# Countdown Widget & Counter vs Phantom Countdown

The clearest difference is update cadence: Countdown Widget & Counter at fortnightly against Phantom Countdown's every 2 months. Countdown Widget & Counter also leads on ratings volume (2.4K vs 276). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Widget & Counter sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Phantom Countdown sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Countdown Widget & Counter against 4.6 for Phantom Countdown. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Widget & Counter has 2.4K ratings behind it against 276, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Countdown Widget & Counter's written reviews are positive against 83% of Phantom Countdown's.

Countdown Widget & Counter ships an update fortnightly, Phantom Countdown every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Widget & Counter | Phantom Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-and-counter/id1533996161/reviews) | [4.6 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phantom-countdown/id1549294840/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 276 |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews | **82.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 159 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Good App Company, Limited Liability Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086171798) | [Matthew Sinex](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549294842) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown Widget & Counter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-and-counter/id1533996161)

Create customizable widgets to track upcoming events directly on your home screen. Visualize your countdowns with beautiful designs, icons, and color gradients. Receive real-time notifications for important dates.

**Highlights:** Live countdown widgets, Customizable widget templates, Event editor with live preview, Color gradients, Over 50 icons, Real-time push notifications

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Widget Studio PRO | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Widget Studio PRO | $4.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $5.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $7.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $8.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $12.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $12.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio Pro Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |
| Widget Studio Pro Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Fantastic for glancing at events
- 👍 Cool app
- 👍 Nice widgets
- 👍 Good countdown app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Extremely buggy
- 🔕 NOT IMPRESSED (no sound)
- 💰 Expensive price
- 💰 Money
- 💰 Only 2 for free

**Reported bugs**

- Time calculation isn't correct
- Widget and in-app display show different days remaining
- Widget goes blank after phone restart
- Countdowns freeze or count up unexpectedly
- Paid version still shows ads

**Requested features**

- Better integration with calendar and reminder API
- Ability to rearrange events in the countdown list
- Option to default 'What's Next' to user's choice
- Larger photo frame in widget
- Ability to group events into categories


### Phantom Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phantom-countdown/id1549294840)

This free utility app helps fans of a popular JRPG series track upcoming events. Create and customize multiple countdowns, display them on your home screen with widgets, and choose from built-in or custom themes. Countdowns update daily, offering flexible tracking by date, number of days, or unknown dates.

**Highlights:** Multiple countdown creation, Home screen widgets, Customizable themes, Automatic daily updates, Flexible date tracking

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Level 1 Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Level 5 Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Level 25 Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Level 50 Tip | $24.99 | one-time |
| Level 99 Tip | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Persona-themed countdown
- 👍 Customizable themes and colors
- 🎨 Stylish and visually appealing
- 📆 Helpful for tracking deadlines and events
- 🎮 Captures the Persona aesthetic

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with widget functionality
- 🔧 Issues with changing themes and colors
- 🔒 Lack of transparency in background
- 📊 Limited customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Countdowns disappearing or not saving
- Widgets not displaying properly
- App freezing when changing notification settings
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add countdown to lock screen
- Integrate with calendar app
- Ability to set custom countdown sounds
- Automatic countdown rotation
- More detailed Persona-themed design


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Widget & Counter free?

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

### Is Phantom Countdown free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Widget & Counter or Phantom Countdown?

Countdown Widget & Counter and Phantom Countdown are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.4K and 276 ratings respectively.

### Do Countdown Widget & Counter or Phantom Countdown have ads?

Neither Countdown Widget & Counter nor Phantom Countdown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Widget & Counter or Phantom Countdown?

Countdown Widget & Counter ships an update fortnightly, and Phantom Countdown every 2 months. Most recently, Countdown Widget & Counter was updated on September 24, 2026 and Phantom Countdown on September 18, 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.*