VALD Smartspeed Alternative: How does Timing Mate Compare?
If you’re looking for VALD Smartspeed alternatives, then you’re in the right place. VALD Smartspeed and Timing Mate are both great products with fantastic features. They both help you to achieve reliable and accurate results for measuring speed, agility and reactivity but at different price points.
What’s the difference between VALD Smartspeed and Timing Mate?
Short answer: Affordable Precision.
VALD Smartspeed consists of two models: Smartspeed PLUS and Smartspeed DASH.
Timing Mate and VALD Smartspeed’s offerings can overlap in some segments of the market, but thrive in very different use cases. VALD Smartspeed provides a resolution of 1/1000th of a second while Timing Mate provides resolution of 1/100th of a second.
By offering 1/100th of a second precision we are able to meet the demands of diverse training environments ensuring reliable performance tailored to both your athletic and budget requirements.
If you have a niche use case that requires precision beyond the capabilities of 1/100th of a second, then VALD Smartspeed may be a good choice.
Three reasons why customers use Timing Mate over VALD Smartspeed
We’ve condensed 3 reasons that explain why you might consider Timing Mate to be a better alternative to VALD Smartspeed.
1. You own the hardware
At Timing Mate our purchase options are simple. Once you buy the hardware you own it.
We have two app offerings:
- Free Personal App
- Cloud-based TEAMS App
(Click here to view the Timing Mate Teams vs Timing Mate Personal comparison)
The TEAMS app provides a much more convenient way to test and train multiple athletes in a session but does have a small monthly fee.
VALD Smartspeed runs on a 3-year fixed subscription/lease model. You never own the hardware.
2. Affordability
A weekly payment of $25/week per gate can sound affordable but the costs quickly add up over a 3-year fixed term.
We have included a case study below for a small business owner interested in purchasing 3 timing gates to upgrade athletic performance for their facility.
The facility is using the Timing Mate Teams SILVER plan ($25/month for small business).
Note: Prices are current as of January 2024 and in $AUD.
| Timing Mate | Vald Smartspeed dash | Vald Smartspeed Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost (First Month) – 3 Gates | $999 | $270 | $420 |
| Monthly Hardware Fee | $0 | $120 | $300 |
| Monthly TEAMS subscription | $25 | $0 | $0 |
| Cost after 6 Months | $1,124 | $990 | $2,220 |
| Cost after 1 Year | $1,274 | $1,590 | $3,665 |
| Cost After 2 Years | $1,574 | $3,030 | $7,205 |
| Cost After 3 Years | $1,874 | $4,470 | $10,745 |
3. No reflector needed
Timing Mate is currently the only laser-based timing gate system on the market that does not require a reflector to use. No more hassles with aligning reflectors and wasting time, you can get training or testing athletes faster!
We are on a mission to make high-performance sports tech affordable.
Timing Mate
NOTE: If VALD Smartspeed gets an update and this article becomes outdated, please email us and we will update it.