# Reader vs Countdown #

The clearest difference is price: Reader at Free against Countdown #'s $0.99. Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Countdown #'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (45 vs 3). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Reader is free to download; Countdown # costs $0.99 up front. Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Countdown # asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown # has 45 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Countdown #'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader | Countdown # |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118/reviews)** | [4.6 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1534330734/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **45** |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Augmented Text Company LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/459748478) | [Khang Le](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078541780) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118)

This app provides a distraction-free reading and annotation experience for PDF documents on iOS. Seamlessly sync your annotated files with your Mac for further editing and workflow integration via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reading, PDF annotation, iCloud sync with Mac, Companion to macOS app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ask AI Subscription | $1.99 | one-time |


### Countdown #

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1534330734)

Keep track of important dates with a stylish countdown. Never miss a vacation, anniversary, or birthday again with customizable reminders and alerts. Features a clean design and useful widgets for easy event management.

**Highlights:** Event countdowns, Customizable widgets, Event sorting, Reminders and alerts, Clean UI/UX design, Icon customization

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader free?

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

### Is Countdown # free?

Countdown # costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Reader or Countdown #?

Reader is rated higher. Reader averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Countdown # averages 4.6 from 45 ratings.

### Do Reader or Countdown # have ads?

Neither Reader nor Countdown # shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reader or Countdown #?

Reader ships an update weekly, and Countdown # weekly. Most recently, Reader was updated on October 1, 2026 and Countdown # on September 28, 2026.

---

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