Comparison

Disco Timer vs StartWatch

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

Head to head
About

Disco Timer

This app provides a visually intuitive countdown timer for various tasks, from cooking to presentations. Its unique rotary gesture for setting time and large display make it easy to use and read from a distance. Customize alerts and colors for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Rotary gesture time setting
  • Large, high-contrast display
  • Glanceable from a distance
  • Disable auto-lock option
  • Customizable color combinations (Premium)
  • Variety of exclusive alert tones
Features
Read full description

Boiling an egg, timing a presentation, or starting your next Pomodoro – Disco Timer is a universal countdown clock for all sorts of tasks. Setting the timer duration is based on 60-minute circle of traditional analog watches – you just wind it up with a single rotary gesture. Then tap the display to run, pause, or reset the timer. Large, high-contrast representation of the remaining time makes it glanceable from quite a distance. And an option to disable the Auto-Lock can keep the device awake while the timer is running. This comes in very handy when keeping an eye on the progress is as important as the finishing time itself. The face of the timer can be customized by choosing from a variety of color combinations (Premium feature). And for the completion alert – you can select from a dozen great-sounding tones, all of which are crafted exclusively for Codulis apps. Give Disco Timer a try, and let us know what you think!

About

StartWatch

This app allows you to start a stopwatch instantly and then convert it into a timer. You can run multiple timers and stopwatches simultaneously, with options to customize display and track past events. It offers advanced features like markers and live activities for efficient time management.

Highlights
  • Instant stopwatch start
  • Convert stopwatch to timer
  • Run multiple timers/stopwatches
  • Customize display units
  • History and undo functionality
  • Markers for elapsed time
  • Live Activities with Dynamic Island
Features
Read full description

Start the stopwatch instantly, then turn it into a timer. Most timers are inaccurate because it takes 5 to 30 seconds to set the timer while time slips away. With StartWatch, you start the timer like a stopwatch, then you can take as much time as you need to set the alarm. Features Include: Run multiple stopwatches and timers. Convert a stopwatch to a timer and back to a stopwatch. Stopwatch continues to count after the timer is finished. Set a timer based on the time the stopwatch began, or the current time. Change a timer without losing the start time. Customize how the StartWatch is displayed. For example you can choose to show in weeks, days, or years. History - Undo an accidentally stopped StartWatch or change the start time of any event. Markers - Mark a moment in time on a running StartWatch. View how much time has elapsed from the previous Marker. Icon Badges - View how many StartWatches are running at a glance. Live Activities with support for Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro Watch Features: Complications for timers and stopwatches. Run timers and stopwatches in the background.

Screenshots

Disco Timer4 screens
StartWatch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StartWatch at none against Disco Timer's 1. StartWatch also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 months) and device support (4 vs 2). Disco Timer's advantage is iOS requirement (15.4 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Disco Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. StartWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Disco Timer against 4.7 for StartWatch. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 97 and 49 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Disco Timer's written reviews are positive against 85% of StartWatch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Disco Timer ships an update every 5 months, StartWatch every 6 days. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Disco Timer versus StartWatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDisco TimerStartWatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (97 ratings)4.7 (49 ratings)
Positive reviews89.5% of reviews — better85.2% of reviews
Number of ratings97 — better49
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS15.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCodulisApostol & Hall

Customer experience

Disco Timer

All ratings97 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive89.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative5.3%

StartWatch

All ratings49 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.8%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Disco Timer

One-time1
  • Disco Timer Premium$2.99
None

StartWatch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Disco Timer free?
Disco Timer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StartWatch free?
StartWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Disco Timer or StartWatch?
Disco Timer and StartWatch are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 97 and 49 ratings respectively.
Do Disco Timer or StartWatch have ads?
Neither Disco Timer nor StartWatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Disco Timer or StartWatch?
Disco Timer ships an update every 5 months, and StartWatch every 6 days. Most recently, Disco Timer was updated on September 29, 2026 and StartWatch on September 29, 2026.

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