Comparison

NextSet vs PaceFlip

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

Head to head
About

NextSet

Features
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NextSet is a simple rest timer for your sets. Tap one of your quick timers and your rest starts. You feel and hear the last seconds on your wrist or iPhone – then it’s time for your next set. ONE TAP TO REST • One or two big quick timers on the start screen (1:30 and 3:00 to begin with) • Up to 12 more timers below, each started with a single tap • Tap another timer during a rest to switch straight to it • ±15 seconds, pause and resume, or end your rest early • When the rest is over, “GO!” counts the time you’ve gone over, and “Repeat rest” starts the same rest again A COUNTDOWN YOU CAN FEEL • Signal in the last 3, 5 or 10 seconds – or turn it off • Strong haptics on iPhone, the Taptic Engine on Apple Watch • Three sounds: Beep, Chime and Digital. On iPhone they play over your music, which is briefly lowered, and even in silent mode • Mute the sounds right from the start screen MADE FOR APPLE WATCH • Big quick timers right on the start screen, more timers below • Full-screen ring with countdown, ±15 s, pause and “Repeat rest”, also on the Always On display • Keeps running with your arm down, so the countdown taps and the end signal reliably reach your wrist • Timers sync with your iPhone and can be edited on both devices ALWAYS IN VIEW • Live Activity on the Lock Screen, in the Dynamic Island and in the Smart Stack on Apple Watch • A notification when your rest is over while the app is in the background • The display stays on during a rest (optional) SIRI, SHORTCUTS & ACTION BUTTON • “Start Quick Timer”, “Start Rest Timer” with any number of seconds, and “End Rest” • Start a rest hands-free with Siri or the Action button YOUR TIMERS, YOUR WAY • Rename timers, for example “Squats” • Reorder or delete them – long-press a timer for more options • Light and dark mode, large rounded digits, Liquid Glass design PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no ads, no tracking. Your timers and settings stay on your devices.

About

PaceFlip

Features
Read full description

PaceFlip: The Ultimate Run/Walk Interval Timer Whether you are training for your next marathon, conquering Couch to 5K, smashing HIIT intervals, or starting your fitness journey, your focus should be on the run—not doing math on your watch or phone. PaceFlip is a beautifully simple, highly focused interval timer built specifically for Apple Watch and iPhone. Stop calculating interval times in your head or staring at your wrist. PaceFlip gives you complete confidence in your timing so you can just run. Key Features: • Preset Workout Templates & Custom Routines: Jump straight into popular interval routines like Couch to 5K, HIIT Sprint 30/30, and Tabata 20/10, or easily build, save, and sync your own custom workout presets. • iPhone & Apple Watch Companion Experience: Use PaceFlip on whichever device suits your workout best! Configure and run workouts standalone on your Apple Watch, track on your iPhone, or sync seamlessly between both with one tap. • Active Workout Cards (Telemetry Graphs, Baseline Compare & Next Flip): Customize your top dashboard widget during active workouts to view live metrics that matter most to you: • Live Telemetry Graphs: Visually monitor your live heart rate (BPM) and real-time workout intensity trends. • Workout Baseline Comparisons: Compare your current run’s distance and elapsed duration directly against your last completed workout. • Next Flip Preview & Milestones: See exact countdowns to your upcoming phase transition (e.g., "NEXT: WALK in 00:30") along with trainer milestone cues. • Virtual Trainer, Voice Encouragements & Milestones: Enjoy intelligent audio guidance that ducks background music (Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts): • Phase Cues: Clear voice prompts ("Run!", "Walk!", "Warm Up", "Cool Down"). • Pre-Transition Countdowns: Hear your trainer count you in ("3, 2, 1...") before every pace flip. • Milestone Alerts: Audio callouts for halfway through your workout, halfway through an interval, 1 minute remaining, and final cycle! • Motivational Encouragements: Non-repeating motivational callouts at key workout milestones to keep you energized. • Live Distance & Workout History Logs: Track live distance in Miles or Kilometers. Review your completed workouts with detailed history logs synced across both iPhone and Apple Watch. • Custom Fitness Activity Types: Log workouts your way! Categorize your workouts under Outdoor Run, Indoor Treadmill Run, Outdoor Walk, Indoor Walk, or HIIT so your sessions save accurately to Apple Health and Apple Fitness. • Stunning Circular Interface: Visualize your workout at a glance with a progressive dual-ring interface tracking current interval and total workout progress on both iPhone and Apple Watch glass. • Eyes-Free Haptic Taps: Never break your stride. Distinct haptic vibrations prompt you exactly when it's time to switch between running and walking. • Customizable Stepper Precision: Adjust interval durations in flexible 15-second, 30-second, or 1-minute steps on both devices. • Clean, Unified Health Data: PaceFlip logs your interval workout as one continuous, elegant session in Apple Health & Fitness—preserving your overall pace metrics without cluttering your history with hundreds of micro-segments. • Marathon-Ready Reliability: Engineered for the long haul. Whether doing a quick 10-cycle jog or a 4-hour marathon run, PaceFlip runs smoothly in the background and saves instantly. • 100% Standalone Watch Support: Leave your phone at home or use it on a treadmill stand. Flip your pace, trust your timer, and close your rings with PaceFlip!

Screenshots

NextSet4 screens
PaceFlip4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NextSet at none against PaceFlip's 1. PaceFlip's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. PaceFlip sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NextSet asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NextSet ships an update every 5 days, PaceFlip every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
NextSet versus PaceFlip: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNextSetPaceFlip
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB16 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperMario KernichJohn Lein

In-app purchases

None

NextSet

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

PaceFlip

One-time1
  • PaceFlip Full Access$1.99

Questions

Is NextSet free?
NextSet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PaceFlip free?
PaceFlip is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NextSet or PaceFlip have ads?
Neither NextSet nor PaceFlip shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NextSet or PaceFlip?
NextSet ships an update every 5 days, and PaceFlip every 3 days. Most recently, NextSet was updated on October 31, 2026 and PaceFlip on October 26, 2026.

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