# Countdown with widget vs Upcoming

The clearest difference is monetization model: Countdown with widget at free with in-app purchases against Upcoming's subscription. Countdown with widget also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 40). Upcoming's advantage is review sentiment (57% vs 27%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown with widget sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Upcoming sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Upcoming holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown with widget has 2.1K ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Countdown with widget's written reviews are positive against 57% of Upcoming's.

Countdown with widget ships an update every 5 weeks, Upcoming every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown with widget | Upcoming |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-with-widget/id1141938747/reviews) | **[4.7 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upcoming-countdown-widget/id6444080645/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 40 |
| Positive reviews | 27.2% of reviews | **56.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 57 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Carolina Platti](https://appshunter.io/developer/1135578066) | [Kok Keong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1643079389) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown with widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-with-widget/id1141938747)

Create beautiful, customizable countdowns to or from important dates. Share live countdown websites with loved ones and add notes, to-do lists, and reminders. Enjoy your waiting experience with widgets and extensive customization options.

**Highlights:** Create countdowns in seconds, Add notes, to-dos, and reminders, Share live countdown websites, Customizable countdown decorations, Home and lock screen widgets, Thousands of premium wallpapers

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ∞ Event Countdown timers | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Countdown app + | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Countdown days until - 365 | $14.99 | per year |
| Full access for 1 year | $19.99 | per year |
| Purchase Website for a single countdown | $0.99 | one-time |
| Purchase all wallpapers | $1.99 | one-time |
| Purchase premium Frames | $19.99 | one-time |
| Count down ∞ | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful countdown tool
- 🚀 Customizable backgrounds
- 👍 Great for events and holidays

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires paid subscription to access full features
- 🔒 Lack of offline functionality
- 🔒 Limited customization options without paying
- 🐛 Bugs with widget and countdown display

**Reported bugs**

- Countdown display issues
- Trouble cancelling subscription
- Unexpected charges after uninstalling

**Requested features**

- Add ability to use own photos as backgrounds
- Improve widget functionality and display
- Add option to exclude weekends from countdown
- Expand selection of background images and themes


### Upcoming

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upcoming-countdown-widget/id6444080645)

Track important dates with a customizable countdown widget. Visualize your progress towards goals, events, or holidays with daily updates. Stay motivated and focused by seeing how much time remains until your next milestone.

**Highlights:** Daily countdown tracking, Customizable icons and colors, Event card styling, Motivation for goal completion, Sense of urgency for tasks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Yearly | $11.49 | per year |
| Lifetime - Early Bird Discount | $5.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $20.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown with widget free?

Countdown with widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Upcoming free?

Upcoming is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown with widget or Upcoming?

Upcoming is rated higher. Countdown with widget averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Upcoming averages 4.7 from 40 ratings.

### Do Countdown with widget or Upcoming have ads?

Upcoming shows ads; Countdown with widget does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown with widget or Upcoming?

Countdown with widget ships an update every 5 weeks, and Upcoming every 2 months. Most recently, Countdown with widget was updated on September 22, 2026 and Upcoming on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*