# Cal Countdown vs Ellie

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cal Countdown at none against Ellie's 5. Cal Countdown also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Ellie's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 8 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ellie sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Cal Countdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cal Countdown holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 61 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Cal Countdown's written reviews are positive against 88% of Ellie's.

Cal Countdown ships an update every 8 months, Ellie every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cal Countdown | Ellie |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cal-countdown/id1437604908/reviews)** | [4.6 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellie-daily-planner/id1602196200/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **61** |
| Positive reviews | **94.7% of reviews** | 87.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 7 MB | 191 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Franck Reyherme](https://appshunter.io/developer/1360894292) | [AloaLabs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1471824983) |

## What reviewers say

### Cal Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cal-countdown/id1437604908)

This app automatically displays a color-coded countdown to your next calendar event. It's designed for quick glances on your Apple Watch face or iPhone "Today" screen, helping you manage your schedule efficiently without manual calculations.

**Highlights:** Automatic countdown to next calendar event, Color-coded urgency indicators, Apple Watch complication support, iPhone "Today" widget, Calendar data integration, Option to skip specific events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ellie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ellie-daily-planner/id1602196200)

Organize your day with a beautiful task management app. View tasks by day, dump ideas to clear your mind, and schedule them directly into your calendar. Integrates with Google and Apple calendars for a unified view.

**Highlights:** Daily planner view, Brain dump for task offloading, Time block/time box mode, Google Calendar integration, Apple Calendar integration, Labels, recurring tasks, subtasks (Pro)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ellie Pro (Monthly, 50% off) | $4.99 | per month |
| Ellie Pro (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Ellie Pro (Annual, 50% off) | $49.99 | per year |
| Ellie Pro (Annual Plan) | $99.99 | per year |
| Ellie Pro - Lifetime | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Time boxing feature is rare and appreciated
- ✅ Gratifying check done feature
- ✨ Flexible task movement
- 🚀 Fast and responsive developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Tasks disappear when scheduling from Brain Dump
- 🐛 Bugs with editing and moving recurring tasks
- 🐛 Difficulty rearranging tasks (bounce back)
- 🐛 Major problems with the app
- 🐛 Add task button not working

**Reported bugs**

- Tasks disappear when scheduling from Brain Dump
- Editing and moving recurring tasks have bugs
- Rearranging tasks causes them to bounce back
- Add task button not working
- Recurring tasks show multiple times on Google Calendar

**Requested features**

- General note-taking area outside of Brain Dump
- Easier way to add new time slots (e.g., holding on day time box)
- Unfinished tasks/Brain Dump to go back to Brain Dump or a priority folder
- Habit tracker
- Custom repeat periods


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cal Countdown free?

Cal Countdown is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ellie free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cal Countdown or Ellie?

Cal Countdown is rated higher. Cal Countdown averages 5.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Ellie averages 4.6 from 61 ratings.

### Do Cal Countdown or Ellie have ads?

Neither Cal Countdown nor Ellie shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cal Countdown or Ellie?

Cal Countdown ships an update every 8 months, and Ellie every 9 days. Most recently, Cal Countdown was updated on October 6, 2026 and Ellie on October 27, 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.*