Comparison

Notch vs Pulse

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

Head to head
About

Notch

Features
Read full description

Stop forgetting to practice. Start notching reps. Notch is the Watch-first app built for Grease the Groove training, the proven method of doing small sets throughout your day to build strength without burning out. Raise your wrist. Tap. Hang. Tap when done. That's it. WHAT IS GREASE THE GROOVE? Coined by strength coach Pavel Tsatsouline, Grease the Groove (GTG) means doing frequent, sub-maximal sets of one movement throughout the day. Never to failure, always fresh. It's how you go from 3 pull-ups to 15. It's how desk workers build dead hang strength into their commute. It's how you get stronger without a gym membership. The catch is you have to remember to do the sets. That's where Notch comes in. ON YOUR APPLE WATCH - Timer-based logging for dead hangs, planks, L-sits, and any hold exercise - Rep-based logging for pull-ups, push-ups, squats. Tap to confirm a set - Live countdown with haptic ticks and a finish buzz - Optional heart rate capture during holds - Today count and streak right on your wrist - Daily reminder if you haven't logged anything yet ON YOUR IPHONE - History of every set you've ever logged - Progression charts so you can see strength build over weeks - Personal bests and longest streak - Settings, exercise library, reminder time - Watch and phone stay synced in the background FREE VS PRO Free forever: - Core watch logging (timer and reps) - Today's set count - Basic streak - Up to 3 exercises Pro, a $4.99 one-time purchase: - Full history with progression charts - Personal bests and longest streak - Unlimited exercises - Complication and Smart Stack widget No subscription. No ads. No upsells. You buy it once. PRIVACY Your sets, heart rate samples, and streaks live in a local database on your devices. No third-party analytics. No ad networks. No tracking SDKs. The watch reads heart rate via HealthKit only while a hold timer is running. The iPhone can save each finished set to Apple Health as a workout if you allow it. WHO IT'S FOR - Climbers training dead hangs between meetings - Desk workers building plank time - Calisthenics folks running pull-up GTG protocols - Anyone building a strength habit in 30 seconds at a time - People tired of fitness apps that bury logging behind four taps If you've ever stuck a pull-up bar in a doorway and forgotten about it for three weeks, Notch is for you. Built by one developer. Watch-first.

About

Pulse

This customizable interval timer offers a vibrant and personalized experience for various timed activities. With extensive color options and quick setup templates, it's designed to be glanceable and non-intrusive. Enjoy features like Live Activity and an Apple Watch app for seamless tracking.

Highlights
  • Full color customization with 136 palettes
  • Quick start templates (Tabata, Pomodoro, Boxing)
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
  • Apple Watch app for wrist-based control
  • Beeps and haptics for interval cues
  • Save and name custom timer sequences
Features
Read full description

A fast, colorful timer for the things you do in chunks — and the things you do until you're done. Intervals, Pomodoro, and open-ended flow sessions. 168 palettes. WHY PULSE Every interval timer looks the same — red background, green active state, none of it yours. And they all only count down, so when the work doesn't fit a fixed box you fight the timer. Pulse counts both directions, brightly, and gets out of your way. Big numbers. Live Activity. Apple Watch. $3.99 once unlocks it all. FLOW MODE (NEW) A flow session counts UP. Focus until you decide to stop; the break you earn is proportional to the focus you put in. • Tap START and go — no countdown, no cap • Tap BREAK for focus ÷ 5 (or ÷ 4, or ÷ 3). 50 minutes of focus earns a 10-minute break • Optional target: a chime when you reach it, then it keeps counting — it never stops you • Optional reminders every 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes: a soft tick and a haptic • Works locked: the count-up rides your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, cues still fire 168 PALETTES, SEARCHABLE • Coral — bright red + lime + black (the classic) …and 167 more. Search by color ("orange"), vibe ("neon", "calm"), or era ("70s"). Eight ship free; the one-time unlock opens all 168 and repaints the whole app instantly. TWO TAPS TO START Pick Interval or Flow, set three simple controls, tap Start. Or open the Library for a template: • Flow Session, Flowmodoro 25, Deep Work 90 — the new flow templates • Tabata — 8 × 20s work / 10s rest • Pomodoro — 25/5 focus cycle • Boxing Rounds — 3 min / 1 min corner Save any setup as a named timer — one tap next time. WHAT'S INSIDE • Big-number timer inside one countdown ring — glanceable across the room, color-coded: focus, work, rest, done • Liquid Glass — rebuilt for iOS 26 • Live Activity — Lock Screen + Dynamic Island keep ticking in other apps: down in intervals, up in flow • Beeps + haptics — 3-2-1 countdown and interval cues that fire with the screen locked • Your timers — save, name, edit, reuse (three free; Pro unlimited) HISTORY & LABELS • Label a timer Work, Study, Gym, Boxing — or anything you type • Every session logged: timer, label, duration, rounds, outcome, grouped by day. Tap any row • Streak — days in a row with a finished session. No shame, no confetti • This week's focus time, six stat cards, an activity grid, time by label • Export CSV (Pro) — your whole history in one file Free keeps the last 7 days. Pro keeps everything. SHORTCUTS & CONTROL CENTER • Ask Siri: "Start a flow in Pulse" — or "Start my Boxing Rounds in Pulse" • Add "Start Flow" to Control Center or your Lock Screen • Both actions work in the Shortcuts app for your automations ON YOUR WRIST • Apple Watch app — start any saved interval timer, or Quick Start, from the watch • Palette-matched work/rest states, haptic taps at every transition • The watch runs its own timer — it can't drift or freeze • Flow sessions are iPhone-only for now WHO IT'S FOR • Writing, coding and studying — flow sessions, deep work • HIIT and Tabata circuits, boxing rounds, EMOM • Pomodoro sprints and focus blocks • Meditation, breathwork, yoga, cooking, music practice WHO IT'S NOT FOR • People who want a workout video library (this is a timer, not a fitness app) • People who want an app that blocks other apps — Pulse gets out of the way instead • Anyone looking for a subscription — Pulse is one payment, forever PRICING • Pulse Pro — $3.99 one-time: all 168 palettes, unlimited timers, unlimited history + CSV export • Supporter unlock — $9.99 one-time: same features, bigger thank-you Flow, labels, reminders, Shortcuts and Control Center are free. No subscription. No auto-renew. No ads. Ever. PRIVACY Pulse runs entirely on-device. No account, no analytics, no tracking, no ad SDKs. Your timers and history stay on your phone. Privacy Policy: https://trypulsetimer.com/privacy. SUPPORT support@trypulsetimer.com · https://trypulsetimer.com/support Time things in chunks. Or go until you're done. $3.99.

Screenshots

Notch4 screens
Pulse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Notch at every 3 days against Pulse's every 3 weeks. Notch also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Notch sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pulse sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notch ships an update every 3 days, Pulse every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Notch versus Pulse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotchPulse
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCode to MuscleLance Merrill

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Notch

One-time1
  • Notch Pro Unlock$4.99
2 purchases

Pulse

One-time2
  • Pulse — Standard$3.99
  • Pulse — Supporter$9.99

Questions

Is Notch free?
Notch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pulse free?
Pulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Notch or Pulse have ads?
Neither Notch nor Pulse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notch or Pulse?
Notch ships an update every 3 days, and Pulse every 3 weeks. Most recently, Notch was updated on October 10, 2026 and Pulse on October 6, 2026.

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