# Countdown vs Journal Today

The clearest difference is ads: Journal Today at none against Countdown's shown. Journal Today also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Journal Today sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Journal Today holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Journal Today has 73 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Countdown ships an update every 3 months, Journal Today every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Journal Today |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-days-reminder/id1477739949/reviews) | **[4.8 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-today-a-private-diary/id1586753437/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **73** |
| Positive reviews | — | 63.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 33 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [朝霞 彭](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616283456) | [Yuan Fu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1586753439) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-days-reminder/id1477739949)

Track important dates with a countdown calendar. Visualize your upcoming events with custom backgrounds and manage them through categorized lists. Secure your data with password protection.

**Highlights:** Date counting (days left/passed), Customizable background images, Event classification and management, Calendar view for daily events, Lunar calendar date support, Password protection for privacy

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Version | $1.49 | per month |
| Quarterly Plus Version | $4.49 | per 3 months |
| Advanced Version | $5.99 | one-time |


### Journal Today

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-today-a-private-diary/id1586753437)

Easily record your thoughts, memories, and moods in a private digital journal. Organize entries with tags and photos, and keep your private thoughts secure with passcode and Face ID protection. Sync across all your devices for seamless access.

**Highlights:** Timeline of entries, Calendar view, Add photos to entries, Categorize with tags, Track moods, iCloud sync, Passcode/Face ID lock

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual | $18.49 | per year |
| Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Journal Today free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or Journal Today?

Journal Today is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Journal Today averages 4.8 from 73 ratings.

### Do Countdown or Journal Today have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Journal Today does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Journal Today?

Countdown ships an update every 3 months, and Journal Today every 2 weeks. Most recently, Countdown was updated on November 3, 2026 and Journal Today on November 3, 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.*