Choosing the Right Timer for the Job
Both Chess Clock and Lap Stopwatch are live on the App Store, but they serve very different timing needs. Chess Clock is designed for two-player games where each participant needs their own countdown — chess, Scrabble, and board-game nights. Lap Stopwatch is built for solo timing, where you need to track individual intervals and compare them side by side.
The key distinction comes down to how each app structures time. Chess Clock uses two large tap zones that alternate between players, with two countdowns running simultaneously. Lap Stopwatch uses a single running timer with named laps, highlighting your fastest lap in green and your slowest in red. These different approaches make each app suited to different activities.
Chess Clock for Turn-Based Games
Chess Clock is the more specialized tool. It was built specifically for chess and similar games where each player has their own clock. The app shows two countdowns side by side — one for each player — and you tap your zone when it's your turn. This is how a real chess clock works: when one player finishes their move, they tap their clock, which stops their time and starts the opponent's. Chess Clock replicates this behavior on your phone.
The app supports several chess time controls. The free version gives you a flat five-minute timer, which works for casual games but doesn't let you set custom durations. The subscription unlocks presets for bullet, blitz, rapid, and classical chess — the standard time controls used in competitive play. It also supports Fischer increment and Bronstein delay, two methods of adding time back to a player's clock after each move.
Fischer increment adds a fixed amount of time after every move, regardless of how quickly you play. Bronstein delay only adds time if you use more than a set threshold during your turn. Both methods reward faster play, but they work differently. If you play chess regularly, having these options available in an app means you no longer need a physical clock.
Chess Clock also works well for Scrabble and other board games. The two large tap zones make it easy to quickly switch turns without looking at the screen, which is useful when you're focused on your game rather than the timer. The app is free to use, with ads that can be removed through a subscription.
Lap Stopwatch for Solo Timing
Lap Stopwatch takes a different approach. Instead of tracking two players, it tracks one person's performance across multiple intervals. You start the timer, and each time you press the lap button, the app records that interval and starts a new one. The app names each lap, making it easy to label sets, distances, or other categories.
The visual design is straightforward. Your fastest lap appears in green and your slowest in red, giving you an immediate sense of where your performance was strongest and weakest. This is useful for runners tracking split times, lifters timing their sets, or swimmers comparing interval performances.
The free version includes ads, and the subscription unlocks several features. Lap export lets you save your timing data to CSV, which is helpful if you want to review your performance over time or analyze it in a spreadsheet. Custom interval beeps let you set different sounds for different laps, which can be useful during training. Multiple themes are also available in the premium version.
Which App Suits Your Needs
If you play chess, Scrabble, or other two-player games regularly, Chess Clock is the right tool. The two-player format matches how these games actually work, and the chess presets cover the time controls you'll encounter most often. The app is free to start using, and the subscription is optional.
If you train alone and need to track your performance across intervals, Lap Stopwatch is the better choice. The named laps and color-coded highlights make it easy to see where your best and worst performances were. The CSV export is particularly useful if you want to keep records of your training over time.
Both apps are live on the App Store and free to download. Chess Clock charges a flat five-minute timer in its free version, while Lap Stopwatch includes ads in its free tier. If you need both — say, you play chess on weekends and train alone during the week — there's no reason not to use both.