Otso vs Visual Timer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Otso
This app provides a visual countdown timer that uses a shrinking colored wedge instead of numbers. It offers various aesthetic designs and tactile feedback, making time management intuitive for all ages. The app is designed for privacy with no accounts or data collection.
- Visual countdown wedge
- Customizable faces and sounds
- Dynamic Island and Lock Screen integration
- No ads or subscriptions
- Private by design
- Tactile feedback and animations
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A colored wedge shrinks as time runs down. See how much is left at a glance, without having to read the numbers or do the math. Buy once and use it on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. No ads, no subscriptions, no account. No tracking or data collection. MAKE IT YOURS • Choose a dial maximum of 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes • Count clockwise or counterclockwise • Adjust sound and haptic feedback on supported devices ON iPHONE AND iPAD • Drag the dial to set a timer; tap to start, pause, or resume • Smooth dialing at up to 120 Hz on ProMotion displays • Swipe beside the dial to change faces, or swipe up for settings • Check the countdown on the Lock Screen and, on supported iPhones, in the Dynamic Island • Keep the screen awake while the timer is running in the foreground • Receive a finish notification in the background when notifications are enabled ON APPLE WATCH All fifteen faces, right on your wrist. Turn the Digital Crown to set the time, tap to start or pause, swipe left or right to change faces, and swipe up for settings. The Watch timer works independently of the iPhone timer. ACCESSIBILITY VoiceOver labels and timer actions, keyboard controls on Mac and iPad, and animations that adapt to Reduce Motion. DETAILS YOU CAN FEEL Each face has its own sounds: Wood knocks, Glass chimes, and LCD clicks like a watch button. Flick the dial and it spins on, clicking past each mark as it slows to a stop. On iPhone and iPad, tilting the device changes the reflections. On Mac, they follow the pointer. Party celebrates with confetti, while Aurora adds a soft shimmer. Motion effects are reduced when Reduce Motion is on. FIFTEEN FACES Each has its own character. • Classic — charcoal body, glass lens, red disc • Pastel — soft candy colors and a textured knob • Rainbow — lilac, with an arc that shrinks color by color • Neumorph — soft, sculpted, quiet • Glass — translucent, on a light wall • Flat — pure, bold, no chrome • Paper — warm stationery, an ink needle • Wood — turned walnut, terracotta wedge • LCD — dot matrix on a backlit sage screen • Rugged — machined blades behind thick rubber • Midnight — black with a hot coral glow • Halo — a glowing amber ring • Neon — a magenta glow against the dark • Aurora — a curtain of light over a starfield • Party — a frosted cake that bursts into confetti Otso takes its name from the bear of Finnish folklore. A timer should sit quietly in the room and be understood at a glance. For lessons, workshops, exams, focused work, homework, and cooking — whenever it helps to see time passing.
Visual Timer
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A simple timer that shows the remaining time as an area you can see. You do not have to read numbers. Just watch the colored part shrink, and you know how much time is left. ■ A dial you can read instantly The sector gets smaller as time runs out. Numbers and tick marks are printed on the face, so you can also check the exact minutes. ■ The whole dial changes Choose 1, 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes. Pick 1 minute and one full turn takes a minute, so even short times start from a full disc and you can see the whole amount. You can also set any length from 1 to 180 minutes. ■ Set the time by dragging Just drag around the dial. No number pad. ■ Hide the digits You can turn off the remaining-time readout when the area alone is easier to grasp. ■ Full screen Show only the disc, in a large size. Stand the device on a desk and read it from across the room. Works in both portrait and landscape. ■ When time is up Bell, beep or chime, or no sound at all. Vibration can be switched on or off. The alarm sounds even when the silent switch is on. If the timer ends while the app is closed, a notification lets you know. ■ Five colors Red, blue, green, orange and purple. Good for ・Study sessions and pomodoro intervals ・Cooking and housework ・Keeping to time in meetings and presentations ・Helping children get ready or tidy up ・Showing time to a whole room in a classroom
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Visual Timer at Free against Otso's $0.99. Visual Timer also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). Otso's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On 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
Visual Timer is free to download; Otso costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Otso | Visual Timer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SIMON HEUSCHKEL | Ryouhei Azuma |
In-app purchases
Otso
No in-app purchases
Visual Timer
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Otso free?
Is Visual Timer free?
Do Otso or Visual Timer have ads?
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