# Countdown List vs Secret Diary

The clearest difference is rating: Secret Diary at 5.0 against Countdown List's 4.5. Secret Diary also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (70% vs 57%). Countdown List's advantage is ratings volume (18 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown List sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Secret Diary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Secret Diary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown List has 18 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Countdown List's written reviews are positive against 70% of Secret Diary's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown List | Secret Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-list-days-matter/id1445695078/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-password-notes/id6445909382/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | **70.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [志翔 赵](https://appshunter.io/developer/572200463) | [伟 葛](https://appshunter.io/developer/1028908732) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown List

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-list-days-matter/id1445695078)

Easily track important dates, anniversaries, and countdowns with flexible reminders and notes. Organize events with tags and sub-events, and view time in multiple dimensions. Sync and back up your data across devices.

**Highlights:** Event countdowns and anniversaries, Flexible reminders with notifications, Notes and sub-events for details, Multiple time display methods, Multi-device sync and backup, Event list widget

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads + Pro | $1.99 | one-time |


### Secret Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secret-diary-password-notes/id6445909382)

Securely record your daily life and protect your privacy with this easy-to-use digital journal. Customize entries with beautiful fonts and quickly find past notes using content search. It offers password protection for exclusive access.

**Highlights:** Password protection, Secure diary entries, Customizable fonts, Content search, User-friendly interface, Privacy protection

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown List free?

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

### Is Secret Diary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown List or Secret Diary?

Secret Diary is rated higher. Countdown List averages 4.5 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Secret Diary averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Countdown List or Secret Diary have ads?

Countdown List shows ads; Secret Diary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown List or Secret Diary?

Countdown List ships an update every 3 months, and Secret Diary every 3 months. Most recently, Countdown List was updated on October 24, 2026 and Secret Diary on October 7, 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.*