Comparison

Interval Timer vs Overtone

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

Head to head
About

Interval Timer

Customize your workout timing with spoken countdowns and sound cues. Build complex interval routines for various fitness activities and stay focused on your training without constantly checking the screen.

Highlights
  • Customizable interval timing
  • Spoken countdowns and sound cues
  • Support for HIIT, Tabata, and circuits
  • Adjustable sound and haptic feedback
  • Workout saving and organization
  • Offline use and background audio
Features
Read full description

Sound Cue is a custom interval timer for workouts that need more than a last-second beep. Place spoken countdowns or beep cues exactly where you need them—early enough to prepare, change equipment, reset, or breathe before the next effort. BUILD EACH PART OF YOUR WORKOUT Choose how many timed work intervals (reps) and sets you want, then time Get Ready, Work, Rest, and Between Sets independently. Build a simple round timer or use Sound Cue for HIIT, Tabata, boxing, circuits, mobility, cardio, climbing, and more. PLACE CUES WHERE YOU NEED THEM Add up to five sound cues to each workout part: Get Ready, Work, Rest, or Between Sets. For each cue, choose a beep or spoken number. Each cue can play once, every second as a countdown, or on a custom repeating schedule. Set when it begins and whether repeating cues stop after a chosen count or continue until that workout part ends. FOLLOW ALONG BY SOUND Start the timer and stay focused on your workout. Phase announcements and scheduled cues tell you when to work, rest, and reset without checking the screen. STAY IN THE FLOW • Track time remaining, the current set and rep, completion percentage, and the next interval at a glance. • Choose beep or voice alerts—or turn them off—for interval changes and workout completion. • Adjust sound volume, turn haptic feedback on or off, and choose whether cues briefly lower music or other audio. • Hear scheduled cues while your iPhone is locked or while using another app. SAVE AND ORGANIZE WORKOUTS The free library starts with three included workouts and holds up to five saved workouts in total. Rename, reorder, edit, and reuse them. Use named groups to keep related workouts together and easy to find. A one-time in-app purchase expands the limit to 100 saved workouts. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Sound Cue has no ads, analytics, or tracking. Workouts, cues, and preferences are stored locally and are not transmitted by Sound Cue. Build your intervals, press Start, and let Sound Cue keep you moving.

About

Overtone

Read full description

Overtone is an interval timer that stays out of the way of your music. Set a total time and a beep interval, or build rounds of work and rest. Press Start, lock your phone, put it in your pocket. The cues play over whatever you are listening to, without pausing it and without turning it down. BUILT FOR HIIT, CIRCUITS, TABATA AND TEMPO RUNS • Simple mode: total time plus a beep every X seconds • Rounds mode: work, rest, rounds, warm-up and cool-down, with a distinct cue at every change • 3-2-1 countdown ticks before each cue, and a get-ready lead-in before you start • Pause, skip ahead, or extend without breaking stride YOUR MUSIC KEEPS PLAYING Overtone mixes with other apps instead of interrupting them. Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts and audiobooks carry on at full volume. ON THE LOCK SCREEN AND IN THE DYNAMIC ISLAND See the current phase and the countdown without unlocking. Pause and resume from the Live Activity. YOUR SOUNDS Pick from built-in chirps, beeps, bells and gongs, or record your own three-second cue with the microphone. Yes, you can make it your own voice. FREE FOR A FULL MONTH, THEN ONE DOLLAR Everything is free for 30 days. After that, a single one-time purchase unlocks Overtone forever. No subscription, no ads, no account.

Screenshots

Interval Timer4 screens
Overtone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Interval Timer at every 2 days against Overtone's every 8 days. 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. Interval Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Overtone sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Interval Timer ships an update every 2 days, Overtone every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Interval Timer versus Overtone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInterval TimerOvertone
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOctopus Software LLCMATTHEW KA YEUNG KWAN

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Interval Timer

One-time1
  • 100 Workout Upgrade$4.99
2 purchases

Overtone

One-time2
  • 30-day TrialFree
  • Full Unlock$0.99

Questions

Is Interval Timer free?
Interval Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Overtone free?
Overtone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Interval Timer or Overtone have ads?
Neither Interval Timer nor Overtone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Interval Timer or Overtone?
Interval Timer ships an update every 2 days, and Overtone every 8 days. Most recently, Interval Timer was updated on October 29, 2026 and Overtone on October 24, 2026.

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