Comparison

Mariabs · Interval Timer vs SetPulse

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

Head to head
About

Mariabs · Interval Timer

Features
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Mari 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. Mari 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 your music — Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts — and ducks them only when Mari speaks • Stays awake automatically while a workout is running • Settings remembered between launches 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 Mari collects nothing. No account. No email. No analytics. No tracking. Your settings stay on your device. The privacy policy is one page; you can read it before you tap install. NO ADS Mari has no ads, no in-app purchases, and no premium tier. No account required.

About

SetPulse

Features
Read full description

SetPulse turns your whole screen into a workout signal: green for work, red for rest, amber for get-ready, and oversized digits you can read from across the gym. Build interval presets for HIIT, Tabata, boxing rounds, circuits, calisthenics, mobility, or yoga holds. Name each segment, choose work and rest timing, set your round count, and start from the presets list with one tap. During a workout, SetPulse keeps the session hands free. The timer stays anchored to wall-clock time, announces segment names aloud, plays clear interval cues, vibrates at boundaries when enabled, and ducks your music instead of stopping it. Turn on Mirror mode to watch your form in a live front-camera view behind the timer, then record the whole session — screen and sound — and save it to your Photos to review your reps later. No account is required. No subscription is required. The app opens straight to the timer, with saved presets and settings stored on the device. Key features: - Mirror mode: a live front-camera view so you can check your form mid-set. - One-tap screen recording saved to your Photos. - Full-screen work, rest, prep, paused, and finished states. - Large tabular countdown digits and round readout. - Unlimited local presets with one-tap start. - Segment editor with named intervals, cycles, cooldown, reorder, and live duration. - Voice announcements, audio cues, vibration, light and dark themes, and stay-awake.

Screenshots

Mariabs · Interval Timer4 screens
SetPulse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Mariabs · Interval Timer at 3 against SetPulse's 1. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Mariabs · Interval Timer versus SetPulse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMariabs · Interval TimerSetPulse
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.2 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPER MAGNE HELSETHGiang Nguyen Truong

In-app purchases

None

Mariabs · Interval Timer

No in-app purchases

None

SetPulse

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mariabs · Interval Timer free?
Mariabs · Interval Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SetPulse free?
SetPulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Mariabs · Interval Timer or SetPulse have ads?
Neither Mariabs · Interval Timer nor SetPulse shows ads.

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