Workout Timer vs SetBeat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Workout Timer
Create and save custom interval timers for various workout routines like Tabata and HIIT. Features audio cues, haptics, and voice announcements for phase changes. Keeps running with the screen locked and offers Live Activities on iOS.
- Build custom interval timers
- Save and reuse timer templates
- Audio cues and haptic feedback
- Voice announcements for phase changes
- Live Activities on iOS Lock Screen
- Runs with screen locked
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A workout interval timer for Tabata, HIIT, and any work-and-rest routine. Build a timer once, save it, and run it again with one tap. It's free to use. No paywall. No ads. No tracking. No accounts. What it does: - Build interval timers with warm-up, work, rest, recovery, and cool-down phases - Save timers as templates and run them again in one tap - Audio cues, haptics, and optional voice announcements at every phase change - Watch the phase, set, and time left on a clear countdown screen - On iOS, a Live Activity shows your timer on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island - Keeps running with the screen locked, so the phone can sit in your pocket Made for any interval discipline: - Rock climbing: hangboard and fingerboard repeaters (try 7 seconds on, 3 seconds off, for 6 sets), plus campus-board and no-hang protocols - Boxing, MMA, and martial arts: timed rounds with rest between them - High-intensity interval training and functional fitness: Tabata, EMOM, and AMRAP - Running and cycling: sprint and interval training - Strength and calisthenics: timed sets and supersets - Yoga, mobility, and stretching: hold each pose for a set time - Physical therapy and rehab: timed holds and repetitions - Meditation and breathwork: steady, repeating intervals If it has a "work for a bit, rest for a bit, repeat" shape, you can build it here. Your data stays with you. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. Your timers stay on your phone. The only network activity is the check for app updates, which carries no information about you. Open source: https://github.com/Josh-Approved/workout-timer What it doesn't do: No paywall. No ads. No tracking. No accounts. No subscriptions. The whole app is the whole app: every feature is here, free. Josh Approved is supported by the people who use it. No ads, no subscriptions, no data harvest. What keeps this sustainable is whether it's worth a few dollars to you. If it is, there's an optional tip jar in the app. Send feedback: feedback@joshapproved.com
SetBeat
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SetBeat is the interval training timer that works the way you train. SCREEN OFF, TIMER ON All transitions are pre-scheduled as local notifications. Pocket your phone and never miss a beat — audio + haptic alerts for every set. SILENT MODE? NO PROBLEM SetBeat uses the same audio category as music apps. Timer plays sound even when your phone is silenced. MUSIC STAYS ON SetBeat layers timer audio over Spotify or podcasts without interrupting them. WHAT YOU GET • Unlimited custom workouts — sets, active time, rest time, warm-up, cool-down • 12 exercise types with real-time MET-based calorie calculation • Weekly bar chart, monthly calendar, streak tracking, all-time totals • Wheel picker for all durations — no keyboard, no typing • Live Activity on lock screen and Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro+) • Turkish and English, auto-detected from device language • Sign in with Apple, all data stored locally on device PLANS • Monthly ($2.99 / 3-day free trial) • Annual ($14.99 / 3-day free trial) • Lifetime ($19.99 one-time — never pay again) Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://setbeat.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
Workout Timer and SetBeat 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. Workout Timer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and SetBeat sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Workout Timer ships an update weekly, SetBeat every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Workout Timer | SetBeat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 8 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Josh Approved LLC | CYT BILISIM HIZMETLERI MAKINA SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI |
In-app purchases
Workout Timer
- Tip$2.99
- Tip$4.99
- Tip$9.99
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- Tip$19.99
- Tip$49.99
SetBeat
- SetBeat Premium Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
- SetBeat Premium Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
- SetBeat Lifetime$19.99
Questions
Is Workout Timer free?
Is SetBeat free?
Do Workout Timer or SetBeat have ads?
Which is updated more often, Workout Timer or SetBeat?
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