Presentempo Presentation Timer vs Rostrum

Presentempo is a presentation timer and speech timer for talks, pitches, lectures and speech clubs. A big countdown with color zones shows section and total time from across the room, and haptic cues on iPhone or Apple Watch tell you when to move on, so you never have to stare at the clock. Start in seconds with Quick Start: countdown, stopwatch, end time or a speech-club traffic light. Green, yellow and red light up at the times you choose, for example after 5, 6 and 7 minutes. In Live mode the whole screen turns the color of the light, a connected watch switches color with a haptic cue at each light, and the result shows which light you finished on. You can also run a built-in format -- pitch, class talk, conference slot, 20 × 20 -- or rehearse a structured talk. A short check before each run shows which cues will reach you. Mark real section changes, see section and total time together, compare planned with actual time, and let a synced watch carry on by itself if the phone disconnects. Runs started on a watch are always practices; start Live runs on the phone. Free is a complete timer: Quick Start with countdown, stopwatch, end time and traffic light, two editable talks with up to five sections each, direct starts from every built-in format, Live and Practice modes, the three newest results, standard cue rules, basic watch execution, and complete data backup, restore and deletion. In Free, single-speaker formats with up to five sections save with standard timing; Pro keeps their smart pacing. Presentempo Pro is an optional one-time purchase, never a subscription. Smart Fit adjusts a talk to a new target while respecting minimums, fixed sections, priorities and a protected ending. A recovery plan proposes future-only cuts when a run falls behind. Pro also unlocks multiple speakers, slide handoffs, cue cards, outline/text and PowerPoint (.pptx) import, the full local Timing Coach, advanced watch controls, custom visual zones, custom haptic/audio cue rules, additional talks and sections, complete history/statistics, and PDF, CSV and text reports. Talk content stays local unless you choose watch sync or export. PowerPoint files are parsed on-device and the working copy is removed after import. No account, advertising or activity-tracking SDK. RevenueCat and the platform store process purchase and restore information. Optional content-free beta counters are off by default and never sent automatically. Five languages, light/dark/system appearance, responsive layouts and accessibility support.

Rostrum shows a speaker how much time is left, as a clock large enough to read from the back of the room — or from a phone propped on the podium. The background changes color at times you choose. Green while there's plenty left, amber when it's time to move on, red when it isn't. You decide how many stages there are and exactly when each one starts — most timers give you three fixed colors and no say in the matter. SILENT BY DESIGN No chimes. No alerts. No notifications. Not "sounds turned off by default" — Rostrum contains no code that can make a sound. Your audience never knows the timer is there. THE CLOCK IS THE CONTROL No buttons over your countdown. Tap to start or pause. Pause it and the clock becomes the editor: swipe with one finger to adjust seconds, two fingers for minutes, three for hours. A running clock refuses those swipes on purpose — a hand steadying the phone should not be able to rewrite a talk in progress. Pinch in to leave. A one-time overlay teaches the gestures, and a quiet line along the bottom of the clock keeps the key ones in view whenever the clock is stopped. Mid-talk, nothing but the time. BUILT FOR WHOEVER IS RUNNING THE ROOM Changing a talk length takes one tap. Set your common slot lengths once — 5, 15, 30, 45 minutes, whatever your event uses — and switch between speakers instantly. ON A BIG SCREEN WHEN YOU NEED IT Connect a display with AirPlay or USB-C and the clock fills it while your phone becomes the remote: start, pause, and adjust from your hand while the speaker watches the screen. WHEN TIME RUNS OUT The screen turns red and flashes briefly, then counts upward so a speaker can see exactly how far over they are. Impossible to miss, impossible to mistake for anything else. DETAILS THAT MATTER ON STAGE • The screen never dims while the clock is up • A phone call or a lock screen never stops the countdown — the full time is there when you come back • Digits never jitter or shift as the numbers change • Text color adapts automatically so it stays readable on any background • Remembers your setup between launches Also on the Mac App Store — one free app, both platforms. Free, with no purchases, no accounts, and no data collection of any kind. Rostrum has no network code — there is nowhere for your information to go.