Polygon’s coverage of the Werster vs Magpie Pokemon Emerald Battle Factory row sat squarely on one detail: the timing evidence. Verified speedruns hinge on a deterministic timer plus an auto-splitter that nobody can argue with. A few seconds of unaccounted-for time in a category record is the difference between an accepted run and a community challenge.
We tested six PC speedrun timer apps in 2026. The picks below cover LiveSplit (still the de facto standard on Windows), the open-source Linux port, the cross-platform LiveSplit One, the AutoSplit image-matching companion, the BizHawk auto-splitter for emulated runs, and the native Mac alternative.
What to look for in a speedrun timer
- Atomic-clock sync. Local PC clocks drift; a serious timer corrects against an atomic clock source on every split. LiveSplit does this by default.
- Auto-splitter support. Image comparison, memory reads, or game-event hooks remove manual key presses, which removes a class of timing argument. Auto-splitting is what most leaderboards require for runs above a certain rank.
- speedrun.com integration. Direct submit-and-pull leaderboards on the timer mean less moving back and forth between OBS, the timer, and a browser.
- Layout flexibility. Streams want a transparent layout, splits, sum of best, and pace comparison. A timer that locks the layout is a non-starter for content creators.
- Resource cost. The timer runs alongside the game. Anything that eats 5%+ of a CPU thread on a baseline rig is too heavy.
Quick comparison
| App | OS | Auto-splitter | speedrun.com integration | Open source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveSplit | Windows | Yes (ASL scripts, WASM) | Yes | Yes |
| LiveSplit One | Windows, macOS, Linux, web | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| AutoSplit | Windows | Image comparison only | Via LiveSplit | Yes |
| LibreSplit | Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BizHawk | Windows, Linux | Built-in for emulator runs | Indirect | Yes |
| Splitter | macOS | Limited | Yes | No (commercial) |
The 6 best PC speedrun timer apps
1. LiveSplit — best on Windows
LiveSplit is the speedrunning community standard on Windows. It ships with a long list of layout components (sum of best, pace, previous segment, possible time save), full speedrun.com integration, atomic-clock sync, and a deep auto-splitter library spanning ASL scripts and the newer WASM module format. Splits drop into OBS as a Browser source or a windowed capture.
Where it falls short: Windows-only. The official UI looks dated; the in-development LiveSplit One is the modern rewrite.
Pricing: Free and open source (Apache 2.0).
Platforms: Windows 7 and newer.
Download: livesplit.org · GitHub
Bottom line: The default pick for any Windows speedrunner.
2. LiveSplit One — best cross-platform option
LiveSplit One is the next-generation LiveSplit rewrite in Rust. It runs as a native app on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, plus a web build that works on a Steam Deck without installation. The 2026 release adds full layout editing parity with LiveSplit Classic and stable auto-splitter loading.
Where it falls short: Some legacy ASL auto-splitters do not yet ship in the WASM-only LSO build. The component list still trails the original.
Pricing: Free and open source (Apache 2.0).
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, web.
Download: one.livesplit.org · GitHub
Bottom line: The best LiveSplit experience on macOS, Linux, or Steam Deck.
3. AutoSplit — best image-based auto-splitter
AutoSplit is a companion app that drives LiveSplit by comparing pixels in a capture region against a reference image. It is the right tool for games that do not have a memory-based auto-splitter, including GBA games like Pokemon Emerald that run inside an emulator. The 2026 release added per-split image lists and an improved capture region picker.
Where it falls short: False positives happen on games with similar-looking transition scenes. The user has to tune comparison thresholds per split.
Pricing: Free and open source (GPL-3).
Platforms: Windows.
Download: github.com/Toufool/AutoSplit
Bottom line: The tool of choice when the game has no memory-side hooks.
4. LibreSplit — best for Linux
LibreSplit is the Linux speedrun timer with the same atomic-clock accuracy, load removal, and auto-splitting that LiveSplit ships on Windows. It uses LiveSplit’s split file format, so existing splits transfer cleanly.
Where it falls short: No Windows or macOS build. The community is smaller, so niche auto-splitter coverage is thinner.
Pricing: Free and open source (GPL-3).
Platforms: Linux.
Download: github.com/wins1ey/LibreSplit
Bottom line: The first install on any Linux speedrunning rig.
5. BizHawk — best for emulator categories
BizHawk is a multi-system emulator with TAS (tool-assisted speedrun) features and a built-in frame-counter that doubles as a speedrun timer for emulator categories. It is the right pick when the rules require exact frame counts (RTA-frame-count categories on speedrun.com), and it powers most of the auto-splitting on classic GBA, NES, and SNES runs.
Where it falls short: Not a general speedrun timer. Real-time categories that span multiple games still need LiveSplit alongside.
Pricing: Free and open source.
Platforms: Windows 7+ with .NET 6, Linux via Mono.
Download: tasvideos.org/BizHawk · GitHub
Bottom line: The emulator-side speedrun standard, especially for Pokemon and retro categories.
6. Splitter — best on macOS
Splitter is a paid, fully native macOS speedrun timer that runs on Apple silicon and uses LiveSplit-Core under the hood. The split file format is interchangeable with LiveSplit, so runners switching between machines do not lose splits.
Where it falls short: Paid app, no free tier. Auto-splitter support is thinner than LiveSplit or LibreSplit.
Pricing: $9.99 one-time on the Mac App Store.
Platforms: macOS 11 Big Sur and newer.
Download: apps.apple.com — Splitter Speedrun Timer
Bottom line: The cleanest native macOS option. Most Mac runners use LiveSplit One instead because it is free.
How to pick the right one
- On Windows, single game, leaderboard runs: LiveSplit. There is no second-best.
- On macOS or Linux, with broad system support: LiveSplit One.
- On Linux specifically, with native packaging: LibreSplit.
- Image-driven auto-splitting for any game on Windows: AutoSplit plus LiveSplit.
- Pokemon, NES, SNES, or any other emulator category: BizHawk plus a real-time timer.
- macOS users who want a native app and do not mind paying: Splitter.
- Skip all of this if you are not submitting runs to a leaderboard. The phone’s built-in stopwatch works for personal pace tracking.
FAQ
Why use LiveSplit instead of a phone stopwatch? Phone stopwatches drift by milliseconds per minute. LiveSplit auto-corrects against an atomic clock, supports auto-splitting, and emits a stream-ready overlay that leaderboards require above a certain category rank.
Can I run LiveSplit on a Steam Deck? LiveSplit Classic runs through Proton, but most Steam Deck runners use LiveSplit One as a web app or native build, which avoids the Wine compatibility layer entirely.
Does AutoSplit work with emulators? Yes, image comparison reads whatever is on screen, including BizHawk or RetroArch output. It is the standard way of auto-splitting GBA categories like Pokemon Emerald.
Are auto-splitters considered cheating? No. Auto-splitters automate the split key press; they do not modify the game. They are encouraged by speedrun.com and required for many ranked categories. The Pokemon Emerald row in 2026 was about game-side cheating, not timer automation.
Do I need to pay anything? LiveSplit, LiveSplit One, AutoSplit, LibreSplit, and BizHawk are all free and open source. Only Splitter for macOS is a paid app.
