The best free interval timer apps (and when you need more than a timer)
Updated June 9, 2026
A good interval timer is one of the most useful free tools in fitness. For HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, or AMRAP work, you mostly need clear intervals, audio cues, and something that does not get in your way. Here is how to choose, and the point where a timer alone stops being enough.
What to look for in a free interval timer
- Fast setup. You should be able to build a Tabata or EMOM in a few taps.
- Clear audio and haptic cues. You should not have to look at the screen mid-set.
- No ads mid-workout. An ad between rounds is the worst possible moment for one.
- Presets. Common protocols ready to go, plus custom intervals when you need them.
- A screen you can read while breathing hard. Tiny controls are cute until round six.
- The catch, stated upfront. “Free” often means ads, or one saved timer, or a Pro tier for the feature you wanted. Check what free actually covers before you build your routine on it.
The strong options, one by one
These are all well-rated and good at the core job of counting intervals.
Interval Timer
The popular all-rounder. Drag-to-set intervals, reliable cues, does exactly what the name says. The free version shows ads, which is the standard trade. If you want one simple timer and do not mind the ads, this is the default for a reason.
SmartWOD Timer
Built for CrossFit and functional training: AMRAP, EMOM, For Time, Tabata, and HYROX-style work are all first-class modes. Free with a Pro tier. If your training vocabulary matches its buttons, it will feel made for you.
Float Tech
Simple drag-to-set setup with music handling, voice cues, and a session history. Free and pleasant to use. A good pick if you want your playlist and your timer to get along.
Tabata Timer
One protocol, one tap. If all you do is Tabata, the single-purpose focus is the feature. Free with ads.
Seconds Pro
The power-user option: deep customization, templates, Apple Watch support. It is paid ($7.99), which breaks the “free” brief, but it earns its mention because serious interval athletes keep choosing it.
Kronos
Our timer. HIIT, Tabata, EMOM, AMRAP presets plus full custom intervals, unlimited saved presets, no ads, no account. It is the free half of a full workout app: the paid half generates the workout itself. The timer lives at the free timer page if you want the detail.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Price | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interval Timer | Simple, reliable HIIT timing | Free, ads | Popular all-rounder, drag to set |
| SmartWOD Timer | CrossFit and functional work | Free + Pro | AMRAP, EMOM, For Time, Tabata, HYROX |
| Float Tech | Simple setup with music | Free | Drag-to-set, music, voice cues, history |
| Tabata Timer | Beginners, one-tap Tabata | Free, ads | Single-protocol, easy to start |
| Seconds Pro | Power users who want deep control | Paid, $7.99 | Apple Watch, advanced customization |
| Kronos | A free timer that can open into a full workout app | Free timer, no ads | Free interval timer; AI-built workouts are the paid app |
If all you need is something to count intervals, any of the first few will do the job well, and you should pick whichever feels fastest in your hand.
The protocols, quickly
Worth knowing what the buttons mean, because the right timer depends on the work:
- HIIT. Any scheme alternating hard intervals with easy ones. The research on low-volume HIIT shows even short sessions improve cardiorespiratory fitness.
- Tabata. The original study (Tabata et al. 1996, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise) used 20 seconds of very hard work, 10 seconds of rest, 8 rounds: 4 minutes that improved both aerobic and anaerobic capacity in trained athletes. Most “Tabata” workouts are gentler than the original, which is fine; the structure still works.
- EMOM. Every minute on the minute: start a fixed task each minute, rest whatever is left. Loud, reliable minute cues matter most here.
- AMRAP. As many rounds as possible in a fixed window, self-paced. The timer just needs to hold the countdown and stay readable.
Best picks by workout type
- Tabata: pick the app with the fastest preset setup.
- EMOM: pick the app with loud, reliable minute cues.
- AMRAP: pick the app that keeps the screen simple.
- Custom circuits: pick the app that lets you save intervals without rebuilding them every time.
- Busy-day training: pick the timer that can become the workout when deciding is the blocker.
When a timer is not enough
A timer counts. It does not decide. The moment you find yourself standing there thinking “great, the timer is ready, but what exercises do I actually do,” you have hit the limit. That is a different problem: not timing, but the workout itself.
A timer that can bring the workout
Kronos has a clean free interval timer that is genuinely free and ad-free. What is different is what sits behind it: when you want more than a timer, the paid app picks the workout for you, shaped to your time and equipment, and counts you through it. So you can start with the free timer and never pay a cent, and if you ever get tired of deciding what to do with it, the full app is there as an upgrade.