Run2Beat vs Mariabs · Interval Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Run2Beat
Read full descriptionHide full description
LET THE MUSIC SET THE TEMPO You already own the music. Run2Beat turns it into the tempo you train to. Choose the cadence you want to hold — whether running, power walking, or riding an exercise bike. The app picks songs from your personal library and plays them at exactly that tempo. Streaming services settle for tracks that are "close enough." Here the beat is steady, and when your legs want to ease off, the music is what drives you forward. Sync to Apple Watch and leave your phone at home. Same lists, same tempo — just your wrist and your AirPods. Built for iPhone Duo. On the inner display, Up Next sits beside Now Playing, while BPM lists, playlists, the Library, and Watch sync open as an expansive studio. The outer display offers the same compact Run2Beat experience. And with Apple Watch, you can still leave the phone behind entirely. WHY RUN2BEAT • Free and private. No subscription, no ads, and no account required. Works fully offline. BPM is measured on-device, and your audio files never leave it. • A full player on your wrist. Sync BPM lists, playlists, and Favorites. The home screen lets you quickly replay your last list and view today’s Move goal progress, alongside two watch-face complications. Equalizer curves are configured on iPhone and selected directly from the watch. On Series 7 and later, including Ultra, you can set Crossfade and Beat matching right on the watch. Earlier models play tracks consecutively. • Sound in perfect balance. Loudness normalisation (LUFS) ensures tracks match at consistent volume. A 10-band equalizer with named presets carries over to the watch. Crossfade can wait for the beat so the next song drops in seamlessly — on iPhone and newer Apple Watch models. • Your rules. Add an optional warm-up at a gentler tempo. You decide how far a song may be pitch-shifted so vocals always stay natural. Choose whether your feet take one step per beat, two steps per beat, or one step every other beat. • Standard playlists post-workout. Share lists easily via AirDrop. In the car, pick up where you left off with CarPlay. On the Home Screen, a widget lets you resume your last list with a single tap. THE BEST PART The music is yours. Not a mix that needs a subscription and a signal, not a favourite that vanishes when a licence expires. You bring the files — songs you own or receive via AirDrop. We adjust them to your target tempo so the music sets the pace, whether on iPhone, iPhone Duo, or on Apple Watch with the phone left at home. Supports MP3, M4A, and WAV. Shazam can fill in missing tags. Optional HE-AAC conversion saves storage. Much more — including how to find tracks — at Run2Beat.com.
Mariabs · Interval Timer
This app provides a customizable interval timer for various training styles like HIIT and Tabata. It offers voice cues, haptic feedback, and a clear display to keep users focused on their workouts. A new run mode with GPS tracking is also available.
- Customizable interval parameters
- Voice cues for transitions
- Musical chimes and haptic feedback
- GPS tracking for runs
- Run/walk interval support
- Glanceable monochrome display
- Workout settings remembered
Read full descriptionHide full description
Mariabs is a sharp, minimal interval timer for anyone who trains in rounds — tabata, HIIT, EMOM, circuits, or your own custom intervals. Set your prepare, work, rest, cycles, blocks, and block-rest durations in seconds. Press the white play button. Mariabs counts you in, calls out each phase, and chimes the final 3-2-1 of every interval so you can keep your eyes on what you're doing instead of on the screen. WHAT YOU GET • Six adjustable parameters: prepare, work, rest, cycles per block, number of blocks, and rest between blocks • Voice cues for every transition: "Prepare", "Work", "Rest", and "Block complete — get ready for the next" • Distinct musical chimes per phase, generated on-device, synced with light haptics • 3-2-1 countdown ticks before each phase change • Big, monochrome timer dial with a subtle progress ring tinted to the current phase • Cycle and block progress shown at all times so you always know where you are • Plays over whatever you're already listening to — music, podcasts, anything — and lowers it only for the moment Mariabs speaks • Stays awake automatically while a workout is running • Settings remembered between launches NEW IN 2.0: RUN MODE Switch from TIMER to RUN and Mariabs measures your run with GPS. • Just run: distance, pace, time and your route on a map, with an optional time goal and/or distance goal • Run / walk: run and walk intervals on top of the run (default run 4:00, walk 1:00 × 6), spoken over your music • Your split for every kilometre (or mile) is called out with its pace • Lock Screen and Dynamic Island show the countdown, distance and pace • Save or discard each run. Saved runs stay on your iPhone, with map and splits, and can be exported as GPX • No account, nothing uploaded. Runs are not written to Apple Health DESIGNED TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY The screen is dark, glanceable from across a gym, and built around one button. There are no menus, no levels, no streaks, no badges, no analytics. You configure once, then press play. PRIVACY Mariabs collects nothing. No account. No email. No analytics. No tracking. Your settings, runs and routes stay on your device. Location is used only during a run. The privacy policy is one page; you can read it before you tap install. NO ADS Mariabs has no ads, no in-app purchases, and no premium tier. No account required.
Screenshots
Verdict
Run2Beat and Mariabs · Interval Timer are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Run2Beat ships an update every 11 days, Mariabs · Interval Timer every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Run2Beat | Mariabs · Interval Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Anders Westin | PER MAGNE HELSETH |
In-app purchases
Run2Beat
No in-app purchases
Mariabs · Interval Timer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Run2Beat free?
Is Mariabs · Interval Timer free?
Do Run2Beat or Mariabs · Interval Timer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Run2Beat or Mariabs · Interval Timer?
Other comparisons















