Simple Espresso Timer vs Act Four
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple Espresso Timer
This app automatically starts a timer when it detects the sound of your espresso machine brewing. Simply press stop when your shot is complete. It's designed to be placed near your machine for easy use.
- Automatic timer start via sound detection
- Manual stop function
- Simple, minimalist interface
- Designed for proximity to espresso machine
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When you're ready to start brewing your shot, you just start the app and place your phone near your espresso machine. The app will detect sound from your microphone and the timer will start counting. Once your shot is done, you press stop and that's it.
Act Four
Learn to brew perfect espresso with video guidance and taste analysis. The app tracks your brew automatically, helping you adjust your machine and recipe for your ideal cup. Designed for both beginners and experienced baristas.
- Video-guided brewing workflow
- Speed and taste analysis
- Machine and grinder adjustment guidance
- Automatic recipe tracking
- Hands-free operation
- Brew Weight and Timing adjustments
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Let’s brew amazing espresso. New to espresso? Act Four’s video-guided workflow is designed to quickly walk you through the same steps used by professional baristas. We’ll analyze the speed and taste of each brew to tweak your machine, grinder, and brew recipe until you land on your ideal cup. Espresso pro? Let’s dial in by taste. After each brew, we’ll dive into the tasting experience to drive adjustments to Brew Weight and Brew Timing. Each brew iterates on the previous until we hit that magic cup. Act Four’s minimal workflow is designed to be hands-free and out of your way. Just open the app for automatic recipe, preinfusion, brew, and flow rate tracking. Privacy Policy: https://actfour.coffee/privacy Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple Espresso Timer at none against Act Four's 3. Act Four's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (17 vs 4). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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
Both are free to download. Act Four sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Simple Espresso Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Simple Espresso Timer against 5.0 for Act Four. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 17 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Simple Espresso Timer ships an update every 6 months, Act Four every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simple Espresso Timer | Act Four |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 17 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Bodskov | AIV, LLC |
Customer experience
Simple Espresso Timer
Act Four
In-app purchases
Simple Espresso Timer
No in-app purchases
Act Four
- Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- SwitchBot Integration$19.99
Questions
Is Simple Espresso Timer free?
Is Act Four free?
Which has better reviews, Simple Espresso Timer or Act Four?
Do Simple Espresso Timer or Act Four have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simple Espresso Timer or Act Four?
Other comparisons
