Comparison

Ring Timer vs Shift

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

Head to head
About

Ring Timer

Features
Read full description

Ring Timer is a round timer for boxing, MMA, kickboxing and any training that runs on rounds and rest. Set it once and put the phone down. The bell rings, the last five seconds tick, and the round number is called out, all with the screen locked and the phone in your bag. ROUNDS THAT SOUND RIGHT β€’ A real bell to open and close every round β€’ Countdown ticks over the last five seconds, so you feel the round ending β€’ Optional spoken round numbers, so you never have to look β€’ Everything is independently switchable β€” bell only, ticks only, silent BUILT FOR TRAINING, NOT FOR STARING AT β€’ Runs with the screen off and the app in the background β€’ A Lock Screen widget shows the round you're on without unlocking β€’ Big, high-contrast digits that read across a gym YOUR ROUNDS, YOUR WAY β€’ Five ready-made profiles: Classic Boxing, Amateur Boxing, MMA, Muay Thai and Kick Boxing β€’ Or build your own, rounds, round length, rest length, warm-up and end warnings β€’ Rename, duplicate and delete profiles freely ON YOUR WRIST β€’ A full Apple Watch app, not a remote β€’ Start, pause and stop from the watch, with or without your phone nearby β€’ A tap on the wrist at every round boundary SYNCED, PRIVATELY β€’ Your profiles and settings follow you to every device via your own iCloud account β€’ Nothing is collected, nothing is tracked, no account to create β€’ Ring Timer has no server, your data goes to your iCloud, not to us NO SUBSCRIPTION Ring Timer is free, complete, and stays that way. There is a tip jar for anyone who wants to support it, which unlocks a badge and a few alternate app icons. It unlocks nothing else, every timing feature is free for everyone, forever.

About

Shift

Features
Read full description

Shift is an interval timer made as simple as possible (but not any simpler). Set up in seconds: β€’ Work β€’ Rest β€’ Repeat How long you exercise – how long you recover – how many rounds. That’s all. Tap Start and Shift takes it from there. Finished workouts stay in History, so your last workout can be your next preset. Load it and go. A few essentials: β€’ Voice cues or simple tones that don’t lower your music β€’ Keeps time in the background β€’ A Live Activity on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island β€’ A workout display you can turn sideways β€’ Made for iPhone and iPad Completely free. No ads, no paywall, no subscriptions. No accounts, analytics or tracking. Your workouts stay on your device.

Screenshots

Ring Timer4 screens
Shift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shift at none against Ring Timer's 4. Ring Timer's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Ring Timer sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Shift asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ring Timer ships an update every 5 days, Shift every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Ring Timer versus Shift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRing TimerShift
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 β€” better26
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBytegix, s.r.o.Jorick van Meijeren

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Ring Timer

One-time4
  • Cornerman$0.99
  • Sparring Partner$1.99
  • Coach$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Champion$9.99
None

Shift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ring Timer free?
Ring Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shift free?
Shift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ring Timer or Shift have ads?
Neither Ring Timer nor Shift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ring Timer or Shift?
Ring Timer ships an update every 5 days, and Shift every 4 days. Most recently, Ring Timer was updated on September 23, 2026 and Shift on September 12, 2026.

Other comparisons