# Countdown Widget Maker vs Looking FWD

The clearest difference is rating: Countdown Widget Maker at 4.7 against Looking FWD's 4.0. Countdown Widget Maker also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (5.6K vs 32). Looking FWD's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Widget Maker sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 3 months and Looking FWD sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown Widget Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Widget Maker has 5.6K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Countdown Widget Maker's written reviews are positive against 63% of Looking FWD's.

Countdown Widget Maker ships an update every 2 months, Looking FWD every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Widget Maker | Looking FWD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-maker/id1189515875/reviews)** | [4.0 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/looking-fwd-event-countdown/id1232672943/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.6K** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 94 MB | 242 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tien Long Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/932711659) | [John Mackay](https://appshunter.io/developer/993038359) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown Widget Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-maker/id1189515875)

Customize and track important life events directly on your home and lock screens. This app offers various widget styles and timer functionalities to help you manage and share countdowns for birthdays, holidays, and more.

**Highlights:** Home screen widgets, Lock screen widgets, StandBy widgets, Customizable widget styles, Timer and count up functionality, Event reminders, Photo and emoji customization

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Three months subscription | $3.99 | per 3 months |
| Monthly subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| One year subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Baby arrivals countdown widget | $0.99 | one-time |
| Christmas countdown | $0.99 | one-time |
| Neon style | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wedding countdown | $0.99 | one-time |
| Birthday countdown | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro version | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime upgrade | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Countdown widget
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Customizable backgrounds and fonts
- 💡 Helpful for tracking important dates
- 🎉 Fun and exciting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall for many features
- 🔒 Limited free options
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🤔 Confusing subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not displaying correctly
- Countdown units not working as expected
- Purchased features not unlocking properly

**Requested features**

- More free widget and theme options
- Ability to display countdown in different units (weeks, months, etc.)
- Notification/reminder system for countdown events
- Sorting and organizing multiple countdowns


### Looking FWD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/looking-fwd-event-countdown/id1232672943)

Track upcoming events with a customizable countdown. Add photos, emojis, and checklists to your events. View upcoming events on your home screen with widgets. Syncs securely across devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Customizable event countdowns, Event reminders, Home screen widgets, Photo and emoji customization, Checklists for events, iCloud sync across devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Looking FWD | $0.29 | per 7 days |
| Unlock Looking FWD | $0.79 | per month |
| Unlock Looking FWD | $7.99 | per year |
| Unlock Looking FWD | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Widget Maker free?

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

### Is Looking FWD free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Widget Maker or Looking FWD?

Countdown Widget Maker is rated higher. Countdown Widget Maker averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Looking FWD averages 4.0 from 32 ratings.

### Do Countdown Widget Maker or Looking FWD have ads?

Neither Countdown Widget Maker nor Looking FWD shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Widget Maker or Looking FWD?

Countdown Widget Maker ships an update every 2 months, and Looking FWD every 11 days. Most recently, Countdown Widget Maker was updated on September 28, 2026 and Looking FWD on September 13, 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.*