Comparison

Looking FWD vs Countdown Widget & Counter

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Looking FWD

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
Read full description

Life’s happy moments. Count down to yours. Looking FWD is a colourful calendar for counting down to the things that make life special. From big birthdays and weddings to holidays, concerts and your next pay day, keep everything you’re excited about in one happy place. Enjoy the anticipation, see what’s coming next and be ready when the day arrives. • Make every countdown yours Bring your events to life with emojis, photos and colours. Create your own categories for the people, plans and occasions that matter to you. • See the good things ahead Explore upcoming events in your calendar and watch the days count down. Choose your countdown style and add progress rings to see each moment getting closer. • Celebrate the milestones Keep birthdays and anniversaries together, with ages and special milestones highlighted so the big ones stand out. • Put happy moments on your Home Screen Add customisable Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets to keep your favourite countdowns in sight without opening the app. • Turn anticipation into preparation Set reminders and add checklists to your events. Keep gift ideas, holiday packing and plans for the big day right beside the countdown. • Add events with less effort Import from Contacts and Calendar, explore suggested events, or type naturally with on-device AI Smart Entry on supported devices. • Keep everything together Sync your events across your Apple devices with iCloud. Enjoy light and dark appearances, and keep private event categories behind authentication. Whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime celebration or a little treat at the end of the week, give yourself something to look forward to. What are you Looking FWD to? -- Subscription -- Looking FWD requires a subscription to access the features described above. Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period at the price of your selected plan. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Terms of Service: https://www.johnmackay.dev/#terms Privacy Policy: https://www.johnmackay.dev/#privacy -- Support -- Need a hand? Use Email Support in the app’s Help section to get in touch.

About

Countdown Widget & Counter

Create customizable widgets to track upcoming events directly on your home screen. Visualize your countdowns with beautiful designs, icons, and color gradients. Receive real-time notifications for important dates.

Highlights
  • Live countdown widgets
  • Customizable widget templates
  • Event editor with live preview
  • Color gradients
  • Over 50 icons
  • Real-time push notifications
Features
Read full description

Keep an eye on your upcoming events - directly on your Home Screen! Create minimalistic widgets that countdown to the big day.   The widgets in Widget Studio are highly customizable and clean-designed, so that nothing distracts your focus from the concert, your best friend‘s birthday or whatever you‘re currently looking forward to! It‘s quick, easy, and looks awesome. Welcome to Widget Studio. So, what do we have here? - Powerful event editor with live preview - Multiple customizable widget templates for iPhone & iPad - Beautiful color gradients for your Home Screen - Over 50 different icons to choose from - Real time push notifications for your events - Full support for Voice Over and Dynamic Type - Live countdown widgets Info: Most of the app's content is free. Some selected features require the purchase of a full version in the app (recurring annual subscription). We rely on your support to make development possible. Thank you for your understanding! :) Terms of Use (EULA) & Privacy Policy: https://cranberry.app/legal We have put a lot of love into the development of Widget Studio and hope you enjoy it. However, if you have something to complain about, or an exciting idea for future updates or additional apps of Widget Studio, please feel free to contact us at any time via support@cranberry.app. We are looking forward to your message. Take care!

Screenshots

Looking FWD4 screens
Countdown Widget & Counter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Countdown Widget & Counter at 4.6 against Looking FWD's 4.0. Countdown Widget & Counter also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 32). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Looking FWD sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per 7 days and Countdown Widget & Counter sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Countdown Widget & Counter holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Widget & Counter has 2.4K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Looking FWD's written reviews are positive against 76% of Countdown Widget & Counter's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Looking FWD ships an update every 2 weeks, Countdown Widget & Counter every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Looking FWD versus Countdown Widget & Counter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLooking FWDCountdown Widget & Counter
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (32 ratings)4.6 (2.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews75.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings322.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size220 MB160 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn MackaySovereign Apps LLC

Customer experience

Looking FWD

All ratings32 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral3.1%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%

Countdown Widget & Counter

All ratings2,425 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.2%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews922 reviews
Positive75.8%
Neutral8.9%
Negative15.3%

Bugs and requests

Looking FWD

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Countdown Widget & Counter

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Time calculation isn't correct
  • Widget and in-app display show different days remaining
  • Widget goes blank after phone restart
  • Countdowns freeze or count up unexpectedly
  • Paid version still shows ads
Show 2 more
  • Widgets disappear after iOS updates
  • App loses all user data after updates

Requested features

11 requests
  • Better integration with calendar and reminder API
  • Ability to rearrange events in the countdown list
  • Option to default 'What's Next' to user's choice
  • Larger photo frame in widget
  • Ability to group events into categories
Show 6 more
  • Option to change font
  • Ability to select an emoji for icons
  • Notification times for events
  • Ability to select the countdown unit (weeks/months)
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Looking FWD

Subscriptions3
  • Unlock Looking FWD3 Days trial$0.297 Days
  • Unlock Looking FWD3 Days trial$0.791 Month
  • Unlock Looking FWD3 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock Looking FWD$9.99
10 purchases

Countdown Widget & Counter

Subscriptions8
  • Widget Studio PRO$1.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Widget Studio PRO$4.991 Year
Show 5 more
  • Widget Studio PRO$5.991 Year
  • Widget Studio PRO2 variants$7.991 Year
  • Widget Studio PRO$8.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Widget Studio PRO$12.991 Year
One-time2
  • Widget Studio Pro Lifetime$9.99
  • Widget Studio Pro Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is Looking FWD free?
Looking FWD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Countdown Widget & Counter free?
Countdown Widget & Counter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Looking FWD or Countdown Widget & Counter?
Countdown Widget & Counter is rated higher. Looking FWD averages 4.0 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Countdown Widget & Counter averages 4.6 from 2.4K ratings.
Do Looking FWD or Countdown Widget & Counter have ads?
Neither Looking FWD nor Countdown Widget & Counter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Looking FWD or Countdown Widget & Counter?
Looking FWD ships an update every 2 weeks, and Countdown Widget & Counter every 3 weeks. Most recently, Looking FWD was updated on October 24, 2026 and Countdown Widget & Counter on October 29, 2026.

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