# Simply Birthdays Countdown vs Bears Countdown

The clearest difference is price: Simply Birthdays Countdown at Free against Bears Countdown's $3.99. Bears Countdown's advantage is review sentiment (89% vs 60%) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 4). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Simply Birthdays Countdown is free to download; Bears Countdown costs $3.99 up front. Simply Birthdays Countdown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Bears Countdown sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Simply Birthdays Countdown against 4.9 for Bears Countdown. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bears Countdown has 2.6K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Simply Birthdays Countdown's written reviews are positive against 89% of Bears Countdown's.

Simply Birthdays Countdown ships an update every 2 months, Bears Countdown monthly. The most recent releases landed on August 29, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simply Birthdays Countdown | Bears Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-birthdays-countdown/id1369492469/reviews)** | [4.9 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bears-countdown/id1536711520/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **89.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#133** |
| Size | 8 MB | 278 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [George Cook](https://appshunter.io/developer/1369492468) | [Isuru Wanasinghe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536711522) |

## What reviewers say

### Simply Birthdays Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-birthdays-countdown/id1369492469)

Discover fun facts about your birthday, including your star sign, birthstone, and Chinese zodiac. Track upcoming celebrations with a countdown and manage contact birthdays easily. Offers a free version with limited birthdays and an option to upgrade for unlimited access.

**Highlights:** Birthday countdowns, Astrology and zodiac facts, Birthstone information, Contact birthday management, Customizable themes, Direct messaging

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $7.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |


### Bears Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bears-countdown/id1536711520)

**Currently charting:** #133 Top Paid · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Beautifully designed countdowns for important events like birthdays, anniversaries, and vacations. Features hand-drawn art, home screen widgets, and the ability to add notes and set intentions for future plans.

**Highlights:** Hand-drawn bear artworks, Home screen widgets (iOS 14), Event notes for details, Past event history, Set intentions for future plans

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dragons | $0.99 | one-time |
| Christmas Apple | $0.99 | one-time |
| Snowman | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vegan Milk | $0.99 | one-time |
| Red Envelopes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Exam | $0.99 | one-time |
| Princess | $0.99 | one-time |
| Meditation | $0.99 | one-time |
| Deliveries | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bears Unlimited | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💖 Cute and aesthetically pleasing design
- 📆 Helpful for keeping track of events and important dates
- 🔍 Useful countdown feature
- 🎨 Wide variety of illustrations and themes
- 💰 One-time purchase for unlimited access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free version (only 5 events)
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific illustrations
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🤖 Limited customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Dates randomly shifting back by a day
- Widget not working properly on macOS Ventura
- Inability to scroll through months and dates on desktop

**Requested features**

- Add ability to set reminders for specific times
- Implement recurring event options (e.g., every 2 weeks)
- Allow syncing between devices
- Introduce a search function for illustrations
- Add support for Apple Watch


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simply Birthdays Countdown free?

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

### Is Bears Countdown free?

Bears Countdown costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simply Birthdays Countdown or Bears Countdown?

Simply Birthdays Countdown is rated higher. Simply Birthdays Countdown averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Bears Countdown averages 4.9 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Simply Birthdays Countdown or Bears Countdown have ads?

Neither Simply Birthdays Countdown nor Bears Countdown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simply Birthdays Countdown or Bears Countdown?

Simply Birthdays Countdown ships an update every 2 months, and Bears Countdown monthly. Most recently, Simply Birthdays Countdown was updated on August 29, 2026 and Bears Countdown on September 29, 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.*