Buyer's guide
The best lap timer apps for racing in 2026
A lap timer is table stakes. The real question is what you can do with the data once you have it — review it, share it, or build an audience around it. Here are the best lap timer apps and devices, ranked by how far they take you past the stopwatch.
We make Pace, so we ranked ourselves #1 — but the prices, pros, and cons below are honest, including where rivals win (Garmin’s in-ear coaching). Hit the head-to-heads for the receipts.
Our pick — the whole platform
Pace — telemetry, live streaming & analysis, free on your phone
Pace captures pro-grade telemetry and HD video from the phone you already own, syncs them frame-for-frame for replay, streams the session live so family and fans can follow from anywhere, and lets that audience become sponsors. A couple of apps here now add a feed or live timing; Pace goes furthest — live video, community, and sponsorship in one place — and it starts at $0.
Be one of the first on the track.
Telemetry, live streaming, and a front-row seat for everyone who follows you — free, on the phone you already own. Join the waitlist and invite friends to move up the grid.
No hardware to buy · iOS & Android · Free to start
RaceChrono
appA capable lap-timing and video-overlay app that records telemetry and video on the phone (and pairs with external GPS or OBD-II if you want). Great for solo post-session analysis — but nothing is live, with no broadcast, no social graph, and no path from fans to sponsors.
Best for: Tinkerers who want a flexible analysis app on a budget.
Pros
- +Flexible, affordable analysis app
- +Wide external-sensor / OBD support
- +Video overlay export
Cons
- −Records & analyzes only — nothing live
- −Solo post-session workflow
- −No audience or sponsorship
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow
Bottom line
RaceChrono is a flexible, affordable analysis app, but it stops at analysis — nothing live, no audience. Pace covers the capture and analysis and adds the platform: go live, build a following, and turn the people watching into sponsors.
Harry's LapTimer
appA deep, long-running lap-timing app sold in tiers — Rookie ($9) records data out of the box on the phone, Petrolhead ($20) adds video recording and overlay, GrandPrix ($28) adds pro sensors and multi-cam. Powerful but solo and technical — built for the driver and a laptop, not for everyone who wants to watch.
Best for: Power users who want maximum configurability.
Pros
- +Extremely deep and configurable
- +Broad sensor + import support
- +Strong video overlay tools
Cons
- −Video only from the $20 Petrolhead tier up
- −Steep learning curve
- −Built for the driver, not an audience; no broadcast
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow
Bottom line
Harry's is deep and configurable, but video starts at the $20 tier and it's built for a driver and a laptop, not an audience. Pace trades configuration depth for one tap to capture and broadcast, synced telemetry everyone can see, and monetization built in.
TrackAddict
appA popular, capable phone app from HP Tuners — GPS lap timing, HD video with data overlay, G-force and OBD-II logging across road course, autocross, rally, drift, 4x4, and drag, with optional live telemetry streaming and export to the RaceRender desktop suite. Strong and flexible; the best overlays still happen on a computer, and it streams data, not the drive.
Best for: Tuners and track-day drivers who want OBD data + video overlays.
Pros
- +Free tier to start
- +HD video + data overlay
- +OBD-II data logging
- +Optional live telemetry streaming
Cons
- −Free tier capped: 3 saves, watermark, 3-min videos
- −Good overlays need paid RaceRender desktop ($40–$60)
- −Live streaming is data, not video
- −No social feed or sponsorship
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow
Bottom line
TrackAddict is capable, but the good overlays mean paying for RaceRender on a desktop, and live streaming is data behind the Pro upgrade. Pace streams the live video itself, builds the audience in-app, and adds sponsorship — no desktop step, free to start.
LapTrophy
appA polished lap-timing app that broadcasts your lap times in real time, lets anyone follow tracks and drivers, and ranks leaderboards — with lean-angle analysis and telemetry, strong for motorcycles. The closest thing here to Pace's social side; it streams data, not the actual drive.
Best for: Riders who want live lap-time broadcasting and leaderboards.
Pros
- +Live lap-time broadcasting
- +Follow tracks & global leaderboards
- +Lean-angle & telemetry analysis
- +Strong for motorcycles
Cons
- −Broadcasts data, not live video
- −No sponsorship or monetization
- −Lighter capture than a full IMU + baro + video stack
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Video synced to data
Bottom line
LapTrophy is the closest thing here to Pace's social side, but it broadcasts lap-time data, not the actual drive. Pace streams live video with synced telemetry, captures deeper, and adds a sponsorship layer — so fans see the run, not just the numbers.
FASTLAP
appA motorsport social platform that analyzes telemetry you upload from a device already on your car — it captures nothing on its own. You get a community feed for posts, photos, and lap data, track-day events to browse and book, and a marketplace for trackside photographers. The most socially-minded option here; it's data and community, not live video or sponsorship.
Best for: Drivers with a telemetry device who want a community around the data.
Pros
- +Real community feed + track-day events
- +Photographer marketplace
- +Analyzes data from your existing devices
Cons
- −Captures nothing itself — needs another device
- −No live video broadcast
- −No sponsorship layer
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Video synced to data
Bottom line
FASTLAP has a real community, but it captures nothing itself — it only analyzes data you import from another device, with a $99/yr premium. Pace captures on the phone in your pocket, streams live video, and brings the community and sponsorship into the same app.
RaceBox Mini S
deviceRaceBox's popular consumer box — 25 Hz GNSS plus IMU, with on-board storage so it records without a phone tethered, all driven by the polished RaceBox app for lap timing, drag runs, and predictive timing. A great solo data box with no camera or video of its own; it stops at your own screen.
