All three let you run a countdown that multiple people watch in sync. Here's what's actually different — pricing, limits, and what each one is really built for. Checked directly against each site's own pricing page; verify anything that matters to you against the live source, since pricing changes.
| Feature | CountLink | ShareMyTimer | Stagetimer.io |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier price | Free, no tiers | Free | Free |
| Viewers per timer (free) | Unlimited | 3 devices | 3 live connections |
| Timers (free) | Unlimited | 3 | 3 per room, 3 rooms |
| Signup required | Never, for anyone | Not for viewers | Not for viewers |
| Sound alerts (free) | Yes | No — Pro only | Yes |
| Live pause/extend pushed to viewers | Not yet — see roadmap below | Yes | Yes |
| QR code sharing | Yes | Yes | — |
| Count-up / stopwatch mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transparent OBS/streaming overlay | Yes — ?overlay=1 |
OBS integration | Output customization |
| Backend / can it go down? | None — static, cannot go down | Real-time server | Real-time server |
| Cheapest paid tier | None — 100% free, no paid tier at all | $6/mo — raises device/timer limits, sound | $17.50/mo — raises connection limits |
ShareMyTimer and Stagetimer both push live control changes (pause, extend, messages) to every open viewer instantly — that requires a real-time server keeping a connection open per viewer, which costs them money to run. Their device/connection limits on the free tier exist because of that cost, not as an arbitrary restriction. CountLink's sync works differently: the countdown's end time is written into the shared link itself, so every device just does its own local math against that timestamp. There's no ongoing connection and no per-viewer cost, which is the direct reason CountLink can offer unlimited viewers for free, indefinitely.
The trade-off is real and worth saying plainly: CountLink can't push a live pause or a "+2 minutes" adjustment to everyone who already has the link open, because there's no ongoing connection to push through. If you need mid-session control changes broadcast live — a stage manager adjusting a speaker's time in real time, for example — ShareMyTimer or Stagetimer's model does something CountLink's static-link model architecturally cannot, at least not yet.
Stagetimer.io is built for professional live events — conferences, broadcast production, multi-room speaker management — and prices accordingly ($17.50–35/mo for real usage). If that's your job, it's the right tool.
ShareMyTimer is the right choice if you specifically need live pause/resume/adjust pushed to everyone mid-session, or its OBS/Zoom/Meet integrations, and you're fine with device limits on the free tier or a $6/mo subscription to raise them.
CountLink is the right choice for the common case: you know the duration ahead of time, you want to share it with any number of people for free, forever, and you don't want to think about device limits, accounts, or whether a server might hiccup mid-session.