LiveSplit Core review
A timer foundation for developers building speedrun integrations across multiple platforms.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
LiveSplit Core is an open-source Rust library for creating speedrun timers, aimed at developers building timer integrations rather than runners looking for a finished desktop timer. Its APIs cover timer control, run and split editing, layouts, rendering, and real-time or game-time timing. The project publishes builds for web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, giving teams a broad range of targets for a custom timer experience.
Language bindings are a key part of its appeal: the project supports C, C++, C#, Java, Kotlin, Swift, Ruby, Python, and JavaScript/TypeScript, with Node.js and WebAssembly support. Generic and software rendering components can support different presentation needs, while hotkeys work across desktop and web targets. An optional WebAssembly auto-splitting runtime adds a route to game-state-based splits, and optional networking can connect with Splits.io. This breadth makes LiveSplit Core more useful as an integration layer than as a narrow timer component.
The tradeoff is the work implied by that flexibility: developers must build the user-facing timer and integrate the library into their application. Documentation is available for Rust and TypeScript developers, and the project is distributed under Apache-2.0 and MIT licenses. There are no published paid plans in the product details; the latest listed release is v0.13.0 from December 2022. LiveSplit Core is a fit for solo or small teams that want to construct a timer around APIs and bindings. Runners who want a ready-to-use timer, or teams seeking a product with a more recent listed release, should consider alternatives.
LiveSplit Core pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Timer control APIs plus run, split, and layout parsing and editing
- Language bindings include C, C++, Java, Python, Swift, and TypeScript
- Optional WebAssembly auto-splitting runtime and Splits.io networking
- Where it doesn't
- A library foundation, not a ready-to-use speedrun timer application
- Integration work is needed to build a complete timer experience
- Latest listed release is v0.13.0 from December 2022
LiveSplit Core fact sheet, pricing and score →
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