StageTimer (stagetimer.io) is a remote-controlled countdown timer that syncs across every device in the room: control it from your phone, and stage monitors, backstage screens, and speaker laptops all show the same countdown and messages at once. It's well-built and widely used, over 6,800 users, with logos like Meta, BBC, IKEA, Spotify, TED, Microsoft, and SpaceX on its site. The free tier is genuinely usable, not a teaser: up to 3 rooms with 3 timers and messages per room, no card required. Paid Pro and Premium tiers raise the room and live-connection limits further (see stagetimer.io for current pricing). It also runs as a self-hosted desktop app (Windows/Mac/Linux) on a local network, working fully offline if venue internet is a risk.
What it isn't, and doesn't claim to be: a rundown builder. There's no editable segment-by-segment schedule with owners, notes, and start/end times that recalculates when something runs long. StageTimer assumes that schedule already exists somewhere else, a sheet, a PDF, a producer's notes, and gives you the synced display layer on top of it.
When StageTimer is enough
If you already have your rundown elsewhere, in a spreadsheet, a script, or just in your head, and the only thing you need live is synced countdowns and cue messages on stage and backstage screens, StageTimer's free tier is the right tool. It's built specifically for that job, it's free at a usable scale (3 rooms, 3 timers/messages each), and it's proven at real shows with real production budgets that could afford anything. There's no honest reason to replace it if timing is genuinely all you need.
When you've outgrown a timer-only tool
The pattern that means a timer alone isn't enough anymore: you're maintaining the actual rundown in a separate spreadsheet, then re-entering cue names and durations into StageTimer by hand before the show. When a segment runs long on the day, the sheet doesn't reflow itself, and StageTimer doesn't either, because it was never holding the schedule, just the current countdown. Someone has to do the downstream math manually and re-key the next timer. If that's your workflow, the fix isn't a better timer, it's one tool that holds the rundown and drives the live timer from the same data, so a change to one segment reflows everything after it automatically.
| Tool | Rundown + live timing together? | Setup | Free tier | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnTime | Yes | Self-host (Docker/GitHub/NPM), or hosted cloud | Yes, full self-hosted | Free self-hosted / $20/mo Cloud PRO / $80/mo Cloud STUDIO |
| RundownStudio | Yes | Hosted | Yes (Solo, 1 member) | $0 solo / $25 per event / $600/yr team |
| Runsheet | Yes | Hosted, zero setup | Yes (1 rundown, 3 screens) | Free / Pro $19/mo unlimited |
| StageTimer | No, timers and messages only | Hosted or self-hosted desktop | Yes (3 rooms, 3 timers/messages each) | Free tier; paid tiers and desktop license (see stagetimer.io) |
OnTime
OnTime (getontime.no) is free, open-source, and does both halves in one tool: a rundown editor alongside synced stage timers, cue management, and operator views, with Excel/Sheets import. If you or someone on your team is comfortable standing up a Docker container, this is free software that already solves the exact gap a timer-only workflow leaves open. It also has its own hosted cloud tier if you'd rather not self-host, $20/mo Cloud PRO for 3 simultaneous stages, $80/mo Cloud STUDIO for 10.
RundownStudio
RundownStudio is a hosted rundown tool built for show callers, producers, and broadcast teams: build the schedule, then run it live with automatic time recalculation and cue tracking. It's a sensible pick if you're already comparing hosted, no-self-hosting options and want a free solo tier or per-event pricing rather than a flat subscription. Free for solo use (1 team member), $25 per event, or $600/yr for a 2-person team.
Where Runsheet fits
Runsheetis hosted with no setup: build the rundown in an editable table, then run the show from it live, with a synced current-item view and countdowns on every connected screen (control, crew, stage), and start times that reflow automatically when a segment runs long. It's the same “timer plus rundown, together” category as OnTime and RundownStudio, priced and scoped for a freelancer or small production team: free for 1 active rundown and 3 connected screens, Pro is $19/mo for unlimited rundowns and screens. It isn't a replacement for StageTimer if timers are genuinely all you need; it's built for the point where you're also tired of keeping the schedule itself somewhere else.
For the conventions a show caller uses on headset once the rundown is live, see how to call a show. For a wider comparison across every tool in this space, see the best run of show software in 2026.
FAQ
- Is there a free StageTimer alternative?
- Yes, several, depending on what you actually need. If you need synced timers alone, StageTimer's own free tier (up to 3 rooms, 3 timers/messages per room) already covers that at no cost, so there's no need to leave. If you need a rundown builder plus live timing, OnTime is free if you self-host it, RundownStudio has a free Solo tier, and Runsheet is free for 1 active rundown and 3 connected screens.
- What's the difference between StageTimer and a run of show tool?
- StageTimer is a synced countdown-timer product: set a duration and a message, control it remotely, and anyone with the link sees the countdown on their device. A run of show tool builds the schedule itself, ordered segments, owners, start and end times, notes, and it's what feeds a timer in the first place. StageTimer assumes the rundown already exists somewhere else; it doesn't hold or build it.
- Can I build a rundown in StageTimer?
- Not really, and StageTimer doesn't claim to. It has rooms and timers you can label and send messages through, which can loosely stand in for a running order, but there's no editable segment-by-segment schedule with owners, notes, or automatic reflow across the whole show. If a segment runs long, StageTimer doesn't recalculate every downstream time for you, because it isn't holding the schedule, just the current countdown.
- What do I use if I need timers and a rundown together?
- Either pair a rundown builder with StageTimer's timer, or use a tool that already does both. OnTime does both and is free if you self-host it (Docker/GitHub/NPM). RundownStudio and Runsheet both build the rundown and then run it live with synced screens, hosted, no self-hosting required. Which one fits depends on your budget, team size, and whether self-hosting is realistic for you, see the comparison below.
- Is StageTimer worth it?
- Yes, for the job it's built for. It's well-built and widely used (6,800+ users, with Meta, BBC, IKEA, Spotify, TED, Microsoft, and SpaceX among its logos), has a genuinely generous free tier, and works either hosted or as a self-hosted desktop app that runs offline. It's worth it as long as synced timers and messages are what you need. If you also need a place to build and hold the schedule itself, pair it with a rundown tool or use a tool that already includes both.
Build the rundown. Run the show. Every screen in sync.
Runsheet is the hosted place to build a run of show and then run it live, no setup, share links for control, crew, and stage screens. Free for 1 rundown, 3 connected screens.
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