Comparison

Purple Visits vs Countdown Bank

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Purple Visits

Connect with loved ones through secure, high-definition video calls. This platform makes family contact easier and more cost-effective than in-person visits, allowing multiple participants to join from various locations.

Highlights
  • Secure video calls
  • High-definition video
  • Up to 3 additional participants
  • Visit from home or work
  • Cost-effective alternative to travel
  • Show loved ones around your home
Features
Read full description

The Purple Visits secure video calling system keeps you and your loved one connected with a fully secure and compliant platform used within secure establishments. Feel closer than a phone call when you’re unable to visit with a fully immersive HD* video calling experience that has been designed to make family contact easier and more cost affective than visiting in person. • Video calls, don’t settle for just hearing them, see them too with a purple visits video call, the whole family can get involved with up to 3 additional participants being verified to accompany you on your video call. • Visit from home, The Purple Visits video calling system allows you to have a video calling option when visiting in person would simply be impossible. • Call from work, the purple visits video calling system doesn’t limit you to one location, you can use the system to video call from anywhere with a reliable broadband or 4G** connection. • Call from the grandma’s, Add Grandma as an additional participant and take your video call round there, if grandma has been verified (easily done through the app) then feel free to let her join in on call too! • Cost affective, our users are saving hundreds of pounds in travel and childcare costs every time by video calling instead. • Show them around, the purple visits platform has been designed for you to show your loved one around the home, go ahead and flip the camera and show them the family pet or your latest decorating masterpiece. Visitor feedback: “We have been using the purple visits system for three months now and are extremely grateful that it is available for our son” “Before purple visits were introduced, I was unable to visit my son in Jersey, now we have visited virtually every week and its really lifted his spirits” “Being able to video call during my lunch break has made things so much better. We video chat every Wednesday and Friday!” *HD calling is limited by your device and your connectivity, in order to achieve HD quality video calls you must be connected to a good quality and reliable WIFI signal and have a HD quality camera within your device. **Data charges may apply if connecting via mobile internet. Contact your provider for details We're always excited to hear from you! If you have feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at: help@purplevisits.com or follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/purplevisits @purplevisits

About

Countdown Bank

Features
Read full description

Every other countdown app watches your time quietly drain away. Countdown Bank doesn't. Your balance stays frozen — you earn the time that passes as a separate credit you can watch ticking up, then bank it yourself in a satisfying, animated moment. It's a countdown you deposit into, not one that leaks away in the background. Completely free. No ads, no subscriptions, no sign-in — ever. Set a countdown to the moments that matter — a wedding, a holiday, a new job, a retirement — and instead of watching the clock silently tick down, you decide when to bank the time you've earned. A COUNTDOWN THAT WORKS LIKE A BANK ACCOUNT - Your main balance is frozen — it shows exactly how long is left and never drops on its own - Time you've earned since your last visit accrues as a live credit balance, ticking up in real time while the app is open - When you're ready, tap Transfer to bank your credit — and only then does your main balance fall - Checking the app feels like collecting a reward, not a reminder of how long you have to wait A TRANSFER MOMENT MADE TO FEEL GOOD - Watch your balance roll down with a tumbling number animation - Real haptic feedback and a gold glow the instant you bank your time - A "Banked" badge and a small burst of celebration to mark the moment BUILT FOR LIFE'S BIG DATES - Track as many countdowns at once as you like — weddings, holidays, birthdays, job starts, retirements, anything you're counting down to - Choose the credit unit that fits — hours for something imminent, days or weeks for something further out - Drag to reorder your events and keep the one that matters most front and centre PRIVATE BY DESIGN - No account and no sign-in — open the app and go - No ads, no personal data collected, and no cross-app tracking - Your events sync only to your own private iCloud account & we never see them or store them on any server of ours - Anonymous, aggregate usage stats only, so we can improve the app & never tied to you or your device A dark, premium interface with nothing between you and the date you're waiting for. Perfect for anyone with an important date on the horizon who wants a more rewarding relationship with anticipation.

Screenshots

Purple Visits4 screens
Countdown Bank3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Purple Visits at 3 against Countdown Bank's 1. Purple Visits also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Purple Visits versus Countdown Bank: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPurple VisitsCountdown Bank
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (57 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews91.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings57 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB1 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMade PurpleDavid Weatherspoon

Bugs and requests

Purple Visits

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Camera twists on iPhone
  • Video stops/switches off with slight movement
  • Face recognition issues causing call interruptions
  • System locks out after covering face
  • Bold text on iPhone causes connection issues
Show 7 more
  • System picks up background images/objects
  • Bugged when connected to a monitor
  • Cannot change address
  • Call gets rejected even when slots are visible
  • Video cuts out frequently
  • Pixelated and buffering issues
  • Login issues after phone breaks

Requested features

10 requests
  • Ask about prison first during registration
  • Increase call duration to 1 hour
  • Option to pay for prisoner food/drink during visit
  • Countdown timer for visit duration
  • Improve camera stability and recognition
Show 5 more
  • Allow easier device switching
  • Remove fully booked time slots from visibility
  • Ensure prisoners are brought on time for calls
  • Provide a 'test shot' feature for camera setup
  • Allow longer video calls for overseas connections

Countdown Bank

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Purple Visits

No in-app purchases

None

Countdown Bank

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Purple Visits free?
Purple Visits is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Countdown Bank free?
Countdown Bank is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Purple Visits or Countdown Bank have ads?
Neither Purple Visits nor Countdown Bank shows ads.

Other comparisons