# Countdown vs School Days Counter & Widget

The clearest difference is ads: School Days Counter & Widget at none against Countdown's shown. Countdown's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (72% vs 43%). On price, rating, 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 School Days Counter & Widget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Countdown against 4.8 for School Days Counter & Widget. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 186K ratings behind it against 113, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 43% of School Days Counter & Widget's.

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, School Days Counter & Widget monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | School Days Counter & Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (186K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428/reviews) | [4.8 (113 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-days-counter-and-widget/id6476528951/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **186K** | 113 |
| Positive reviews | **72.0% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#38** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Find Appiness LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685887104) | [Shayes Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/412539504) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

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

**Currently charting:** #38 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


### School Days Counter & Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-days-counter-and-widget/id6476528951)

Track days until important school events like vacations, assignment deadlines, and holidays. Offers customizable countdowns, widgets for quick viewing, and Apple Watch support. Premium features include exclusion lists and calendar import.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdowns/count-ups, Home & Lock Screen Widgets, Apple Watch App & Complications, iCloud Sync, Sharing Options, Exclusion Lists (Premium), Calendar Import (Premium)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is School Days Counter & Widget free?

School Days Counter & Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or School Days Counter & Widget?

Countdown and School Days Counter & Widget are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 186K and 113 ratings respectively.

### Do Countdown or School Days Counter & Widget have ads?

Countdown shows ads; School Days Counter & Widget does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or School Days Counter & Widget?

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, and School Days Counter & Widget monthly. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 28, 2026 and School Days Counter & Widget on September 14, 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.*