your workout from your wrist: pause, skip, resume • Live heart rate and heart rate zones on Apple Watch and iPhone • Heart rate from earbuds too, no watch needed, even on iPad: AirPods Pro 3, Powerbeats Pro 2 or newer (iOS and iPadOS 26 or later) • Train with just your watch: put a workout on Apple Watch and leave your iPhone at home • Calories tracked in every workout • Automatic sync with Apple Health ALWAYS AT HAND • Your workout on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, with a timer and a pause button, no unlocking needed • Widgets for the Home Screen and the Lock Screen • Keeps running with the screen locked and never stops your music, it just turns it down for voice cues • A big, clear timer on iPad that you can read from across the room PROGRESS AND HISTORY • Heart rate chart for every workout: work and rest with the average heart rate of each phase • Weekly trends for number of workouts and training time • Calendar, list and details of every workout • Share your result as a card for a story or post, with your own photo and title • Weekly streak: one workout a week keeps it alive • A reminder when your streak is at risk, at most once a week Privacy Policy: https://ares.eris.one/privacy-policy/ License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
FitCycles
This app provides customizable interval timers for various workout types like HIIT, Tabata, and EMOM. It offers clear audio, haptic, and visual cues to keep users focused on their training. The app supports Apple Watch for convenient control during workouts.
- Customizable workout cycles
- Work, rest, and recovery phases
- Quick presets for HIIT, Tabata, EMOM
- Apple Watch support
- Audio, haptic, and visual alerts
- Ad-free and free to use
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# FitCycles Interval Timer+ • No ads. No subscriptions. No accounts. • Enjoy a premium, 100% free workout experience with zero interruptions. Seamlessly track your training with standalone Apple Watch support, Live Activities, Dynamic Island alerts, • Apple Health integration, and real-time heart rate zones. Whether you're smashing a HIIT, Tabata, or EMOM session, indoor cycling, running, or strength training, FitCycles keeps you focused and on pace with precise audio, haptic, and visual cues. ## Why You'll Love FitCycles • Completely Free: No ads, subscriptions, paywalls, or hidden fees. • Apple Watch Support: Start and monitor your workout directly from your wrist. • Dynamic Island & Live Activities: See workout progress, current intervals, countdowns, and remaining time at a glance without opening the app. • Apple Health Integration: Automatically sync completed workouts to Apple Health so your exercise data stays in one place. • Heart Rate & Training Zones: Monitor your heart rate during workouts and track your training zones to optimize performance and recovery. • Create Custom Workouts: Build interval routines with work, rest, recovery, warm-up, and cool-down phases. • Ready-to-Go Presets: Quickly start HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, and other popular interval workouts. • Stay Focused: Clear countdowns, sounds, vibrations, and visual cues let you train without constantly checking the screen. • Fast and Simple: Designed to get you into your workout in seconds, not buried in complicated menus. ## Perfect For • HIIT Workouts • Tabata Training • EMOM Sessions • Indoor Cycling • Running Intervals • Circuit Training • Strength Training • CrossFit-Style Workouts • Boxing and Martial Arts Training Train harder. Stay focused. Let FitCycles handle the timing. Download today and experience the simplest interval timer for Apple Watch and iPhone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FitCycles at none against Ares's 3. FitCycles also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). Ares's advantage is ratings volume (25 vs 4). On price, rating, ads 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. Ares sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. FitCycles asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ares against 5.0 for FitCycles. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ares has 25 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Ares ships an update every 2 weeks, FitCycles every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ares | FitCycles |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (25 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 25 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 113 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Krzysztof Orlowski | Weijin Wang |
Customer experience
Ares
FitCycles
In-app purchases
Ares
- Ares Plus$1.991 Month
- Ares Plus$9.991 Year
- Ares Plus Forever$24.99
FitCycles
No in-app purchases









