Comparison

Interval Timer vs Interval Runner Basic

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

Head to head
About

Interval Timer

Organize your running and high-intensity interval training sessions with ease. Quickly set up custom time intervals for running, walking, warm-ups, and cool-downs. Receive voice and vibration notifications for interval changes, and enjoy background music playback.

Highlights
  • Intuitive design
  • Customizable time intervals
  • Warm-up and cool-down timers
  • Voice and vibration notifications
  • Background music support
  • Foreground/background operation
Features
Read full description

Choose from 25+ ready-made running workouts—or build custom run-walk intervals, HIIT sessions, and cardio workouts in seconds. Customize every step, duration, and repeat cycle, then train with voice announcements and haptic cues. Control workouts from Apple Watch, save completed sessions to Apple Health, and review your workout history. Choose a workout, tailor it if you want, hit Start, and focus on your training—not the clock. EXPLORE 25+ READY-MADE WORKOUTS • Find run-walk sessions, interval runs, sprints, hill repeats, tempo workouts, and more • Choose from curated workouts for different training styles and goals • Start any workout as-is or customize it to fit your training • Save your favorites to My Workouts for quick access BUILD ADVANCED CUSTOM WORKOUTS • Create multi-step workouts with timed intervals and recovery periods • Add warm-up, running, walking, rest, and cool-down sections • Set a duration for each step and repeat cycles for interval blocks • Add custom cues to guide you through each step • Build anything from simple run-walk intervals to advanced training sessions • Save multiple workouts for quick access • Preview your complete workout before you start STAY IN THE FLOW • Hear clear voice announcements at every interval transition • Feel haptic cues when it’s time to change pace • Keep your workout active while your iPhone is locked or the app is in the background • Listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks while you train TRAIN WITH APPLE WATCH • Sync your workouts to Apple Watch • Start, control, and monitor workouts directly from your wrist • Train phone-free with workouts ready on your Watch • Track heart rate, distance, and active energy during your workout • Save completed workouts to Apple Health TRACK YOUR PROGRESS • Browse completed workouts in calendar and history views • Review duration, intervals, distance, and active energy • Follow your training over time • Share your workout results • Export and restore backups of your workout data BUILT FOR EVERY WORKOUT Whether you’re starting a beginner run-walk program, adding speed intervals, preparing for a race, or building a focused HIIT session, Interval Run gives you the flexibility to train your way. Start with one of 25+ ready-made workouts or build your own from scratch. Interval Run handles the timing so you can focus on your training. Some features shown, including the full workout library, advanced workout creation, multiple saved workouts, and full workout history, require Interval Run Pro. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Interval Runner Basic

This app provides a versatile training tool for runners, offering various workout routines like Run-Walk and Fartlek. It tracks progress, displays workouts on a map, and allows pace goal setting. Users can listen to music during workouts and export data for platforms like Strava.

Highlights
  • Multiple running routines (Run-Walk, Fartlek, Pyramid)
  • Workout tracking and mapping
  • Pace goal setting and feedback
  • Warm-up and cool-down timers
  • Music integration
  • Exportable workout data
  • Supports kilometers and miles
Features
Read full description

Interval Runner is a general purpose training and workout App for runners that want to use a variety of running techniques like Run-Walk or Always Running. Interval Runner remembers all workouts, can show them on a map and totals them on a weekly or monthly basis. Interval Runner has eight routines allowing a runner to choose a technique that is the most useful for their current running situation. For example, when training for a short race like a 5K, workouts with Fartlek routine help a runner buildup their speed. Another example, when running long races, the Pyramid routine is useful on the day before the long race for a short shakeout run. And Interval Runner has a familiarize mode that simulates running and allows the runner to understanding a routine before using it in a workout. All routines allows the runner to set a one-time Warm-up time before the workout and a one-time Cool-down after the workout finishes. Interval Runner Basic has two general-purpose, AlwaysRun and RunWalk, and six special routines; Fartlek, Mile, LongTraining, Progression, Pyramid, and Breakdown. Got a pace goal? Set a pace and hear periodically during the workout if your are better or worse than that pace and by how much time. Saved workouts can be viewed on a map and exported to file that can be uploaded into Strava. During the workout, the runner can listen to music, Spotify for example, while they hear routine instructions. Interval Runner works both in kilometers and miles and can easily toggles between English and Spanish. It does not use a website, contain advertisements or collect data on the runner -- only requires you and your phone. More information at www.intervalrunner.com or on Facebook "Interval Runner".

Screenshots

Interval Timer4 screens
Interval Runner Basic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Interval Runner Basic at 100% against Interval Timer's 21%. Interval Runner Basic also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). Interval Timer's advantage is ratings volume (534 vs 4). 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. Interval Timer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Interval Runner Basic asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Interval Runner Basic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Interval Timer has 534 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Interval Timer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Interval Runner Basic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Interval Timer ships an update every 3 months, Interval Runner Basic every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Interval Timer versus Interval Runner Basic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInterval TimerInterval Runner Basic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (534 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings534 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoma SosnovskyJane Brown

Customer experience

Interval Timer

All ratings534 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral3.4%
Negative9.7%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive21.1%
Neutral8.4%
Negative70.5%

Interval Runner Basic

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Interval Timer

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Timer resets or freezes during workout
  • Prompts not working when phone is locked or in pocket
  • Unexpected interval changes or duration changes
  • Compatibility issues with music playback

Requested features

6 requests
  • Option to pause/resume timer
  • Larger time remaining display
  • Apple Watch app
  • Ability to play audio prompts even with screen off
  • More interval options (run/walk/jog)
Show 1 more
  • Congratulatory audio cue at the end

Interval Runner Basic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Interval Timer

Subscriptions2
  • Interval Run Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Interval Run Pro Annual7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Full Version$2.99
None

Interval Runner Basic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Interval Timer free?
Interval Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Interval Runner Basic free?
Interval Runner Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Interval Timer or Interval Runner Basic?
Interval Runner Basic is rated higher. Interval Timer averages 4.5 out of 5 from 534 ratings, while Interval Runner Basic averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Interval Timer or Interval Runner Basic have ads?
Neither Interval Timer nor Interval Runner Basic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Interval Timer or Interval Runner Basic?
Interval Timer ships an update every 3 months, and Interval Runner Basic every 5 months. Most recently, Interval Timer was updated on September 27, 2026 and Interval Runner Basic on September 18, 2026.

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