Comparison

Planck Timer vs Zen Timer

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

Head to head
About

Planck Timer

Track your time with ease by clocking in and out of tasks. This app allows for multiple concurrent timers and provides detailed reports on how your hours are spent weekly, monthly, and yearly. It offers a private iCloud sync and a native dark interface.

Highlights
  • Concurrent timers
  • One-tap start/stop
  • Categorization with custom colors
  • Weekly, monthly, yearly reports
  • Full history with edits
  • Trim idle time
  • Private iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Planck Timer is a focused time tracker for people who want to know where their hours actually go. Clock in and out of tasks with a single tap, run multiple timers at the same time, and see honest reports across your week, month, and year. WHY PLANCK TIMER Most time trackers force you to pick one thing at a time. Real work isn't like that. You start a deep work block, then a build kicks off and you start reading docs while it runs. Planck Timer handles concurrent tasks the way your day actually works. FEATURES • Concurrent timers run as many tasks at once as you want • One tap to start, one tap to stop • Categories with custom colors so reports read at a glance • Week, month, and year views with stacked bars and per-task totals • Full history grouped by day, with quick edits and manual entry • Trim idle time on a running entry without losing the start • Private iCloud sync between iPhone, iPad, and Mac (your data, your account) • Native dark interface designed for long sessions • No accounts. No subscriptions. No ads. No analytics.

About

Zen Timer

Enhance your focus with a calm Pomodoro and study timer. Track your progress, unlock new looks for your companion, and enjoy a ritualistic approach to productivity with customizable scenes and sounds. Integrates with Apple devices and services for a seamless experience.

Highlights
  • Pomodoro and Flow focus timer modes
  • Customizable scenes and soundscapes
  • Orbilla companion that grows with focus time
  • Daily planner and Apple Reminders sync
  • Focus Circles for shared focus sessions
  • Cross-device support (iPhone, iPad, Watch, Mac)
  • Apple Health integration
Features
Read full description

Focus. Grow. Evolve. Zen Timer is a calm Pomodoro and focus timer for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. Every session you finish helps Orbilla, your focus companion, grow, rank up and unlock new looks. Pick what you want to focus on: Study, Reading, Journal, Meditation, Deep Focus or a HIIT Workout. Set an intention and press start. Zen Timer moves you into rest on its own, waits until you're ready for the next round, and keeps honest track of the time you actually spent. ORBILLA GROWS WITH YOU - Focus time earns leaves for Orbilla's wardrobe and your Zen Garden - Eight ranks to climb, from Cadet to Marshal - Nothing is ever lost, and nothing is sold for money A TIMER THAT FEELS LIKE A RITUAL - Painted scenes for every mode, in a light Dawn and a deep Dusk theme - Living atmospheres that move gently while you work: Mountain Mist, Aurora, Ember Glow, Ocean Tide, Starfield and more - Classic Pomodoro rounds, or Flow mode: count up while you're in the zone, then take a longer break - Start the next round automatically, or keep the screen on during a session - Spoken cues, singing-bowl chimes or quiet haptics SOUNDS FOR DEEP FOCUS - Original soundscapes: tanpura drone, soft rain, ocean, forest, singing bowls and warm hum - Your own sound mix, or Apple Music songs and playlists sized to your session PLAN A CALMER DAY - Plan my day: type or say your list and get a calm schedule, made on your device - A visual day planner that checks your Calendar for conflicts - Tasks with two-way Apple Reminders sync FOCUS TOGETHER - Focus Circles: see when friends are focusing, with no calls - SharePlay a session on FaceTime and start, pause and rest in sync CELEBRATE EVERY RETURN - A completion moment with petals and a quick "how deep was your focus?" check-in - A Zen Garden that grows a new plant for every routine you finish - Insights, streaks that never punish you, and a weekly rhythm report EVERYWHERE YOU ARE - Mac: a native app with a menu bar timer and keyboard shortcuts - Apple Watch: start a session on your wrist, with haptics at every phase - iPad: a two-column layout with keyboard shortcuts - Live Activity and Dynamic Island, widgets, StandBy, Control Center, Siri and Shortcuts - Alarms that ring on silent and in StandBy when a break or session ends - Apple Health: log meditation as Mindful Minutes and HIIT as workouts (optional) - Accessible: Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, Reduce Motion and Reduce Transparency PAY ONCE. FOCUS EVERYWHERE. One Zen Plus plan covers iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. Your routines and history sync through your own iCloud. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No ads. No tracking. Your data stays on your devices and in your own iCloud. ZEN PLUS Study mode, Flow mode, alerts, widgets, Shortcuts and Orbilla's ranks are free. Zen Plus unlocks all six modes, every scene and soundscape, the planner and Plan my day, tasks and Reminders sync, Focus protection, detailed insights, the weekly report, iCloud sync and your routines on Apple Watch. - Zen Plus Monthly: 1-month auto-renewable subscription - Zen Plus Yearly: 1-year auto-renewable subscription - Zen Plus Lifetime: one-time purchase, not a subscription New subscribers can start with a 1-week free trial; if you don't cancel at least 24 hours before it ends, the subscription begins. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. If Plus ends, your routines, tasks and history are kept. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://orbilla.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Planck Timer4 screens
Zen Timer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Planck Timer at none against Zen Timer's 3. Zen Timer's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Zen Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Planck Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Planck Timer against 5.0 for Zen Timer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Planck Timer versus Zen Timer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlanck TimerZen Timer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11
Update frequency—Every 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB84 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYeong KwonTAPAN Shatapathy

Customer experience

Planck Timer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Zen Timer

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

In-app purchases

None

Planck Timer

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Zen Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Zen Plus Monthly: Focus & Study7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Zen Plus Yearly: Focus & Study7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Zen Plus Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Planck Timer free?
Planck Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zen Timer free?
Zen Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Planck Timer or Zen Timer?
Planck Timer and Zen Timer are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Planck Timer or Zen Timer have ads?
Neither Planck Timer nor Zen Timer shows ads.

Other comparisons