Questions, answered

Yes. The Free plan is fully usable: unlimited display links, the full operator console, messages, warning colors, and auto-advance. The one limit is segment length, capped at 10 minutes per segment. The $15 Event Pass removes that cap for one event.

No. NextTime runs entirely in the browser. The console, the speaker displays, and the stage clock are all web pages, so there is nothing to install on any device, ever.

No. A display link opens in any modern browser on any device. Nothing to install, nothing to sign into.

As many as you want. Display links are unlimited on every plan, including Free. Every display link is a fullscreen 16:9 display with timer text that scales itself to the screen. Add a progress bar or a time-of-day clock, switch a screen between countdown, count-up, and time-of-day modes, and password-protect any link. Three screens or thirty: other stage timer tools meter the screens; NextTime never does.

Anything with a modern browser can open your timer link: laptops, phones, tablets, and TVs with a browser or a streaming stick, on any operating system.

No. NextTime is a web app and needs an internet connection to keep every screen in sync. If your venue has no connectivity at all, a dedicated offline desktop timer is the better tool for that room.

Yes. Every timer has an OBS-ready display variant with a transparent background that drops into a browser source in OBS, vMix, Wirecast, Streamlabs, or anything that renders a web source.

Yes. Every event can mint a control link whose actions (play, pause, next, previous, add or remove time, jump to a segment) are plain web links you can bind to a Stream Deck, Bitfocus Companion, vMix, or OBS button. The link itself is the credential: no plugin, no API key, nothing to install.

The timer counts up past zero so everyone can see the overtime, and one edit to the rundown cascades the new times through the rest of your schedule.

Yes. Type it at the console and it appears on the screens you choose: flashed, fullscreen, or persistent, in the color you pick.

Yes. Not every minute of a show is a countdown: flip any screen to time-of-day mode and it becomes a clean stage clock for walk-in, changeovers, and breaks, then flip it back when the next segment starts. The operator does it from the console; nobody touches the screen.

Yes. Each display can run countdown, count-up, or time-of-day mode, and the operator can invert direction live.

Yes. Screens move through green, yellow, and red as the segment runs down, and the console can play a sound at each state.

Yes. Any display link can require a password.

Sound alerts play on the operator console. Displays are silent by design so nothing unexpected plays in your room or on your stream.

A modern browser and an internet connection. That is the whole requirements list, on every device involved.

Yes. Every timer has an OBS-ready display variant with a transparent background. Add its link as a browser source in OBS, Streamlabs, vMix, or anything that renders a web source, and the countdown sits over your scene. You control it remotely, so nothing changes on the stream mid-show.

Yes. Every event mints a control link whose actions (play, pause, next, previous, add or remove time, jump to a segment) are plain web links. Bind them to Stream Deck or Bitfocus Companion keys and run the show from hardware. The link is the credential, so there is no plugin and no API key to set up.

No. Create as many events as you need on any plan. The Free plan's only limit is segment length, at 10 minutes per segment.

Almost everything: unlimited display links, the full console, messages, warning states, auto-advance, and password-protected links. The one limit is segment length, capped at 10 minutes per segment.

No. They are included on every plan, including Free. Every timer has a transparent OBS overlay variant, and every event mints control links you can bind to a Stream Deck, Bitfocus Companion, vMix, or OBS button. There is no add-on and no upcharge.

The Free plan is the trial, except it never expires and needs no card. Use it for real events for as long as you like.

Every feature, with no segment cap, on one event for 30 days. It is a one-time payment and never renews on its own.

Because events are not monthly. You either need a timer for an event, which is the $15 Event Pass, or you run events all year, which is Pro at $129.

At nine or more events a year, Pro costs less than buying passes one at a time.

Nothing is deleted. Your events stay in your account; anything beyond Free limits locks until you upgrade again.

Ask us. We handle these case by case through the contact page.

Yes. Display links show only the timer. The console is a separate page, and display links can be password-protected.

The display counts up past zero so the overtime is visible, and your rundown edit cascades the new times through the rest of the day.

