# Countdown vs Time’s Up!

The clearest difference is ads: Time’s Up! at none against Countdown's shown. Time’s Up! also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 72%) and device support (5 vs 3). Countdown's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (186K vs 435). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Time’s Up! sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 435, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 84% of Time’s Up!'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, Time’s Up! every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Time’s Up! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (186K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428/reviews)** | [4.6 (435 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-up-visual-timer/id1550456653/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **186K** | 435 |
| Positive reviews | 71.9% of reviews | **84.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Find Appiness LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685887104) | [Overdesigned, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/914665832) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

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

**Currently charting:** #32 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


### Time’s Up!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-up-visual-timer/id1550456653)

This app offers a fun and engaging way to track time with visually appealing countdowns. It's perfect for managing tasks, study sessions, or bedtime routines for both children and adults. Choose from unique visual styles or traditional clocks, and customize alerts for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Visual countdown styles (Reveal, Pixelate, Puzzle), Customizable alert sounds and colors, iCloud timer syncing across devices, Live Activities for Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, Guided Access for child lock, AirPlay and tvOS support for TV display, Minute-by-minute audio updates

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time’s Up! Unlimited | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with time blindness
- 👍 Simple and intuitive UI
- 👍 Customizable timer settings
- 👍 Useful for ADHD and autism
- 👍 Great for classrooms and kids

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🔒 Paywall after limited free usage
- 🔒 Lack of flexibility in timer settings
- 🔒 Cannot move timer window freely

**Reported bugs**

- Hotkey functionality broken after update
- Timer not working after app update
- No sound at the end of timer

**Requested features**

- Allow longer timer durations
- Add ability to set multiple timers
- Improve customization options
- Provide more sound/alert options
- Add child-proof timer lock feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Time’s Up! free?

Time’s Up! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or Time’s Up!?

Countdown is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.8 out of 5 from 186K ratings, while Time’s Up! averages 4.6 from 435 ratings.

### Do Countdown or Time’s Up! have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Time’s Up! does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Time’s Up!?

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, and Time’s Up! every 6 weeks. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 24, 2026 and Time’s Up! on September 23, 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.*