# Away Messages vs Countdown Stack

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Countdown Stack at 100% against Away Messages's 13%. Countdown Stack also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (5.0 vs 1.5). Away Messages's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Countdown Stack is free to download; Away Messages costs $0.99 up front. Countdown Stack sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per month. Away Messages asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown Stack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Away Messages has 121 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Away Messages's written reviews are positive against 100% of Countdown Stack's.

Away Messages ships an update weekly, Countdown Stack every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Away Messages | Countdown Stack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.5 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/away-messages/id1161989522/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-stack/id6745722215/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **121** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Michael Wildermuth](https://appshunter.io/developer/481933080) | [Dmitry Khotinskiy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603030256) |

## What reviewers say

### Away Messages

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/away-messages/id1161989522)

Easily generate professional-looking away messages for various situations like vacations or being out of office. While it doesn't send messages automatically due to iOS limitations, it streamlines the creation process, saving you valuable time.

**Highlights:** Create professional away messages, Set message end dates, Preset and custom message reasons, Select alternative contacts, Save previous settings, Manage custom messages

**In-app purchases:** none


### Countdown Stack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-stack/id6745722215)

Easily track important upcoming events and personal goals. This app provides a clean interface to visualize your milestones, from birthdays to deadlines, across all your Apple devices. Unlock unlimited tracking and advanced features with an in-app purchase.

**Highlights:** Event and goal tracking, Clean and modern interface, Cross-device synchronization, Beautifully displayed countdowns, Unlimited countdowns (in-app purchase)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $0.29 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $2.49 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Away Messages free?

Away Messages costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Countdown Stack free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Away Messages or Countdown Stack?

Countdown Stack is rated higher. Away Messages averages 1.5 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while Countdown Stack averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Away Messages or Countdown Stack have ads?

Neither Away Messages nor Countdown Stack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Away Messages or Countdown Stack?

Away Messages ships an update weekly, and Countdown Stack every 2 months. Most recently, Away Messages was updated on June 11, 2026 and Countdown Stack on September 8, 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.*