I Tested 5 Time-Lapse Apps: Here Are the Results (2024)

These time-lapse apps have been tested to see if they are fit for purpose. I've weeded out poor-quality apps, of which there are many! What remains are the essential time-lapse apps that you need to look for, the rest you can comfortably pass on.

1 Velocity Lapse

My first impression of Velocity Lapse is that it was made by and for people dedicated to the genre. With a bit of digging, it looks like that is true and updates have been steadily coming over time by way of one developer.

The result is fantastic. Velocity Lapse covers a full set of features you would want and expect out of a time-lapse tool and then delivers even more for those aiming for professional-level content. It's the little things that make a difference, like placing the interval and duration settings accessible and in plain view on the main screen and also displaying the video duration calculations upfront. This extends to the live camera view, where you can see how many frames the time-lapse has reached and what the total duration has accumulated to.

Without digging into the long list of great features, here is one that gives you an indication of how well it considers its users. There is an option for you to automatically turn the flashlight on and off for intervals of over 30 seconds. A small feature like this makes a big difference to those who are passionate about capturing all kinds of time-lapse scenes, such as those at nighttime.

It's one of the best Android time-lapse apps you can get. It's intuitive to use for those starting out but with exactly the pro features you are looking for if you take time-lapse photography seriously.

Download: Velocity Lapse for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

2 TimeLab

Time Lab is like a paired-back version of Velocity Lapse. It's good if you don't want to worry about learning a ton of features, because it simply covers the basics.

The basics include displaying the interval and frames in the main view, alongside a few buttons; mainly one to change the video quality and another to switch between the camera lenses that your smartphone has. The design of the homepage feels a little unpolished, but otherwise, it does what is intended! This is a good option for anyone looking to grab a quick time-lapse app and shoot straight away.

If you're using an iPhone instead, these are our best time-lapse camera apps for iOS.

Download: TimeLab for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

3 Your Built-In Camera App

A little-known feature of the native camera app on our phones is that it can take time-lapse videos. On Android it's called Hyperlapse and on iPhone it's called Time-Lapse.

There are several good things about creating time-lapse with your camera app, mainly that it's going to be more familiar to navigate since you're likely to use your camera app daily. You know where to locate your saved files, if that is your phone's gallery or linked to a cloud backup service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud.

The time-lapse controls are all but automated. In Android, for example, you only have the option to change the speed with a brief info bubble popping up to describe what the setting is best for. Unless time-lapse photography is going to be your new hobby, advanced features, including those to change the interval and length, will only be an added hurdle.

I found this option great because, ultimately, it was uncomplicated and had the benefit of already being integrated into the way that I currently take photos and store them on my phone.

4 Stop Motion Cartoon Maker

As the name suggests, this is an app built for stop-motion animation. The secret is that stop-motion uses the same method as time-lapse videos, which is capturing photos one by one and stitching them into a single video to show small changes over time.

Stop Motion has a handful of really fantastic features that are perfect for time-lapse photography. The overlay feature is one I really enjoy. It shows you the last photo taken on top of the current frame, which made me immediately try slow panning inside the time-lapse, great for shifting the camera view across a horizon, for example.

That's not the only part of this app that encourages creativity either. All shots appear in the editing timeline when you hit stop. At this point, you can start recording again to add more frames or scrub through and delete individual frames. Sometimes you might get a person wandering into the scene you are shooting, so having this option is a great solution if you're after a perfect sequence.

The user interface is very pleasing overall. Couple that with a noticeable lack of intrusive ads, and it's an undercover time-lapse app I wouldn't hesitate to reach for.

Download: Stop Motion Cartoon Maker for Android | iOS (Free, in-app purchases available)

5 PowerDirector

This app is actually a great mobile video editor in its own right, but I've included it because it can produce a time-lapse result out of video you've already captured.

In my case, I am far more likely to hit record on my camera before reaching for a time-lapse app. I don't want to miss out on the moment because I was calculating the right time-lapse settings! So reverse engineering, a time-lapse after I've recorded what I need, is one way to solve my problem.

The process is easy; upload your video, click on it in the timeline, then look for the speed controls. By speeding the clip up, you can get an effect that is close to a true time-lapse, ready to share online.

Editing videos on your mobile device offers plenty of convenience. If you're an iOS user, there are plenty of great video editing apps for iPhone or iPad you can pick up for free.

Download: PowerDirector for Android | iPhone (Free, in-app purchases available)

These five time-lapse apps each have their own perks. Whether you prioritize ease of use or advanced features, there's an app here that will work for you.