The timed, ordered plan of everything in your event: every slot's start, end, and duration. NextTime turns it from a static document into the live schedule that drives every screen.

Yes. Each stage runs as its own event with its own rundown, console, and display links, and you can create as many events as you need on any plan.

Yes. Send them a display link. It works anywhere with a browser, in real time.

Any screen with a browser: laptops, TVs, tablets, phones. Nothing to install.

Yes. NextTime is a web app and needs a connection to keep screens in sync. On show sites with zero connectivity, an offline desktop timer is the right tool for that room.

Yes. The console is play, pause, next, and nudge. If they can run a browser, they can run the show clock.

No. The confidence monitor is a browser link on any screen or device.

Yes. The console is a web page; run it from the booth computer, a tablet, or a volunteer's phone.

Free covers unlimited screens with segments up to 10 minutes each. Pro is $129 per year for everything, including full-length sermon segments.

Yes. Any screen can run time-of-day mode, and you can switch modes per screen.

Only if you put it on a screen they can see. The timer appears only where you open a display link.

No. NextTime is a live timer, not a video player. For the pre-service moment, run a segment that counts down to service start on any screen.

No integrations today. NextTime runs alongside them in a browser: build the rundown from your service plan in a couple of minutes, and nothing touches your ProPresenter machine or your Planning Center account.

Yes. Every timer includes a transparent OBS-ready view your stream operator can drop into a browser source.

Yes. The OBS display variant renders the timer with a transparent background, so only the numbers and states show over your scene.

Yes. The console is a separate page on any device. The overlay updates in real time.

Yes. A display link works in any number of browser sources at once, all in sync, on any plan.

Yes. Free includes the OBS variant and unlimited display links. Segments cap at 10 minutes each on Free; a $15 Event Pass removes the cap for 30 days.

Same as OBS: add a browser source, paste the NextTime OBS link, and size it to your canvas. Control it from any other device.

Yes. Run count-up mode as a session clock, or let a countdown run past zero and show the overtime.

You control the warning colors' timing, the display mode, and the progress bar. Custom fonts and logo branding are not offered today; the overlay is intentionally clean.

Anywhere you can add a web or browser source, the link works the same way. It is just a URL.

Send the display link in the chat and everyone opens it in a tab, or share the timer tab on screen. Every copy stays in sync.

Yes. Any screen with a browser can show a display link, and the text scales to the display.

Yes. Unlimited display links and the full console are free; segments cap at 10 minutes each, which fits most agenda items.

Yes. The console is a web page on any device, and every screen updates instantly.

Yes. Any screen can switch to time-of-day mode and back.

Yes. All display links sync in real time to the same clock.

Yes. Put a display link on your phone, a second display, or a back-of-room screen. Wherever you can glance, the countdown can be.

Only if you put it on a screen they can see. The timer appears only where you open a display link.

Yes. Unlimited screens and the full console are free; segments cap at 10 minutes each, and a $15 Event Pass removes the cap for an event.

Yes. Console and display are web pages, so any phone with a browser works as either.

No integration, by design. The timer runs on a separate screen in a browser, so your presentation software and machine stay untouched.

Yes. Any screen can run count-up mode, and overtime past zero is always visible.

One the presenter can actually see and the operator can actually control. For full speaker lineups, see the conference timer page; for a single talk, the setup above takes two minutes.

Yes. Set the warning thresholds to match your club or format's signal times.

Yes. Segments up to 10 minutes, unlimited screens, and the full console are free, with no card required.

Yes. Past zero the timer counts up, so the overrun is a visible number.

Yes. The console is a web page on any device.

Yes. Give prep its own segment and pause or resume it from the console as the format requires.

No. It displays through browsers on regular screens and is not part of the video signal chain.

Yes. Any screen can run count-up mode while another shows a countdown or the time of day.

Yes. Each display link sets its own display mode, so one screen shows the segment countdown while another shows the clock.

Free covers segments to 10 minutes; a $15 Event Pass covers the whole shoot for 30 days with no caps.

For many events, yes. NextTime's Free plan has unlimited display links and the full console; the limit is 10 minutes per segment. Stagetimer's free plan allows longer timers but caps both timers and connected devices per room.

