Free Online Countdown Timer
Need a countdown timer? Our free online countdown timer lets you set any duration from seconds to hours. Simply enter your desired time, click Start, and watch the countdown. When it reaches zero, you'll hear an alarm. No downloads, no sign-ups - just a clean, powerful countdown timer that works on any device.
How to Use the Countdown Timer
Using our countdown timer is simple: Enter the hours, minutes, and seconds you want to count down from, or click one of the quick preset buttons. Press Start to begin the countdown. You can pause at any time and resume later, or reset to start over.
Popular Uses for Countdown Timers
- Event countdowns - Track time until a special event, meeting, or deadline
- Cooking and baking - Time recipes precisely to the second
- Workouts and exercises - Time intervals, sets, and rest periods
- Exams and tests - Practice time management for timed assessments
- Presentations - Keep track of speaking time
- Games and activities - Add excitement with timed challenges
- Productivity sessions - Time-box your work for better focus
- Breaks and rest - Ensure you take breaks at the right time
Countdown Timer Features
- Custom duration: Set hours, minutes, and seconds
- Quick presets: One-click buttons for common durations
- Multiple alarm sounds: Choose your preferred alert
- Visual display: Analog and digital countdown views
- Pause and resume: Full control over your countdown
- Works offline: Once loaded, no internet needed
- All devices: Phone, tablet, laptop, desktop
Countdown vs Stopwatch
A countdown timer starts at a set time and counts down to zero - perfect when you know exactly how long you need. A stopwatch starts at zero and counts up - ideal for measuring how long something takes. Use our stopwatch if you need to time an activity without a set duration.
Event Countdown Timer
An event countdown timer builds excitement and anticipation for special occasions. Whether you're counting down to a wedding, birthday party, product launch, or vacation, seeing the time tick away creates emotional engagement. Use our countdown timer on the day of your event to track the final hours and minutes before the big moment. For longer countdowns (days or weeks), consider creating multiple timers for milestones leading up to the event.
Countdown Timer for Presentations
Public speakers and presenters rely on countdown timers to stay on schedule. Whether you have a 15-minute TED-style talk or a 5-minute pitch, knowing exactly how much time remains prevents awkward overtime or rushing through your conclusion. Set up a countdown timer on a second screen or phone where only you can see it, or use fullscreen mode to display it for the entire audience during timed activities. Our timer shows both analog and digital displays for quick glances.
Classroom Timer and Teaching Tool
Teachers and educators use classroom countdown timers for timed tests, activity transitions, and keeping students on task. Visual timers help students understand time management - especially beneficial for younger learners and students with ADHD. Display our fullscreen countdown timer on your classroom projector for:
- Timed quizzes and tests - Set exact test duration with audible alarm
- Transition time - "You have 3 minutes to clean up and return to your seats"
- Group work sessions - Equal time for each activity rotation
- Silent reading time - Encourage sustained focus
- Brain breaks - Quick 2-minute movement activities
Exam and Test Timer
Students preparing for standardized tests (SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT) need to practice under timed conditions. Our countdown timer helps simulate real exam pressure:
- SAT sections: 65 minutes (Reading), 35 minutes (Writing), 55 minutes (Math)
- ACT sections: 45 minutes (English), 60 minutes (Math), 35 minutes (Reading/Science)
- GRE sections: 30 minutes per Verbal/Quant section
Regular timed practice builds stamina and improves pacing. Use our study timer for untimed review sessions between practice tests.
Game Timer and Escape Room Countdown
Add excitement to board games, party games, and escape rooms with a countdown timer. Many games require timed rounds - Pictionary, charades, Taboo, and trivia games all benefit from precise timing. For escape room enthusiasts hosting at-home games, set a 60-minute countdown displayed prominently to create authentic pressure. Our fullscreen mode and loud alarm make it perfect for group activities where everyone needs to see (and hear) the time.
Countdown Timer for YouTube and Streaming
Content creators and streamers use countdown timers for "going live" screens, giveaway deadlines, and segment transitions. Display a countdown before your stream starts to let viewers know when you'll be live. During streams, use timers for Q&A segments, polls, and special events. Our clean design works well for overlays and the analog clock face adds visual interest to your broadcast.
Fitness and HIIT Countdown Timer
The countdown timer is essential for interval training. Set your work period, hit start, and focus on your exercise without watching the clock. When you need multiple intervals, reset and repeat. For comprehensive interval training with automatic work/rest cycles, check out our dedicated workout timer. Common fitness countdown settings:
- Tabata: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
- HIIT: 30-45 second intervals
- Plank challenges: 60 seconds, 90 seconds, 2 minutes
- Rest between sets: 60-180 seconds
Countdown Timer for Deadlines
Project managers and freelancers use deadline countdown timers to maintain urgency on time-sensitive work. When you can see exactly how much time remains until a deadline, procrastination decreases and focus increases. Set a countdown for your submission deadline and work with intention. The psychological effect of watching time decrease motivates action better than a static deadline date.
Holiday Countdown Timer
Holiday countdowns build anticipation for special days throughout the year:
- New Year's Eve: The classic midnight countdown - 10, 9, 8...
- Christmas: Count down to opening presents or holiday dinner
- Birthday parties: Countdown to cake time or surprise reveals
- Halloween: Track time until trick-or-treating begins
- Thanksgiving: Countdown to when the turkey comes out of the oven
Set our countdown timer to your local event time and let the anticipation build. The alarm ensures you don't miss the moment.
