# Countdown Widget & Counter vs Retirement Countdown

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Retirement Countdown at none against Countdown Widget & Counter's 11. Retirement Countdown also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). Countdown Widget & Counter's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 21). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Widget & Counter sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Retirement Countdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown Widget & Counter holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Widget & Counter has 2.4K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Countdown Widget & Counter ships an update every 3 weeks, Retirement Countdown every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Widget & Counter | Retirement Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-and-counter/id1533996161/reviews)** | [4.4 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retirement-countdown-days/id6754011756/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 160 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sovereign Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6784378952) | [明航 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823569127) |

## 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


### Retirement Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retirement-countdown-days/id6754011756)

Track your retirement progress with a motivating countdown and practical planning tools. Estimate savings, customize your journey with themes and photos, and generate detailed reports. Make every day count towards your retirement goal.

**Highlights:** Retirement countdown timer, Home Screen widgets, Retirement savings calculator, Customizable themes and photos, Detailed retirement reports, PDF/CSV export

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Widget & Counter free?

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

### Is Retirement Countdown free?

Retirement Countdown is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Countdown Widget & Counter is rated higher. Countdown Widget & Counter averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Retirement Countdown averages 4.4 from 21 ratings.

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

Neither Countdown Widget & Counter nor Retirement Countdown shows ads.

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

Countdown Widget & Counter ships an update every 3 weeks, and Retirement Countdown every 9 months. Most recently, Countdown Widget & Counter was updated on October 27, 2026 and Retirement Countdown on October 25, 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.*