On NextTime, yes. Display links are unlimited on every plan, including Free. On Stagetimer's free plan the connected-device count is capped per room, so a console plus a couple of screens can use the allowance up and the next screen needs a paid plan.

Both sell a paid single-event licence and an annual plan, and neither sells a monthly plan. NextTime is $15 for an event and $129 for the year, and it is the lower price on both. The bigger difference is what the money buys: Stagetimer's annual tiers are priced by how many devices a room may connect at once, so the cap follows you up the ladder, where every NextTime plan is uncapped. Check their pricing page for the current figures.

Credit where due: Stagetimer is mature software with capabilities NextTime does not have. If your workflow depends on importing rundowns from CSV, a full automation API with an official Companion module, running fully offline on show machines, taking audience questions on the display, starting timers on a wall-clock schedule, or putting your client's logo on the screen, Stagetimer is the right choice today, at its price.

There is no import. You rebuild your rundown in NextTime, which for a typical event is a few minutes of typing segment names and durations. Display links, warning thresholds, and messages are set up fresh. Run one rehearsal on both before you commit.

No. NextTime does not have CSV import today. Rundowns are built in the app, which takes a few minutes for a typical event.

NextTime has control links: plain web links for play, pause, next, previous, time nudges, and jump-to-segment that you can bind to a Stream Deck, Bitfocus Companion, vMix, or OBS button. No plugin, no API key. It does not have a full read/write API; if deep automation drives your show, Stagetimer's API and official Companion module are the better fit today.

Both work as OBS browser sources. NextTime includes a transparent overlay variant and unlimited simultaneous sources on the free plan; Stagetimer's free plan counts each connection against its per-room cap.

No. Both sell single-event licences and annual plans, and neither sells a monthly plan. NextTime's are $15 and $129.

For browser-based speaker timing, yes: NextTime's Free plan is a working timer with unlimited screens, where CueTimer offers short restartable trial sessions and paid annual licences.

No. NextTime displays through browser windows on any screen. If your workflow requires NDI into a video pipeline, CueTimer is the better fit.

Yes, through control links: plain web links for play, pause, next, previous, and time nudges that a Stream Deck or Companion button can fire. No plugin, no API key. There is no dedicated hardware module, so if deep Companion integration drives your show, CueTimer goes further.

Yes. Every timer has a transparent OBS-ready display variant you add as a browser source, with unlimited simultaneous sources on the free plan. CueTimer feeds video pipelines over NDI and HDMI instead; for a plain browser overlay, NextTime drops straight into OBS.

NextTime, yes, everywhere. CueTimer's core product is an installed desktop app; they also offer a browser-based Cloud version.

CueTimer belongs on a video engineer's show machine, feeding timers into switchers and multiviewers over NDI, driven from a Stream Deck. If that sentence describes your rig, buy CueTimer. NextTime belongs everywhere else: events run by producers, volunteers, and organizers who need timers on many screens with nothing installed, controlled from a phone, at free-to-$15 event economics.

Yes. Irisdown is Windows-only; NextTime runs in the browser on Mac and everything else.

No. NextTime needs a connection to sync screens. Fully offline rooms are Irisdown's home turf.

Irisdown sells a licence key and does not publish a price on its own site; NextTime is free for short segments, $15 for an event, or $129 per year. Check their current terms at the point of sale for your case.

Yes, through control links. Every event mints a control link whose actions (play, pause, next, previous, add or remove time, jump to a segment) are plain web links you can bind to a Bitfocus Companion button. What NextTime does not have is an official Companion module or Irisdown’s deeper native network control, so if a Companion surface with full two-way feedback runs your show, Irisdown goes further today.

Irisdown assumes a show computer driving its displays and LAN viewers on a controlled network, which is exactly right for broadcast trucks and locked-down corporate ballrooms. NextTime assumes the opposite: screens scattered across a venue or the internet, operators on phones, nothing installed anywhere. Neither assumption is wrong; match the tool to the room.

