Comparison

IntervalForge vs Ardo

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

Head to head
About

IntervalForge

Features
Read full description

Giant 72pt digits you can read from across the gym. Live countdown on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Pay once, keep it forever β€” no subscription. Built for HIIT, Tabata, circuits and strength training. The whole screen turns red for work and green for rest, so one glance tells you what to do next. READY IN ONE TAP Three presets are included: Tabata (20s/10s Γ— 8), HIIT 30/15 and a 3-exercise Circuit. Pick one and go. QUICK REST TIMER FOR LIFTING β€” NEW Between sets, one tap starts a 60, 90, 120 or 180-second rest. No setup needed. SIRI, SHORTCUTS & CONTROL CENTER β€” NEW Start a workout or a rest timer with Siri, a Shortcut or a Control Center button. The new Home Screen widget quick-starts your favorite workouts or a rest timer. LOCK SCREEN & DYNAMIC ISLAND Live Activity shows the running countdown without opening the app β€” free for everyone. KEEPS RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND Lock your phone or switch apps: the timer keeps going and notifications mark every interval change. Your music is lowered, not stopped. BUILD YOUR OWN WORKOUT Set work and rest times, sets, rest between sets and an exercise name for each interval. Total time remaining is always on screen. Workout history and a weekly summary keep you consistent. PRO β€” ONE-TIME PURCHASE No monthly fees, ever. Pro is a single purchase that unlocks: - Unlimited custom workouts - Editable presets - Voice guidance: hear each exercise, set and a 10-second warning without looking at your phone (NEW) The free version includes all 3 presets and 1 custom workout. FEATURES - No subscription β€” buy Pro once - 72pt full-screen display, color-coded work/rest - Live Activity on Lock Screen & Dynamic Island (free) - Quick rest timer: 60/90/120/180s (free) - Siri, Shortcuts & Control Center (free) - Home Screen widget: quick-start favorites or a rest timer (free) - Reliable background timer with notifications - Plays nicely with your music - 3-second countdown and haptics - Exercise names per interval - Workout history & weekly summary - Screen stays awake during workouts Questions or ideas? Leave a review or contact us from the support page.

About

Ardo

Features
Read full description

Ardo is the interval timer with an AI coach built in. Tell it your goal, your gear and how long you have β€” and it builds a custom interval workout, names every exercise, and drops it straight into the timer. YOUR AI COACH Chat with Ardo like a real coach: "20-minute fat-burning HIIT, no equipment" or "kettlebell strength, 15 minutes." It designs the intervals, picks the exercises and shows each move on screen as you go. Save it to your workouts or start right away. 140+ READY WORKOUTS Tabata, HIIT, EMOM, AMRAP, For Time, CrossFit benchmarks (Fran, Cindy, Murph), Hyrox, circuits, running and boxing β€” a big ring keeps you on pace with a 3-2-1 countdown, work/rest phases and a clear "next up" preview. BUILD YOUR OWN Lego-block editor with nested round groups; fork any preset, the original stays untouched. STAY ON TRACK Weekly chart, day streaks, full history and 20 badges. Beep on the 3-2-1 countdown plus haptics; 7 accent colors and Home Screen app icons; light and dark mode; 28 languages; daily reminders. Free: the full timer, all free workouts, the AI coach (3 free workouts), history, badges and reminders. Ardo Pro (one-time β€” no subscription) unlocks unlimited AI coaching, the full benchmark library plus Hyrox and Hero WODs, the advanced builder, unlimited custom workouts, color themes plus app icons and Pro badges. Pay once. No ads. No tracking. The timer works fully offline.

Screenshots

IntervalForge4 screens
Ardo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ardo at every 6 days against IntervalForge's every 3 weeks. Ardo also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. IntervalForge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Ardo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IntervalForge ships an update every 3 weeks, Ardo every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
IntervalForge versus Ardo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIntervalForgeArdo
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS26.015.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size2 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShuto NishiyamaRomana Samcova

In-app purchases

1 purchases

IntervalForge

One-time1
  • IntervalForge Pro$2.99
1 purchases

Ardo

One-time1
  • Ardo Pro$3.99

Questions

Is IntervalForge free?
IntervalForge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ardo free?
Ardo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do IntervalForge or Ardo have ads?
Neither IntervalForge nor Ardo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IntervalForge or Ardo?
IntervalForge ships an update every 3 weeks, and Ardo every 6 days. Most recently, IntervalForge was updated on October 28, 2026 and Ardo on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons