# Widget Countdown vs Countdown Buddy

The clearest difference is rating: Countdown Buddy at 4.6 against Widget Countdown's 4.1. Countdown Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (25K vs 51). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Widget 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.

Countdown Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 25K ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Widget Countdown's written reviews are positive against 68% of Countdown Buddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Widget Countdown ships an update monthly, Countdown Buddy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Widget Countdown | Countdown Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widget-countdown/id1532721548/reviews) | **[4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 51 | **25K** |
| Positive reviews | **72.7% of reviews** | 67.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bradley Cable](https://appshunter.io/developer/1438653590) | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) |

## What reviewers say

### Widget Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widget-countdown/id1532721548)

Create custom countdowns for any event and display them directly on your home and lock screens. Personalize your countdowns with gradients, background images, and fonts. All features are free to use.

**Highlights:** Customizable events, Home screen widgets, Lock screen widgets, Colourful gradients, Custom background images, Custom font choice

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

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

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Completely free with no subscription required
- 🎨 Customizable widgets with background image support
- 📱 Works seamlessly as home screen widgets
- 🎯 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 🖼️ Ability to use personal photos as backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget functionality inconsistent across devices
- 🌍 Limited language support
- ⚙️ Limited customization options for time format
- ❌ No countdown repeat feature (weekly, monthly, yearly)
- 🔧 Confusing setup process for new users

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets disappear after app update
- Widget shows blank space or doesn't display
- Cannot save new events or edits
- Photo selection window closes unexpectedly
- Primary and secondary color options don't work

**Requested features**

- Multi-language support
- Customizable time format (days, hours, minutes combinations)
- Count-up feature in addition to countdown
- Recurring events (weekly, monthly, yearly)
- Ability to rearrange events manually or by date


### 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 Widget Countdown free?

Widget 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, Widget Countdown or Countdown Buddy?

Countdown Buddy is rated higher. Widget Countdown averages 4.1 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 from 25K ratings.

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

Widget Countdown shows ads; Countdown Buddy does not.

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

Widget Countdown ships an update monthly, and Countdown Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, Widget Countdown was updated on September 1, 2026 and Countdown Buddy on September 28, 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.*