Online Stopwatch
Start, stop and lap a precise stopwatch in your browser — for workouts, study, cooking and timing anything.
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
About the Online Stopwatch
An online stopwatch measures elapsed time, counting up from zero so you can see exactly how long something takes. Start it when you begin, stop it when you finish, and read the precise time — with lap recording to capture splits along the way. It runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install and it works on any device.
Stopwatches are the tool for measuring rather than limiting time. Athletes and coaches time runs and rounds, students and workers track how long tasks really take, and the lap function records individual segments — laps of a track, sets in a workout, or stages of a process — without stopping the overall count. Seeing real elapsed times often reveals that tasks take longer (or shorter) than they feel.
Start, stop, reset and lap with simple controls, free and without signup. Whether you are timing exercise, a presentation rehearsal, cooking, or just curious how long something takes, the stopwatch keeps an accurate count in the background.
Looking for more options? Open the full Stopwatch — it’s the same tool with every feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use the online stopwatch?
Click start to begin counting up from zero, stop to pause, and reset to clear it. Use the lap button to record split times without stopping the overall count. It runs in your browser with no installation needed.
What is the lap function for?
Laps record individual time segments while the stopwatch keeps running — useful for timing each lap of a run, each set in a workout, or each stage of a task. You get both the split times and the total elapsed time.
What is the difference between a stopwatch and a timer?
A stopwatch counts up from zero to measure how long something takes, while a timer counts down from a set duration and alerts you when it ends. Use a stopwatch to measure elapsed time, and a timer to limit time to a target.
Understanding Stopwatches
Measuring elapsed time
A stopwatch counts upward from zero, recording exactly how much time passes between starting and stopping. This makes it the right tool whenever you need to know a duration rather than count down to a deadline — timing a run, a process, or how long a task actually takes, often with surprising and useful results.
What laps add
The lap (or split) function records intermediate times without interrupting the running total, so you can capture each segment of an activity. Runners see each lap’s pace, workouts log each set, and multi-stage processes get timed step by step — all while the overall clock keeps counting, giving both the parts and the whole.
Stopwatch versus timer
Stopwatches and timers are complementary: the stopwatch measures time elapsed (counting up), while the timer limits time (counting down to an alert). Knowing which you need is simple — reach for a stopwatch to find out how long something takes, and a timer when you want to keep something within a set duration.