# Countdown Widget Maker vs Countdown Buddy

The clearest difference is update cadence: Countdown Buddy at every 9 days against Countdown Widget Maker's every 2 months. Countdown Buddy also leads on ratings volume (25K vs 5.6K). Countdown Widget Maker's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 68%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, 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 Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 Countdown Widget Maker against 4.6 for Countdown Buddy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.6K and 25K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Countdown Widget Maker's written reviews are positive against 68% of Countdown Buddy's.

Countdown Widget Maker ships an update every 2 months, Countdown Buddy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Widget Maker | Countdown Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-maker/id1189515875/reviews)** | [4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5.6K | **25K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 67.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 94 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tien Long Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/932711659) | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) |

## 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


### Countdown Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579)

Create personalized countdown and count-up widgets for your home and lock screens. Visually track important dates like birthdays, vacations, or deadlines with custom designs, colors, and photos. Stay motivated and make waiting more exciting.

**Highlights:** Personalized countdown widgets, Count-up widgets, Home screen and lock screen support, Customizable designs, Background color options, Photo integration, Font selection

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown + | $3.59 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app overall
- 👍 Customizable widgets and designs
- 🔒 No subscription, one-time purchase
- 📈 Helpful for tracking events and milestones
- 🎨 Visually appealing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay for more
- 🐛 Widgets not updating properly
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 📊 Lack of advanced countdown options (e.g., weeks)

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets disappearing or not working after updates
- Countdown timers not updating correctly
- Inability to add new widgets or countdowns

**Requested features**

- Add ability to display multiple countdowns at once
- Implement automatic countdown reset/repeat functionality
- Allow custom countdown units (e.g., weeks, business days)
- Improve widget handling and update reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Widget Maker free?

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

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Widget Maker or Countdown Buddy?

Countdown Widget Maker is rated higher. Countdown Widget Maker averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 from 25K ratings.

### Do Countdown Widget Maker or Countdown Buddy have ads?

Neither Countdown Widget Maker nor Countdown Buddy shows ads.

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

Countdown Widget Maker ships an update every 2 months, and Countdown Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, Countdown Widget Maker was updated on September 25, 2026 and Countdown Buddy on September 26, 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.*