# Noel vs Christmas Countdown (2026)

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Christmas Countdown (2026) at 3.5K against Noel's 84. Christmas Countdown (2026) also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (98% vs 80%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Noel sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Christmas Countdown (2026) sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Noel against 4.8 for Christmas Countdown (2026). That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Christmas Countdown (2026) has 3.5K ratings behind it against 84, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Noel's written reviews are positive against 98% of Christmas Countdown (2026)'s.

Noel ships an update every 3 weeks, Christmas Countdown (2026) every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Noel | Christmas Countdown (2026) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noel-christmas-countdown/id1161557247/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-countdown-2026/id1175449517/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 84 | **3.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **97.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 132 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paul Roden II](https://appshunter.io/developer/693041126) | [Jupli](https://appshunter.io/developer/988757514) |

## What reviewers say

### Noel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noel-christmas-countdown/id1161557247)

This app helps you embrace the holiday spirit with a countdown to Christmas, festive recipes, gift ideas, and activity planning. Enjoy carols with built-in music sheets and track your holiday preparations.

**Highlights:** Christmas countdown clock, Advent widget, AI gift ideas, Recipe list, Activity list, Christmas music sheets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noel Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Noel Premium | $29.99 | per year |


### Christmas Countdown (2026)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-countdown-2026/id1175449517)

Track the days until Christmas with a festive snowy countdown. Personalize your experience with various backgrounds and classic holiday music. Unlock daily advent calendar gifts and enjoy an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Snowy countdown screen, Selection of Christmas backgrounds, Classic Christmas music, Daily advent calendar gifts, Ad-free experience, Premium upgrade for widget and more content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (2024) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium (2025) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium (2026) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐️ Excellent Christmas countdown app
- 🎄 Fun and interactive advent calendar
- 🎅 Customizable countdown and backgrounds
- 🎶 Enjoyable Christmas music
- 🎁 Daily gifts and activities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Occasional inaccuracies in countdown timer
- 💰 Some premium features locked behind paywall
- 🔋 Can be a battery drain on devices
- 🎨 Limited free background and music options

**Reported bugs**

- Countdown timer sometimes off by a day
- Music playback issues for some users
- Occasional app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- More free background and music options
- Ability to use own photos for backgrounds
- Additional mini-games and activities
- Countdown for other holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.)
- Improved widget functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Noel free?

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

### Is Christmas Countdown (2026) free?

Christmas Countdown (2026) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Noel or Christmas Countdown (2026)?

Christmas Countdown (2026) is rated higher. Noel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 84 ratings, while Christmas Countdown (2026) averages 4.8 from 3.5K ratings.

### Do Noel or Christmas Countdown (2026) have ads?

Neither Noel nor Christmas Countdown (2026) shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Noel or Christmas Countdown (2026)?

Noel ships an update every 3 weeks, and Christmas Countdown (2026) every 6 days. Most recently, Noel was updated on October 26, 2026 and Christmas Countdown (2026) on October 29, 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.*