Comparison

Tempo vs Quill Timer

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Multiple visualization options
  • Clean, distraction-free interface
  • Works offline
  • No account setup
  • Reliable background operation
  • Privacy-focused
Features
Read full description

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 (Pro) — the three months you keep meaning to use • YEAR — the one nobody shows you The longer scales run live against the real calendar. Open Tempo in October 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 LOCK SCREEN An Apple Watch app and Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets keep your current scale in view without opening anything — so checking the time stops being the distraction. BUILT TO STAY QUIET • No account, no sign-up, no email • Works entirely offline • 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: the Dots visualization and five of the six scales — MINUTE, HOUR, DAY, MONTH, and YEAR. A one-time Pro purchase adds Dandelion, Eclipse, Ember, Sand, Snowman, Thunderstorm, and the SEASON scale. No subscription.

About

Quill Timer

Features
Read full description

Quill is a simple focus timer for studying, reading, and writing. ▪ Build your own sessions Set session lengths that fit what you're doing — 50/10 for exam prep, 30/10 for reading, 90/15 for writing. Repeating cycles or one-off timers, both work. ▪ A dial you can read at a glance A round dial fills up as time goes by, so you can tell how much is left without staring at a number. ▪ Lock screen + Dynamic Island While a session is running, the time left stays on your lock screen and Dynamic Island. No need to reopen the app. ▪ Apple Watch support Start and pause timers from your watch — they sync with your iPhone automatically. ▪ Weekly stats A simple chart shows how many sessions you finished and what you spent your time on each week. No ads, no purchases, no sign-in. Everything stays on your device.

Screenshots

Tempo4 screens
Quill Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Quill Timer at none against Tempo's 1. On price, 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

Both are free to download. Tempo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Quill Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Tempo versus Quill Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempoQuill Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFoundry24 LLCWonsang Yoon

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tempo

One-time1
  • Tempo Pro$4.99
None

Quill Timer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tempo free?
Tempo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Quill Timer free?
Quill Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tempo or Quill Timer have ads?
Neither Tempo nor Quill Timer shows ads.

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