# Simply Birthdays Countdown vs Upcoming

The clearest difference is monetization model: Simply Birthdays Countdown at free with in-app purchases against Upcoming's subscription. Simply Birthdays Countdown also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Upcoming's advantage is ratings volume (40 vs 4). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simply Birthdays Countdown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Upcoming sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simply Birthdays Countdown holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upcoming has 40 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Simply Birthdays Countdown's written reviews are positive against 57% of Upcoming's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simply Birthdays Countdown | Upcoming |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simply-birthdays-countdown/id1369492469/reviews)** | [4.7 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upcoming-countdown-widget/id6444080645/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **40** |
| Positive reviews | **60.0% of reviews** | 56.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 12 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [George Cook](https://appshunter.io/developer/1369492468) | [Kok Keong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1643079389) |

## 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 |


### Upcoming

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upcoming-countdown-widget/id6444080645)

Track important dates with a customizable countdown widget. Visualize your progress towards goals, events, or holidays with daily updates. Stay motivated and focused by seeing how much time remains until your next milestone.

**Highlights:** Daily countdown tracking, Customizable icons and colors, Event card styling, Motivation for goal completion, Sense of urgency for tasks

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Yearly | $11.49 | per year |
| Lifetime - Early Bird Discount | $5.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $20.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simply Birthdays Countdown free?

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

### Is Upcoming free?

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

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

Simply Birthdays Countdown is rated higher. Simply Birthdays Countdown averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Upcoming averages 4.7 from 40 ratings.

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

Upcoming shows ads; Simply Birthdays Countdown does not.

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

Simply Birthdays Countdown ships an update every 2 months, and Upcoming every 2 months. Most recently, Simply Birthdays Countdown was updated on October 14, 2026 and Upcoming on October 18, 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.*