# Countdown@ vs Countdown Buddy

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown Buddy at none against Countdown@'s shown. Countdown Buddy also leads on review sentiment (68% vs 37%). Countdown@'s advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown@ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown Buddy 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 — 4.7 for Countdown@ against 4.6 for Countdown Buddy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39K and 25K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 37% of Countdown@'s written reviews are positive against 68% of Countdown Buddy's.

Countdown@ ships an update every 5 days, Countdown Buddy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown@ | Countdown Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1456997268/reviews)** | [4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **39K** | 25K |
| Positive reviews | 37.0% of reviews | **68.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 51 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wuhan Linggu Dingdang Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/612318541) | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown@

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1456997268)

Easily track important life events with stylish countdown timers. Create custom events like vacations, birthdays, and holidays. View upcoming events with a convenient widget and even count up from past milestones.

**Highlights:** Create custom event countdowns, Count up from past events, Event timeline with diary and notes, Widget for important events, Stylish event tracking

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Premium | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Customizable countdown
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing
- 🎨 Ability to select background and music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔔 Countdown only triggers a notification, not an alarm
- 🔒 Widget functionality locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Inconsistent widget behavior
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Paywall for basic features

**Reported bugs**

- Countdown not updating correctly
- Widget not displaying as customized
- Inability to delete past events

**Requested features**

- Ability to set countdown as alarm
- Sync countdowns across devices
- More customization options for widget
- Allow multiple countdowns in widget


### Countdown Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579)

Create personalized countdown and count-up widgets for your home and lock screens. Visually track important dates like birthdays, vacations, or deadlines with custom designs, colors, and photos. Stay motivated and make waiting more exciting.

**Highlights:** Personalized countdown widgets, Count-up widgets, Home screen and lock screen support, Customizable designs, Background color options, Photo integration, Font selection

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown + | $3.59 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app overall
- 👍 Customizable widgets and designs
- 🔒 No subscription, one-time purchase
- 📈 Helpful for tracking events and milestones
- 🎨 Visually appealing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay for more
- 🐛 Widgets not updating properly
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 📊 Lack of advanced countdown options (e.g., weeks)

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets disappearing or not working after updates
- Countdown timers not updating correctly
- Inability to add new widgets or countdowns

**Requested features**

- Add ability to display multiple countdowns at once
- Implement automatic countdown reset/repeat functionality
- Allow custom countdown units (e.g., weeks, business days)
- Improve widget handling and update reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown@ free?

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

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown@ or Countdown Buddy?

Countdown@ is rated higher. Countdown@ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 from 25K ratings.

### Do Countdown@ or Countdown Buddy have ads?

Countdown@ shows ads; Countdown Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown@ or Countdown Buddy?

Countdown@ ships an update every 5 days, and Countdown Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, Countdown@ was updated on September 25, 2026 and Countdown Buddy on September 24, 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.*