Meeting and Conference Timer
Keep meetings on track with a visible countdown timer. Research shows meetings expand to fill allocated time - a timer creates accountability. Display the countdown during:
- Stand-up meetings: 15 minutes maximum
- Individual speaker slots: 5-10 minutes each
- Brainstorming sessions: Time-boxed idea generation
- Breaks: "Back in 10 minutes"
Share your screen with the countdown timer in remote meetings, or display it on a conference room monitor for in-person gatherings.
Cooking and Kitchen Countdown Timer
Precision timing is crucial in the kitchen. While we offer a dedicated cooking timer and egg timer for common recipes, our countdown timer allows custom durations for any dish. Set multiple browser tabs with different countdowns to track pasta, sauce, and bread simultaneously. The loud alarm ensures you hear it even when you're in another room.
Meditation and Mindfulness Countdown
A countdown timer with a gentle alarm is perfect for timed meditation sessions. Set your desired duration (10, 15, or 20 minutes), close your eyes, and practice without watching the clock. The timer handles the time-keeping so you can focus entirely on your breath and awareness. For guided meditation presets and specialized features, try our meditation timer.
Shareable Countdown Links
Need to share a countdown with others? Use the Share button to generate a link to your countdown timer. Recipients can click the link to see the same countdown on their device. This is perfect for coordinating group activities, remote team challenges, or synchronized starts. Everyone stays on the same page with the same time remaining.
Countdown Timer for Product Launches and Sales
Product launch countdowns and sale timers create urgency and excitement for marketing events. Our launch countdown timer helps businesses and creators build anticipation.
Marketing Countdown Uses
- Flash sales: 1-hour or 2-hour timers for limited offers
- Product reveals: Countdown to livestream or announcement
- Early bird pricing: Track deadline for discounted rates
- Webinar starts: 15-minute countdown to live events
- Course enrollment: Display closing deadline for registration
Creating FOMO
Visible countdowns increase conversion rates by creating fear of missing out. Display our timer on your screen during livestreams, share screenshots on social media, or project it during in-person events. The ticking clock motivates action before time runs out.
Countdown Timer for Classroom and Teaching
Classroom countdown timers help teachers manage activities, transitions, and tests. Our teacher timer keeps students focused and aware of time remaining.
Educational Timer Applications
- Test time remaining: 30-minute or 1-hour timers
- Activity transitions: 5-minute warning before switching
- Silent reading: 20-minute timer for sustained focus
- Group work: 15-minute timer per station
- Cleanup time: 3-minute countdown before dismissal
Classroom Management Benefits
Visible timers reduce "how much time is left?" questions and help students self-regulate. Project our countdown on your smartboard or share screen during remote learning. For more classroom features, see our dedicated classroom timer with teacher-specific presets.
Countdown Timer for Gaming and Competitions
Gaming countdowns add excitement to competitions, speedruns, and turn-based play. Our game timer keeps competitive play fair and thrilling.
Gaming Timer Scenarios
- Turn limits: 1-minute or 2-minute per turn
- Speedrun attempts: Track personal best goals
- Board game rounds: Keep lengthy games moving
- Trivia contests: 30-second countdown per question
- Video game challenges: Beat the boss before time expires
Streaming and Content Creation
Streamers use countdown timers for viewer engagement—stream starting soon countdowns, challenge deadlines, and giveaway timers. Display our timer as a browser source in OBS or share your screen. The visual countdown keeps viewers engaged and builds anticipation.
Countdown Timer for Sports and Fitness
Sports countdown timers track game periods, rest intervals, and training sessions. Our athletic countdown timer supports various competitive and training scenarios.
Sports Timing Applications
- Quarter/period breaks: 15-minute halftime countdowns
- Rest between sets: 2-minute recovery periods
- Warm-up countdown: 10 minutes until game time
- Drill rotations: 5-minute stations
- Timed challenges: Personal record attempts
Team Sports Coordination
Coaches use visible countdowns to coordinate practices and communicate with players. Display our timer on tablets at the sideline or project onto gym walls. For interval training specifically, check our HIIT timer and Tabata timer.
Countdown Timer for Escape Rooms and Puzzles
Escape room countdowns create pressure and excitement for puzzle-solving adventures. Our escape room timer tracks the classic 60-minute challenge.
Puzzle Game Timing
- Standard escape room: 60-minute countdown
- Quick challenges: 30-minute mini escapes
- Puzzle hunts: Track cumulative time across clues
- DIY escape rooms: Host at-home puzzle parties
- Murder mystery games: Time-limited investigation phases
Building Tension
The visible countdown is essential to escape room psychology—players work faster as time runs low. Display our timer prominently during home escape room parties. Add dramatic music in the final 10 minutes for maximum intensity. The alarm signals victory or defeat.
Countdown Timer for Wedding and Event Planning
Wedding countdowns and event timers help planners and guests track important moments. Our event countdown timer builds excitement for life's celebrations.
Event Planning Countdowns
- Days until wedding: Long-term countdown for engaged couples
- Ceremony start: 15-minute countdown for guests to be seated
- Reception schedule: Time dinner courses, speeches, and dances
- Birthday surprises: Coordinate surprise party reveals
- Graduation parties: Countdown to the big moment
Day-Of Coordination
Event coordinators rely on precise timing. Use our countdown timer for vendor arrivals, timeline transitions, and "doors open" countdowns. Share the timer with your team so everyone stays synchronized. For speaker management at events, see our presentation timer.