Best for: Solo drivers who want accurate, affordable lap & drag data.
Pros
- +Accurate 25 Hz GNSS + IMU
- +Standalone — records without a tethered phone
- +Polished app with predictive & drag timing
- +Affordable for the data quality
Cons
- −Solo — no live stream or audience
- −No camera or synced video of its own
- −Another device to buy and mount
- −No sponsorship or social layer
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow · Video synced to data · Runs on the phone you own
Bottom line
RaceBox nails accurate, affordable data — but the session never leaves your screen. Pace captures the same kind of 25 Hz GNSS and motion from the phone you already own, then streams it live, builds you a following, and opens sponsorship a box can't — no second device, $0 to start.
Garmin Catalyst 2
deviceA polished real-time coaching device with true-optimal-lap guidance, 1440p video overlays, weather, leaderboards, and friend comparison. Genuinely excellent on-track coaching. Still a premium single-driver box: no live streaming, no spectator feed, no sponsorship surface.
Best for: Track-day drivers who want in-ear coaching above all.
Pros
- +Best-in-class real-time coaching
- +True Optimal Lap + 1440p video
- +Leaderboards & friend comparison
- +No laptop needed
Cons
- −$1,199.99 — premium single-driver box
- −No live streaming or fan following
- −No sponsorship surface
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow · Runs on the phone you own
Bottom line
Catalyst's in-ear coaching is genuinely the best here — and it's an $1,199 single-driver box with no way to share what you capture. Pace puts capture and analysis on the phone you own, then streams it live, builds a feed, and adds sponsor placement, for a fraction of the price. If real-time coaching is your one must-have, Catalyst wins; for everything else, Pace does more for less.
AiM MyChron
deviceThe gold-standard kart dash and logger (MyChron 5S, 6, and 6 2T), with the free Race Studio 3 desktop suite, optional SmartyCam video, and heart-rate input on the 6. Rich and accurate — but a dedicated device bolted to one kart, with a manual per-car setup, data locked in AiM's proprietary format, and review on a laptop. Single-driver, no live audience.
Best for: Competitive karters who want the proven paddock dash.
Pros
- +Paddock-proven accuracy
- +Excellent Race Studio 3 analysis
- +Dash display + engine sensors (RPM, temp)
- +SmartyCam video option
Cons
- −+~$1,500 SmartyCam for any video
- −Data locked in AiM's proprietary format
- −Manual per-car setup; single driver
- −Laptop review; no live or social
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow · Runs on the phone you own
Bottom line
MyChron is paddock-proven and accurate, but it's a single-kart box with a manual setup, a ~$1,500 camera add-on, and data locked in AiM's format. Pace delivers comparable session telemetry from your phone — then streams it live, builds an audience, and adds sponsorship — for $0.
Racelogic VBOX
deviceProfessional-grade GNSS logging and synced in-car video with real-time overlay, paired with the excellent Circuit Tools desktop suite — a reference for serious data and coaching. The full video systems run $3,500 to $7,000+ (the compact VBOX Sport logger is ~$580, but records no video). Powerful and accurate, with no live streaming, social, or sponsorship layer.
Best for: Serious teams who want broadcast-grade in-car video + data.
Pros
- +Pro-grade GNSS accuracy
- +Synced video + real-time overlay
- +Excellent Circuit Tools analysis
Cons
- −$3,500–$7,000+ for the video system
- −Hardware install; desktop workflow
- −No live streaming, social, or sponsorship
Missing vs Pace: Live video streaming · Dual front + rear video · Barometric elevation & slope · Family & fans can follow · Runs on the phone you own
Bottom line
VBOX Video is broadcast-grade — and it runs $3,500 to $7,000+, bolted into the car and reviewed on a desktop. Pace delivers synced video and data from the phone in your pocket, streams it live, and builds an audience at a fraction of the cost — and ingests VBOX .vbo exports if you already have one.
At a glance
Everything above, side by side — including what it costs to start.
| Capability | Pace$0 | RaceChrono$19.99+ | Harry's$9–$28 | TrackAddict$0-$60 | LapTrophy$0 | FASTLAP$0–$99/yr | RaceBox$199 | Garmin$1,199.99 | AiM$599+ | Racelogic$3,500–$7,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Only on Pace | ||||||||||
Live video streamingone tap, live video + telemetry | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Dual front + rear videoroad + driver, one session | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Barometric elevation & slopetrue gradient, not GPS altitude | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
AI pace insightstelemetry + laps + setup, where to find time | ◌ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Setup ↔ performance trackingsetup changes linked to lap data | ◌ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Sponsor placement & payoutsPIP logos; payouts rolling out | ✓ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Where Pace leads | ||||||||||
Family & fans can followsocial feed, following, reactions | ✓ | — | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| The basics everyone has | ||||||||||
GPS + motion telemetryphone IMU + GNSS, no extra box | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ＋ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Lap & session analysisline, speed, g, elevation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Video synced to datareplay + frame-aligned telemetry | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | $ | — | — | — | ✓ | ＋ | ✓ |
Real-time on-track coachingaudio cues while you drive | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — |
Runs on the phone you ownno extra hardware to start | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
A few apps now add a community feed or live lap-time broadcasting — credit where it's due. Pace goes furthest: pro-grade capture, live video your family can actually watch (not just lap-time data), and a sponsorship layer to fund the next race — free, on the phone you already own.
Be one of the first on the track.
Telemetry, live streaming, and a front-row seat for everyone who follows you — free, on the phone you already own. Join the waitlist and invite friends to move up the grid.
No hardware to buy · iOS & Android · Free to start
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