INTERVAL / PRACTICAL GUIDES

Meeting timer and reminder apps for Mac you buy once (no subscription)

By Cory Parry, maker of Interval · Updated 17 October 2026

Several Mac meeting apps are sold once rather than by subscription. Chimr, Here Goes and Yellendar cost $4.99; Dato is $18. Most focus on reminding you before a call starts. Interval (£15.99 / US$19.99 once, two Macs) also counts down to the end of the current meeting and flags overlaps.

Prices in the answer were checked 17 October 2026 against Chimr, Here Goes, Yellendar and Dato. Written by Interval’s maker. This is a choice by job, not a ranking: a reminder before the call and a timer during it solve different problems.

Quick picks by job

• A start reminder: compare Chimr and Final Call if your main problem is noticing the next meeting. Chimr also describes a menu-bar countdown.
• A full-screen alarm: look at Here Goes, Yellendar, Meetly or In Your Face. A forced interruption may suit someone who misses quieter reminders.
• A menu-bar calendar: consider Dato. If you only need free menu-bar joining, see the MeetingBar comparison.
• An end-of-call timer: Interval keeps start and end countdowns, overlap warnings and manual notes at the screen edge.

Decide which failure you want to prevent before comparing prices. If you join on time but lose track during the discussion, another start alert may not be the part you need. If you miss the start altogether, a calm timer may not provide the interruption you want. Interval has no full-screen alarm and is not the cheapest app here.

Price table: checked 17 October 2026

Each price below links to the app’s own page and was checked on 17 October 2026. Several are launch offers. Re-check the vendor’s page before buying or publishing a price comparison. Currency symbols follow those pages; this is not a currency-conversion table.

If you mainly miss the start of meetings

Chimr puts a countdown in the menu bar and supports joining Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex. Its $4.99 one-time price, checked 17 October 2026, makes it one of the lower-priced options in this set. Its macOS 14 minimum also accommodates Macs that cannot run Interval’s required macOS 26.

Dato is another candidate if the calendar in the menu bar is the part you want to improve. Its $18 one-time purchase and free website trial, checked 17 October 2026, let you assess its fit before paying. The App Store listing requires macOS 26; check the website download’s own requirements if you choose that route. See the Dato and Interval comparison for a closer look at the different jobs.

Final Call offers a 14-day trial without a card and a $9.99 one-time launch price, checked 17 October 2026. It also offers monthly billing, so choose the purchase option you intend. A one-time offer and a subscription can coexist on the same app’s pricing page.

For any reminder, start with the calendar you actually use. Confirm that the meeting appears with the right time and the call link before relying on an alert. A timer is useful only if it is attached to the right event. The calendar joining guide explains Interval’s supported link workflow.

If you need an alarm you can’t ignore

Here Goes uses a full-screen overlay. Seven days free followed by a US$4.99 lifetime unlock in the US App Store, checked 17 October 2026, gives it a different purchase path from Interval’s pay-before-download website route. It requires macOS 13.5 or later. Yellendar is another option in this group, with $4.99 once, checked 17 October 2026, and Apple Silicon with macOS 12 or later.

Meetly offers a free tier and one-time Pro. Its price table still shows a promotion that its FAQ says ended on 30 September 2026. This guide therefore quotes no current numeric Meetly price.

In Your Face provides full-screen alerts across several platforms and offers a $69 one-time direct-download desktop licence, checked 17 October 2026. Paying more may be reasonable if its interruption style and platform coverage match your needs. See the In Your Face comparison; Interval has no full-screen alarm and is Mac only.

If your meetings run over

Interval is aimed at the time during the call as well as the start. Its screen-edge panel counts down to the scheduled end, with a +5 min control when the discussion needs longer. That adds time to your personal timer only; it does not edit the invitation or change anybody else’s call.

The orange “Overlaps with…” warning highlights a clash beside the meeting. Manual notes stay close to the timer so that you can capture the decision before moving on. At the finish, the wrap-up prompt lets you add notes, give yourself five more minutes or mark the meeting done. For meeting habits rather than app selection, read how to keep meetings on time.

Interval reads Apple Calendar without editing its events and opens supported Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex and FaceTime links. It runs on-device without an Interval account. Google and Outlook calendars must be available through Apple Calendar; there is no direct account sign-in. The Apple Calendar guide explains the setup.

It does not schedule or reschedule meetings, track time, provide a shared team or room timer, or run on Windows. A personal countdown does not enforce an end time for the group. Those boundaries are part of the purchase decision, along with its higher price than several reminder apps listed above.

What “lifetime” means for each app

A one-time price tells you how payment works; it does not by itself establish the number of devices, future update policy or refund rights. Read the chosen app’s licence terms. Do not assume that every vendor uses “lifetime” to mean the same thing or that a direct licence and an App Store purchase share entitlements.

Interval’s website lifetime licence covers two Macs and includes updates. It costs £15.99 / US$19.99 / €19.99 / A$29.99 once. You pay before downloading and there is no website trial. You may request a refund within 14 days of your website purchase, including after download or activation; see the refund terms.

For the other apps, this guide does not establish update entitlement, device count or refunds beyond the specific trial facts above. Check those details with the vendor before purchasing. That is particularly useful for a launch offer: the low advertised price does not answer the rest of the licence questions.

Frequently asked questions

Which meeting reminder apps for Mac have no subscription?

The listed one-time options include Chimr, Dato, Final Call’s lifetime option, Here Goes, Yellendar, Dot, Meetly Pro, In Your Face’s direct desktop licence and Interval website lifetime access. Some also sell subscriptions, so check the option selected at checkout.

What’s the cheapest one-time meeting countdown app for Mac?

Among the sourced prices here, Chimr is a menu-bar countdown at $4.99 once, checked 17 October 2026. Here Goes and Yellendar share that price but focus on reminders. This list does not establish the cheapest app across the whole market.

Do one-time purchases include updates?

Interval website lifetime access includes updates. This guide does not establish the other apps’ update policies; check their current licence terms rather than inferring a policy from “one-time”.

Can I use one licence on two Macs?

One Interval website licence covers two Macs running macOS 26 or later. Check each other vendor’s device allowance separately.

Is there a refund if the app doesn’t suit me?

For Interval website purchases, you can request one within 14 days, including after download or activation. Other vendors and purchase channels have their own terms.

Browse the meeting app comparison hub or try Interval’s interactive example before choosing.