Comparison

ReadyTimer vs Rostrum

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

Head to head
About

ReadyTimer

This app helps you avoid being late by announcing the remaining time until departure at set intervals. It offers customizable voice announcements, presets for routines, and tracks your on-time streaks.

Highlights
  • Set departure time or duration
  • Voice announcements at intervals
  • Runs in background
  • Multiple voice personalities
  • Save routines as presets
  • Track on-time streaks
Features
Read full description

ReadyTimer is the simplest way to make sure you leave on time. Just enter the time you need to leave — or how many minutes you have — and ReadyTimer will announce the time remaining at your chosen interval. No more losing track while you're getting dressed, packing your bag, or doing your hair. HOW IT WORKS • Set your departure time or choose how many minutes you have • A voice announces the time left every 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 minutes • When you're out the door, tap "I'm Out" (optional) to mark it as on time WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE "Hey, you've got 15 minutes to get ready. Let's go!" "10 minutes left — how are you doing?" "3 minutes left. Wrap it up!" "1 minute! Out the door!" KEEPS ANNOUNCING EVEN WHEN YOU SWITCH APPS ReadyTimer runs in the background — so you can scroll, check messages, or play music and it will still announce your time out loud. It even plays over your music or podcasts without interrupting them. VOICE PERSONALITIES Choose from multiple AI voice personalities — from cheerful and encouraging to no-nonsense — so your reminders actually feel good to listen to. PRESETS Save your recurring routines as presets. One tap and you're ready to go. TRACK YOUR STREAK Every session is recorded in your history. See how many times you made it out on time and track your streak on the scoreboard. Nothing motivates like seeing your own data. ReadyTimer is for anyone who knows exactly when they need to leave but somehow always ends up rushing anyway.

About

Rostrum

This app provides a silent, visual countdown timer for speakers, with customizable color cues to indicate time remaining. It offers intuitive gesture controls for adjustments and can mirror the display to a larger screen.

Highlights
  • Silent visual countdown
  • Customizable color stages
  • Gesture-based editing
  • External display mirroring
  • Never dims screen
  • Remembers settings
Features
Read full description

Rostrum shows a speaker how much time is left, as a clock large enough to read from the back of the room — or from a phone propped on the podium. The background changes color at times you choose. Green while there's plenty left, amber when it's time to move on, red when it isn't. You decide how many stages there are and exactly when each one starts — most timers give you three fixed colors and no say in the matter. SILENT BY DESIGN No chimes. No alerts. No notifications. Not "sounds turned off by default" — Rostrum contains no code that can make a sound. Your audience never knows the timer is there. THE CLOCK IS THE CONTROL No buttons over your countdown. Tap to start or pause. Pause it and the clock becomes the editor: swipe with one finger to adjust seconds, two fingers for minutes, three for hours. A running clock refuses those swipes on purpose — a hand steadying the phone should not be able to rewrite a talk in progress. Pinch in to leave. A one-time overlay teaches the gestures, and a quiet line along the bottom of the clock keeps the key ones in view whenever the clock is stopped. Mid-talk, nothing but the time. BUILT FOR WHOEVER IS RUNNING THE ROOM Changing a talk length takes one tap. Set your common slot lengths once — 5, 15, 30, 45 minutes, whatever your event uses — and switch between speakers instantly. ON A BIG SCREEN WHEN YOU NEED IT Connect a display with AirPlay or USB-C and the clock fills it while your phone becomes the remote: start, pause, and adjust from your hand while the speaker watches the screen. WHEN TIME RUNS OUT The screen turns red and flashes briefly, then counts upward so a speaker can see exactly how far over they are. Impossible to miss, impossible to mistake for anything else. DETAILS THAT MATTER ON STAGE • The screen never dims while the clock is up • A phone call or a lock screen never stops the countdown — the full time is there when you come back • Digits never jitter or shift as the numbers change • Text color adapts automatically so it stays readable on any background • Remembers your setup between launches Also on the Mac App Store — one free app, both platforms. Free, with no purchases, no accounts, and no data collection of any kind. Rostrum has no network code — there is nowhere for your information to go.

Screenshots

ReadyTimer4 screens
Rostrum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Rostrum at daily against ReadyTimer's every 5 months. Rostrum also leads on device support (3 vs 1). ReadyTimer's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ReadyTimer against 5.0 for Rostrum. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ReadyTimer ships an update every 5 months, Rostrum daily. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ReadyTimer versus Rostrum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadyTimerRostrum
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChuhe WuScott GREER

Customer experience

ReadyTimer

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Rostrum

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ReadyTimer

No in-app purchases

None

Rostrum

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ReadyTimer free?
ReadyTimer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Rostrum free?
Rostrum is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ReadyTimer or Rostrum?
ReadyTimer and Rostrum are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do ReadyTimer or Rostrum have ads?
Neither ReadyTimer nor Rostrum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ReadyTimer or Rostrum?
ReadyTimer ships an update every 5 months, and Rostrum daily. Most recently, ReadyTimer was updated on October 7, 2026 and Rostrum on October 10, 2026.

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