Comparison

Workout Timer vs SetBeat

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

SetBeat

Features
Read full description

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

Workout Timer4 screens
SetBeat4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Workout Timer ships an update weekly, SetBeat every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Workout Timer versus SetBeat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWorkout TimerSetBeat
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJosh Approved LLCCYT BILISIM HIZMETLERI MAKINA SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Workout Timer

One-time5
  • Tip$2.99
  • Tip$4.99
  • Tip$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Tip$19.99
  • Tip$49.99
3 purchases

SetBeat

Subscriptions2
  • SetBeat Premium Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • SetBeat Premium Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • SetBeat Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Workout Timer free?
Workout Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SetBeat free?
SetBeat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Workout Timer or SetBeat have ads?
Neither Workout Timer nor SetBeat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Workout Timer or SetBeat?
Workout Timer ships an update weekly, and SetBeat every 8 days. Most recently, Workout Timer was updated on October 7, 2026 and SetBeat on October 3, 2026.

Other comparisons