Comparison

RetroDotTimer vs TurnTap

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

Head to head
About

RetroDotTimer

Features
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A full-screen countdown that looks like the dot-matrix displays of vintage arcades and early computing. Set the time, put your iPhone or iPad face up on your desk, and let the pixel grid count down. ONE TIMER, FULL SCREEN • A large dot-matrix countdown, readable across the room • Tap the display to start, pause, or resume — or turn on the Start/Pause button if you prefer one • Optional landscape mode that fills the whole screen • Keep the screen awake while a timer runs, with an only-while-charging option LOCK SCREEN AND DYNAMIC ISLAND • The Live Activity shows a real dot-matrix face, not a plain text label • It counts down on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • It follows the color scheme you chose in the app, including changes made mid-run • At zero it morphs into a checkmark and chimes once WIDGETS, CONTROLS, AND SIRI • A Home Screen widget that mirrors the timer, display-only • Control Center buttons to start a Pomodoro or a preset without opening the app • Siri and Shortcuts: start a timer, a preset, a Pomodoro, or the stopwatch, and pause, resume, or reset TIMER MODES • Presets: 5, 10, 25, and 45 minutes • Custom duration, 1 to 180 minutes • Classic Pomodoro: 25 minutes of work, 5-minute breaks, a 15-minute long break, 4 rounds • Stopwatch with a live hundredths-of-a-second sub-display • Multi-phase custom timers for intervals, rounds, and routines DISPLAY STYLES • Dot Matrix — the original pixel grid, with adjustable dot weight and square or round dots • 7-Segment — slanted LED calculator digits • Flip Clock — split-flap digits with animated transitions (Pro) • Big & Small — blocky digits with size-varied segments (Pro) COLOR • Transparent, Dark, and Light schemes • Six premium schemes: Amber, Green Terminal, Blue Glow, VFD Cyan, Sunset, Neon Pink (Pro) • Any text and background color you like (Pro) • Multicolored digits with Rainbow, Pastel, Neon, and Sunset palettes (Pro) WHEN TIME IS UP • Freeze at 00 or morph into a checkmark • A notification when the countdown ends • Sound and haptic alerts between Pomodoro and custom-timer phases WHAT THIS IS NOT Retro Dot Timer runs one timer at a time. No task lists, no labels, no session history, no analytics, no cloud sync. It is a single, quiet countdown. PRIVACY No accounts, no tracking, no analytics, no data collection. Everything works offline. FREE AND PRO The app is a free download and stays useful forever without paying. Presets, custom durations, the Dot Matrix and 7-Segment displays, square dots, Pomodoro, the stopwatch, the widget, Control Center buttons, Siri shortcuts, and the Live Activity are all free. Pro is a single one-time purchase, never a subscription. On iPhone and iPad it adds the Custom Timer Editor, six premium color schemes, custom colors, multicolored digits, and the Flip Clock and Big & Small displays. Pro is a Universal Purchase — the same payment unlocks the Mac menu-bar app. Every Pro feature is unlocked free for 14 days, starting automatically at first launch. No signup, no payment details. When the trial ends nothing is charged, Pro features simply return to the free tier, and any custom timers you saved stay runnable. LANGUAGES English, Spanish, Spanish (Latin America), German, French, Simplified Chinese. REQUIREMENTS iOS 18.0 or later. iPhone and iPad. SUPPORT contact@andeanbearstudios.com

About

TurnTap

Features
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TurnTap is a fast pass-and-play timer built for board game nights on iPhone and iPad. Start a turn, hand the device to the next player, and keep the game moving with one clear screen. The timer uses a bold visual countdown, timeout haptics, quick gestures for pause, reset, and turn handoff, and settings you can adjust without breaking the flow of the game. Features: - One-tap pass to the next turn - Quick pause and resume - Adjustable default turn length - Timeout haptics - Keeps the screen awake during active turns - Clear, high-contrast countdown for across-the-table play - Purpose-built layouts for iPhone and iPad - Built for shared use around a table

Screenshots

RetroDotTimer4 screens
TurnTap3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TurnTap at none against RetroDotTimer's 1. RetroDotTimer's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). 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. RetroDotTimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TurnTap asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RetroDotTimer ships an update every 3 weeks, TurnTap every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
RetroDotTimer versus TurnTap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroDotTimerTurnTap
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndean Bear Studios GmbHJoar Gullestad Pettersen

In-app purchases

1 purchases

RetroDotTimer

One-time1
  • RetroDotTimer Pro$4.99
None

TurnTap

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RetroDotTimer free?
RetroDotTimer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TurnTap free?
TurnTap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RetroDotTimer or TurnTap have ads?
Neither RetroDotTimer nor TurnTap shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RetroDotTimer or TurnTap?
RetroDotTimer ships an update every 3 weeks, and TurnTap every 3 months. Most recently, RetroDotTimer was updated on October 7, 2026 and TurnTap on October 5, 2026.

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