SprintTimer vs RaceApp: Which One Should You Use?

If you’ve ever searched “affordable FAT timing” or “photo finish app for track,” you’ve probably found SprintTimer. It’s the most popular timing app out there, and for good reason – point your iPad at the finish line, and you get a scrollable photo finish image with hundredths-of-a-second accuracy. For $5 a year, that’s remarkable.

I used to piece together timing solutions too. I’d time races on SprintTimer, then have someone read times off the iPad while another person wrote them on paper next to athlete names. After the meet I’d manually type everything into a spreadsheet for scoring, then spend another hour or more formatting results to upload to Athletic.net. That’s what eventually led me to build RaceApp – I wanted one tool that handled the whole meet, not just the finish line.

So here’s an honest comparison of both options. If you just need timing, SprintTimer might be all you need. If you’re running the meet, keep reading.

What SprintTimer Does Well

Let’s give credit where it’s due. SprintTimer is genuinely impressive:

• Real photo finish technology. It uses the same line-scan technique as Olympic FAT systems. On newer iPhones and iPads (iPhone 6+), it captures at up to 240 frames per second.
• Accuracy. +/- 0.01 seconds, validated across 150+ test races on 7 different devices.
• Simple setup. Point the camera at the finish line, tap start, and you’re timing.
• Cheap. $4.99/year for the Pro version. Hard to beat.
• Start Sender. Wirelessly sync the start from a separate device so one person can be at the start line and another at the finish.
• LIF file export. Can export results in FinishLynx format for use with meet management software.

If your only goal is getting accurate times at the finish line, SprintTimer at $5/year is a no-brainer. I have zero complaints about the timing itself.

What SprintTimer Doesn’t Do

Here’s where the gap shows up. Running a meet involves a lot more than timing the finish:

Before the meet:

• Managing rosters and entries from 3-4 visiting teams
• Planning which athletes run which events
• Communicating event assignments to the team

After each race – this is the big one:

• Getting times off the iPad and matching them to the right athletes (not just “first place was 12.34”)
• With SprintTimer, someone reads times aloud while another person writes them on paper next to names. That’s your workflow for every single race.
• Scoring the meet as races finish
• Publishing results so families in the stands can follow along

Then after the meet:

• Formatting results for Athletic.net

SprintTimer handles none of this. That’s not a knock on the app – it was built to be a timer, and it does that well. But it means you still need separate tools for everything else.

The Typical SprintTimer Coach’s Toolkit

Here’s what I see coaches cobble together:

That’s 4-5 separate tools, none of which talk to each other. Every result gets read off one screen, written on paper, then typed into a spreadsheet. And families standing at the fence are asking “what was my kid’s time?” because there’s no way to share results live.

What RaceApp Does Differently

RaceApp is a single platform that handles the whole meet. Timing, management, scoring, and results – all connected.

One technical note on the timing itself: SprintTimer’s 240fps mode uses a line-scan approach that continuously processes camera data to build a photo finish strip. It’s cool technology, but it’s power-hungry – I’ve had iPads overheat during long meets using that approach. RaceApp uses 240fps slow-motion video capture instead. Same frame rate, same accuracy, but significantly better battery life, app responsiveness, and no overheating. If you’ve ever had a device shut down mid-meet on a hot day, you know why that matters. Still, always keep your iPad out of the sun on a hot day!

The Price Question

Let’s be honest about this: SprintTimer is $5/year. RaceApp is free for teams up to 75 athletes, and the FAT add-on is $99/season.

But think about what you’re actually spending today. Not just money – time.

If you spend 2 minutes after every race reading times off the iPad and writing them on paper, that adds up fast across a 30-race meet. Then an hour after the meet manually entering results, scoring, and formatting for Athletic.net – that’s multiple hours per meet. If kids and parents keep asking for results because there’s no way to share them live, that’s… priceless frustration.

The cost comparison that matters isn’t $5 vs free. It’s $5 + all those hours + all those separate tools vs one platform that handles everything.

When SprintTimer is the Right Choice

I’ll be straight with you:

• If you only time practices, SprintTimer is perfect. You don’t need meet management for a Wednesday workout.
• If you’re an individual coach or athlete who just wants split times, SprintTimer (or Photo Finish on Android) is the way to go.

When RaceApp Makes More Sense

• You’re running meets – dual meets, tri-meets, small invitationals – and you’re responsible for the whole thing
• You’re tired of 4-5 separate tools that don’t talk to each other
• You want families to see results live from their phones in the stands
• You want FAT timing AND meet management without buying $3,745+ in dedicated hardware

Try It

The best way to compare is to try both. SprintTimer has a free version. RaceApp has a free tier where you can host a meet with up to 75 athletes.

Set up your next meet in RaceApp and see if having everything in one place saves you enough time to be worth it. For a lot of coaches, the answer is “I’m never going back to spreadsheets.”

Related:

• FAT Timing with RaceApp – how our iPad FAT system works
• FAT Hardware Setup – what equipment you need
• DIY FAT Timing Setup – build your own for under $30
• Do I Need a Timing Company for My Track Meet? – RaceApp vs Hiring a Pro