# Cal Countdown vs Simple Scan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cal Countdown at none against Simple Scan's 2. Cal Countdown also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). Simple Scan's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (660 vs 21). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple Scan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Cal Countdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cal Countdown against 4.9 for Simple Scan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Scan has 660 ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Cal Countdown's written reviews are positive against 87% of Simple Scan's.

Cal Countdown ships an update every 3 months, Simple Scan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cal Countdown | Simple Scan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cal-countdown/id1437604908/reviews)** | [4.9 (660 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scan-quick-scanner/id6477965455/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **660** |
| Positive reviews | **94.7% of reviews** | 87.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 19 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Franck Reyherme](https://appshunter.io/developer/1360894292) | [Agile Tortoise](https://appshunter.io/developer/331942785) |

## 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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Simple Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scan-quick-scanner/id6477965455)

Easily convert paper documents into searchable PDFs or images in seconds. This app offers a streamlined scanning experience without cluttering your existing notes, with options to share directly via email, messages, or other applications. Enjoy private, on-device processing with no ads.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF or JPEG, Searchable PDFs with OCR, Share scans via email, messages, or system share sheet, Custom file destinations, File naming suggestions (Apple Intelligence required), On-device processing, No ads

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro - Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro - Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great interface
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 No ads or privacy concerns
- 💡 Customizable workflows
- 👍 Simple and straightforward

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔧 Cropping could be improved
- 🔧 Inability to name scans before saving

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on multi-page scans for some users
- Issues with importing files from other apps

**Requested features**

- Ability to tag scans
- Favorite file/app destination options
- More image adjustment tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cal Countdown free?

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

### Is Simple Scan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cal Countdown or Simple Scan?

Cal Countdown is rated higher. Cal Countdown averages 5.0 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Simple Scan averages 4.9 from 660 ratings.

### Do Cal Countdown or Simple Scan have ads?

Neither Cal Countdown nor Simple Scan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cal Countdown or Simple Scan?

Cal Countdown ships an update every 3 months, and Simple Scan every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cal Countdown was updated on September 19, 2026 and Simple Scan on September 21, 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.*