Free shot timer apps compared: which ones hear your shots?
I make one of these apps, Simple Shot Timer, so this page sticks to what the store listings say: whether an app hears your shots, which phones it runs on, what it costs, whether Google Play labels it as containing ads, and what the stores' privacy labels say.
The short answer
For dry fire alone, a par timer that only beeps does the job; ShootOnTime is a popular free one on iPhone. If you want your splits, you need an app that hears your shots, and then three things decide: whether the free version does what you need, whether it shows ads, and what data it collects. Simple Shot Timer is free with nothing to buy, hears your shots on Android and iPhone, and collects no data.
The apps side by side
| App | Phones | Hears your shots | Price | Ads on Google Play | Data, per store labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Shot Timermy app | Android, iPhone | Yes | Free, nothing to buy | No | None collected |
| ShootOnTime: Par Timer | iPhone | No | Free | –iPhone only | None collected |
| Par Timer Pro | Android, iPhone | No | Free to try, subscription | No | Used to track youApp Store |
| IPSC Shot Timer | Android | Yes | Free | Yes | None collected |
| PlinkPal Shot Timer & Dry Fire | Android, iPhone | Yes | Free download, Premium subscription | No | Linked to youApp StoreShared with third partiesGoogle Play |
| Shot Timer – Range Trainer | iPhone | Yes | Free, Premium in-app purchase | –iPhone only | None collected |
| Range Buddy – Shooting Drills | Android, iPhone | Yes | Free download, Pro subscription | No | Used to track youApp StoreShared with third partiesGoogle Play |
| Shot Timer – Measure & Improve | Android, iPhone | Yes | Free with ads, paid ad removal | Yes | Not linked to youApp Store |
From the US App Store and Google Play listings on 22 October 2026. “Hears your shots” is what each listing says. “Ads on Google Play” is the store's “Contains ads” label; the App Store has no such label.
App by app
Simple Shot Timer
My app, so read this one with that in mind. Free with no ads, no purchases and no account, and open source under GPLv3. It hears your shots in every mode, has a Par mode with repeat cycles and a rest, times stages of up to 200 seconds and keeps up to 5,000 strings with CSV export. Both stores list no data collected. It has far fewer ratings than ShootOnTime so far, and like any phone timer it is limited by the phone's microphone and speaker. Google Play · App Store
ShootOnTime: Par Timer
A par timer for iPhone with about 1,200 ratings at 4.9, free with no in-app purchases, and no data collected according to its privacy label. Its listing says plainly that it doesn't detect shots, so it suits par work and dry fire. App Store
Par Timer Pro
A par timer for iPhone and Android. Its listings and its website say it doesn't detect gunshots. It is free to try, with subscriptions, and its App Store privacy label lists identifiers used to track you. Google Play · App Store
IPSC Shot Timer
A free Android shot timer with over 100,000 downloads. It hears shots by sound, though its listing still calls it a beta. Google Play labels it as containing ads, and its Data safety section says no data is collected. Google Play
PlinkPal Shot Timer & Dry Fire
A shot timer and dry-fire app for iPhone, Android and watches, which hears shots through the microphone. It is free to download with a Premium subscription; which features are free isn't clear from the listing. Its App Store label lists data linked to you, and Google Play says it shares personal info and device IDs with third parties. Google Play · App Store
Shot Timer – Range Trainer
An iPhone shot timer with a microphone sensitivity setting, free with a Premium in-app purchase and no data collected according to its label. It hasn't been updated since February 2024. App Store
Range Buddy – Shooting Drills
An all-in-one training app: it times shots through the phone's microphone or a Bluetooth timer, with a drill library and video scoring. Free to download with a Pro subscription. Its App Store label lists identifiers used to track you and data linked to you, such as location and contact info, and Google Play says it shares personal and financial info. Google Play · App Store
Shot Timer – Measure & Improve
A shot timer for Android and iPhone that detects shots as spikes in volume. It is free with ads, and a small in-app purchase removes them. Google Play · App Store
How to choose
- Dry fire only: any par timer will do, whether it hears shots or not. Par timer vs. shot timer explains the difference.
- Live fire: pick an app that hears your shots, and test it on your range before you rely on it. Fire a string with a known number of shots and check that the count matches.
- Free or freemium: check what the free version includes before you build a routine around an app.
- Privacy: read the store's privacy label. A timer doesn't need an account or your location to work.
Whichever app you pick, how to use your phone as a shot timer covers the setup that makes the times hold up.
How this was checked
I read each app's US listing on the App Store and Google Play, and the developer's website where there is one, on 22 October 2026. I haven't tested every app on a range, so “hears your shots” is what each listing says. Apps change, and if something here is out of date or wrong, open an issue on GitHub and I'll fix it.
More guides
- How to use your phone as a shot timerMicrophone, sensitivity and Auto-configure, hearing the beep with ear protection, Bluetooth speakers, busy ranges and your history.
- Dry-fire par drills with par timesSafety rules, how par time training works, and five classic drills with starting par times and timer settings.
- Shot timer app or dedicated shot timer?An honest comparison: beep, microphone and fast splits, battery, price and history, and which timer to buy.
- Par timer vs. shot timer: what's the difference?A par timer only beeps, a shot timer hears your shots. What each one does and when a par timer is enough.