# Countdown vs Phantom Countdown

The clearest difference is ads: Phantom Countdown at none against Countdown's shown. Phantom Countdown also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 72%). Countdown's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (186K vs 276). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Phantom Countdown sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 186K ratings behind it against 276, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 83% of Phantom Countdown's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, Phantom Countdown every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Phantom Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (186K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428/reviews)** | [4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phantom-countdown/id1549294840/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **186K** | 276 |
| Positive reviews | 71.9% of reviews | **82.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Find Appiness LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685887104) | [Matthew Sinex](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549294842) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Easily track important dates and events with a customizable countdown timer. Set reminders, organize events with tags, and view upcoming dates on your home screen or Apple Watch. Syncs across devices and offers various counting options.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdown timer, Event reminders, Home screen widgets, Apple Watch support, Event sharing, iCloud sync, Repeatable countdowns

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start 7-Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Countdown Widget Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Widget | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🎨 Customizable colors and emojis
- ⏰ Accurate countdown tracking
- 🔔 Helpful reminders and notifications
- 💰 One-time payment for premium features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Paid widget feature
- 🔍 Lack of instructions/guidance
- 🔀 Inconsistent countdown display on widget
- 📅 Limited repeat options for events
- 🖼️ No option to use custom photos

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not updating automatically
- Countdown display issues after iOS 14 update
- Inability to delete archived events

**Requested features**

- Add ability to count up from past events
- Provide more date/time format options
- Implement calendar view for all events
- Allow custom backgrounds for widgets
- Add support for weekly/monthly repeating events


### Phantom Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phantom-countdown/id1549294840)

This free utility app helps fans of a popular JRPG series track upcoming events. Create and customize multiple countdowns, display them on your home screen with widgets, and choose from built-in or custom themes. Countdowns update daily, offering flexible tracking by date, number of days, or unknown dates.

**Highlights:** Multiple countdown creation, Home screen widgets, Customizable themes, Automatic daily updates, Flexible date tracking

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Level 1 Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Level 5 Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Level 25 Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Level 50 Tip | $24.99 | one-time |
| Level 99 Tip | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Persona-themed countdown
- 👍 Customizable themes and colors
- 🎨 Stylish and visually appealing
- 📆 Helpful for tracking deadlines and events
- 🎮 Captures the Persona aesthetic

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with widget functionality
- 🔧 Issues with changing themes and colors
- 🔒 Lack of transparency in background
- 📊 Limited customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Countdowns disappearing or not saving
- Widgets not displaying properly
- App freezing when changing notification settings
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add countdown to lock screen
- Integrate with calendar app
- Ability to set custom countdown sounds
- Automatic countdown rotation
- More detailed Persona-themed design


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Phantom Countdown free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or Phantom Countdown?

Countdown is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.8 out of 5 from 186K ratings, while Phantom Countdown averages 4.6 from 276 ratings.

### Do Countdown or Phantom Countdown have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Phantom Countdown does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Phantom Countdown?

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, and Phantom Countdown every 2 months. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 25, 2026 and Phantom Countdown on September 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.*