Free Online Stopwatch
A precise stopwatch with lap times.
What is the Online Stopwatch?
When you need to time something right now — a workout set, a cooking step, a focus sprint — hunting for a physical stopwatch or fumbling through a phone app breaks your flow. A stopwatch that's just there, in the browser, starts the moment you do.
This online stopwatch times to the hundredth of a second, records lap splits, and keeps counting accurately even when the tab is in the background.
Last updated: Aug 13, 2026
What does this tool do?
You press Start and it counts up with millisecond precision; Stop pauses it and Resume continues from where you left off.
Press Lap to capture a split — each lap shows both its own duration and the total elapsed time — and Reset clears everything.
Key features
Precise timing
Counts to the hundredth of a second.
Lap splits
Record and compare lap times.
Resume
Stop and pick up where you left off.
Background-safe
Stays accurate in an inactive tab.
No setup
Open and press Start.
Example
Common use cases
- Athletes — Time sets, sprints and rest periods.
- Coaches — Record lap splits for training.
- Cooks — Time steps precisely.
- Students — Time study and focus sessions.
- Speakers — Keep a talk on schedule.
- Gamers — Time speedruns and attempts.
- Scientists — Time simple experiments.
- Anyone timing something — A stopwatch in one click.
Benefits
- It's always available, no app to install.
- Lap splits let you compare segments.
- It resumes so a pause doesn't lose your time.
- It stays accurate even in a background tab.
Tips
- Use Lap to compare pace across segments.
- Resume keeps your total after a Stop.
- Keep the tab open; timing survives a background tab.
- Reset clears both the clock and the lap list.
- For counting down instead, use a countdown timer.
- Pair with a spreadsheet to log lap times.
- The hundredths help compare very close splits.
- Full-screen the tab for a big, readable display.
Common mistakes to avoid
Expecting a countdown
Fix: This counts up; use a countdown timer to count down to zero.
Resetting instead of stopping
Fix: Use Stop to pause and keep the time; Reset erases it.
Closing the tab mid-timing
Fix: Keep the tab open — closing it ends the session.
Missing a lap
Fix: Tap Lap before Stop to capture the final split.
How it works
- 1
Press Start
Timing begins immediately.
- 2
Record laps
Tap Lap to capture splits.
- 3
Stop or reset
Pause, resume or clear anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Press Lap while running to record split times, each showing both the lap duration and total elapsed time.
It tracks real elapsed time from timestamps, so it stays accurate even if the tab is in the background.
Yes. Press Lap while running to capture splits, each showing the lap duration and the total elapsed time.
It measures real elapsed time from timestamps, so it stays accurate even if the tab is in the background.
Yes. Stop pauses the clock and the button becomes Resume to continue from the same time.
Minutes and seconds plus hundredths of a second.
No — it counts up. For counting down, use a countdown timer.
No. Timing runs entirely in your browser for the session.
Conclusion
An online stopwatch gives you precise, lap-aware timing in a single click, no app required. Pair it with the countdown timer and time-duration calculator for the rest of your timing needs.