For most events, yes. NextTime puts the same countdown, warning colors, and messages on screens the venue already has, controlled from your phone. The exception is a room with no network at all: a dedicated offline timer still wins there. Anywhere with wifi or a phone hotspot, a browser timer does the job with nothing to ship.

No. NextTime needs an internet connection and does not run offline. Once a screen has loaded the timer it keeps counting on its own device clock, so a brief dropout does not freeze the number, and every screen resyncs automatically when the connection returns. What a dropout delays is new commands from the console, not the countdown itself. A single phone hotspot is enough to run a NextTime show. But if your venue has genuinely no connectivity, dedicated hardware that needs no network is the right tool.

As many as you like. Display links are unlimited on every plan, including Free. A hardware timer shows its clock on its built-in display and the signal lights you buy; NextTime shows it on every laptop, phone, tablet, or TV that opens a link.

Both. Every screen shows the green, yellow, and red warning states, and you can also type a message at the console that appears on the presenter’s screen, flashed or held until you clear it. A signal light can show three colors; a screen can show the actual words.

NextTime is free to start, $15 for a single event, or $129 per year, with no monthly plan. Hardware is bought rather than subscribed to: a fully outfitted system means a console, a separate signal light, and a wireless link, each purchased once and then cased, cabled, shipped, and stored. Which works out cheaper depends on how often you run events and whether you need a physical unit at all. Price the specific system you are considering against a year of NextTime.

Credit where it is due. A dedicated timer runs with zero network dependency, so there is nothing to lose when the venue wifi is down, congested, or locked out. Its buttons are tactile and hardwired, with no browser, operating system, or background app competing for the one job it does. A large, dedicated signal light is visible across a ballroom on its own, independent of any screen a speaker happens to be using. And the category has a long touring pedigree: rugged, single-purpose gear that AV crews and rental houses have trusted for decades. If any of that is a hard requirement, hardware is the right call, at its price.

Yes. Nothing stops you running a hardware timer on stage and NextTime on the lobby TVs, the green room, and the presenters’ phones. Plenty of crews add browser screens around the gear they already trust.

For multiple synced screens, NextTime's free plan (segments to 10 minutes, unlimited displays). For a fully featured free tool aimed at technical teams, the open-source Ontime. For one screen right now, Big Timer or Online-Stopwatch.

A browser timer any volunteer can run tends to fit best; see our church service timer page for the full setup.

A browser-source timer you can control without touching OBS; see our OBS countdown timer page for the setup and alternatives.

Often no. Pay when you need long segments on many screens (NextTime), imports and APIs (Stagetimer), or video outputs (CueTimer).

A common rule is roughly 10 percent of the slot, so two to three minutes on a 25-minute talk and five on a 45-minute keynote. Agree on it with the speaker beforehand.

The common convention is green for the body of the talk, yellow to begin closing, red at time. What matters most is that your speakers were told.

Give them the same countdown the room sees: a synced timer link open in a tab, plus the same agreed signals.

Escalate in steps: visible overtime count-up, a flashed message, the emcee at the stage edge, then the emcee on stage. Protect the rest of the day with buffers.

No. Any screen with a browser can be the speaker timer; hardware systems are an option, not a requirement.

No integration, and none is needed. It is a URL: participants open it in a tab, or you share it on screen.

Yes. The console is a separate web page on any device, and every open copy of the timer updates instantly.

Yes. Display links sync in real time, whether ten people or two hundred have them open.

Yes, identically. Anywhere a participant can open a link or you can share a tab, the same three methods apply.

Yes for segments up to 10 minutes each, with unlimited participants watching. Longer segments take a $15 Event Pass or Pro.

No. A teleprompter scrolls a script for verbatim delivery; a confidence monitor shows reference information like notes, slides, and timers.

Yes. Any display the presenter can see works; with a browser-based source, a consumer TV needs nothing but a web page on screen.

Big enough to read at a glance from the presenter's position. Auto-scaling timer text helps; for notes, test readability from stage distance before doors.

Any stage timer with a shareable display view. NextTime does it with a browser link and no installation; production suites do it through configured outputs.