Comparison

IntervalFree vs EM

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

Head to head
About

IntervalFree

This app provides a simple and fully customizable interval timer for workouts. It offers unlimited workout profiles, background support, and Live Activities for real-time progress tracking on your lock screen. Enjoy a completely free experience with no ads or paywalls.

Highlights
  • Unlimited workout profiles
  • Customizable action/break durations
  • Live Activities on Lock Screen
  • Background timer support
  • Multiple sound themes
  • Workout library with stats
  • Celebration screen upon completion
Features
Read full description

IntervalFree is the workout interval timer that's actually free. No paywalls. No ads. No tricks. Every feature is unlocked from day one — and stays that way forever. SET UP IN SECONDS Configure your action duration, break duration, and number of sets with intuitive scroll pickers. Tap Start and your profile is saved automatically. No account required. GO CUSTOM: BUILD ROUTINES BLOCK BY BLOCK Need more than one interval pattern in a session? Switch to Custom mode and build your routine block by block — a warm-up, a legs circuit, an abs finisher — each with its own action time, rest time, and number of rounds. Add a breather between blocks or keep it rolling; the whole session runs as one seamless timer. Prefer things simple? Simple mode hasn't changed at all. You'll never have to touch Custom, and everything you've already saved looks and behaves exactly as before. GLANCEABLE & MULTITASK-READY A large timer ring shows your remaining time at a glance—green for action, blue for break. With Live Activities, your progress stays visible right on your Lock Screen or Dynamic Island. Switch apps or lock your phone with confidence; the timer runs perfectly in the background. YOUR SOUND, YOUR PACE Choose from multiple Sound Themes to match your workout vibe. High-fidelity audio alerts keep you on pace even when your phone is in your pocket, and our smart audio handling ensures your music stays clear while the timer beeps. SAVE UNLIMITED WORKOUT PROFILES — NOW PROTECTED Create as many workout profiles as you need. Name each one, pick from 20+ activity icons (running, swimming, yoga, boxing, and more), and choose from 10 colors. Every profile is instantly recognizable in your workout library. Your saved presets are now protected: the settings can't be changed by accident — tap Edit first. Your edits are kept when you tap Save Preset, or when you start the workout. YOUR WORKOUT LIBRARY See how many times you've started and finished each workout. Tap any profile to load it instantly—no re-entering settings every time. Quick-start chips let you jump into your most-used routines in one tap. CELEBRATE EVERY WIN Every completed workout gets a celebration screen with your stats, a trumpet fanfare, and a fun animated surprise to keep you motivated. FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE • Custom mode: multi-block routines with per-block intervals • Protected presets: no more accidental overwrites • Background Support: Use other apps while you train • Live Activities: Real-time progress on your Lock Screen • Sound Themes: Multiple audio styles to choose from • Adjustable action and break durations (seconds to minutes) • 1 to 99 sets per workout • 20+ workout icons & 10 profile colors • Profiles auto-save on start WHY INTERVALFREE? We were tired of interval timer apps that lock basic features behind subscriptions. So we built one that gives you everything—for free. No premium tiers. No "free trial" that expires. No data sold to advertisers. IntervalFree is maintained by a small team who believes great tools should be free. If it becomes part of your routine, you can support us with a voluntary coffee—but there's absolutely no pressure. Perfect for HIIT, Tabata, circuit training, boxing rounds, stretching, meditation, or any activity that uses timed intervals. Requires iOS 17.0 or later. Works on iPhone and iPad.

About

EM

This interval timer app is designed for serious training, offering customizable workouts like EMOM, HIIT, and Tabata. It features clear visual cues, audio and haptic alerts that play over music, and a unique breathing mode for rest periods. Unlock advanced features and unlimited timers with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Customizable interval timers (EMOM, HIIT, Tabata)
  • Visual countdowns with phase-specific colors
  • Audio and haptic cues over music
  • Breathing mode for rest periods
  • Save and organize custom workouts
  • Apple Watch integration (Pro)
  • Workout planning and history (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Set it, start it, get to work. EM:OM is an interval timer for people who actually train. Kettlebell circuits, EMOM, Tabata, HIIT, grip repeaters, boxing rounds, or one long block. No clutter, no accounts, no ads, no tracking. READ IT FROM ACROSS THE GYM The countdown fills the screen in the color of the phase: volt for work, blue for rest, amber for the lead-in, red for the last few seconds. You can check the clock mid-set without walking over or squinting. Turn your phone sideways and it goes bigger still. SIX WAYS TO SEE THE CLOCK Steady keeps a dark screen and lets the number carry the phase. Tide fills and drains with the clock, so the level is the timer. Four more come with Pro: Tally gives every second its own cell, Ropes closes a ring in as the round runs out, Glow heats the whole screen toward the switch, and Lanes lays your whole workout out as columns. CUES THAT MIX OVER YOUR MUSIC Beeps and haptics fire right over Spotify, Apple Music or a podcast. Nothing pauses. They keep working on silent and with the screen locked, so you never miss a switch. Warning beeps count you into every change. BREATHE THROUGH THE REST During rest the countdown slowly swells and settles, six breaths a minute. Recover on purpose instead of scrolling. Turn it off any time. BUILT THE WAY YOU TRAIN Interval, EMOM, Tabata, a single block, or a custom circuit where every exercise is its own mini timer with its own work, rest and rounds. Name them, save them, start them in one tap. CHAIN TIMERS INTO ONE RUN (PRO) Programs link your saved timers back to back: warm-up, workout, finisher, with no tapping in between. PLAN YOUR WEEK (PRO) Assign workouts to days and let EM:OM tick them off from your history. A simple repeating template. No streaks, no guilt. ON YOUR WRIST (PRO) Run any timer from Apple Watch with a phase ring and a tap on every switch, so your phone can stay across the gym. Follow your rounds from the lock screen and Dynamic Island. FREE AND PRO Free: up to 5 saved timers, the Steady and Tide styles, every timer type, all the cues, and iCloud sync. Pro is a one-time unlock, no subscription: Tally, Ropes, Glow and Lanes, Programs, Weekly Plan, Apple Watch, Live Activity, voice countdown, unlimited timers, and workout history. Your timers and settings sync through your private iCloud on every plan, including free.

Screenshots

IntervalFree4 screens
EM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: IntervalFree at none against EM's 1. IntervalFree also leads on ratings volume (37 vs 1). EM's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ads and device support 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. EM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. IntervalFree asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for IntervalFree against 5.0 for EM. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IntervalFree has 37 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

IntervalFree ships an update every 2 months, EM every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
IntervalFree versus EM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterIntervalFreeEM
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (37 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings37 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLIFEFLOW AI, LLCUnbridled Labs

In-app purchases

None

IntervalFree

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

EM

One-time1
  • EM:OM Pro$5.99

Questions

Is IntervalFree free?
IntervalFree is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is EM free?
EM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, IntervalFree or EM?
EM is rated higher. IntervalFree averages 4.9 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while EM averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do IntervalFree or EM have ads?
Neither IntervalFree nor EM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, IntervalFree or EM?
IntervalFree ships an update every 2 months, and EM every 6 days. Most recently, IntervalFree was updated on October 31, 2026 and EM on October 28, 2026.

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