# Countdown Buddy vs Anniversary Tracker

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown Buddy at none against Anniversary Tracker's shown. Countdown Buddy also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 2.1K). Anniversary Tracker's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 68%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Anniversary Tracker 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 — 4.6 for Countdown Buddy against 4.7 for Anniversary Tracker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 26K ratings behind it against 2.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Countdown Buddy's written reviews are positive against 81% of Anniversary Tracker's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | Anniversary Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anniversary-tracker/id1570714816/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 2.1K |
| Positive reviews | 67.7% of reviews | **81.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 149 MB | 85 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [Pocket Grove Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/954373766) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Anniversary Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anniversary-tracker/id1570714816)

This app helps you track and celebrate important dates, from relationship anniversaries to personal milestones. Customize your experience with photos, themes, and personalized reminders to never miss a special moment.

**Highlights:** Automatic day counter, Customizable profile photos, Personalized fonts, colors, and sizes, Theme backgrounds, Unlimited anniversary calendar, Smart reminders, Automatic milestone generation

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove all ads | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Cute and customizable
- 🔒 Password protection
- 📆 Helpful anniversary tracking
- 🎨 Variety of backgrounds and icons
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with widgets and notifications
- 💰 Occasional ads
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🕰️ Inaccurate day counting

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets displaying blank or incorrect information
- Notifications not working or delayed
- Randomly adding unset anniversaries
- Day count not updating properly

**Requested features**

- Add ability to set custom anniversary dates
- Include widget support for home screen
- Allow changing app icon and name
- Improve notification reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Is Anniversary Tracker free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Buddy or Anniversary Tracker?

Anniversary Tracker is rated higher. Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while Anniversary Tracker averages 4.7 from 2.1K ratings.

### Do Countdown Buddy or Anniversary Tracker have ads?

Anniversary Tracker shows ads; Countdown Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Buddy or Anniversary Tracker?

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Anniversary Tracker every 9 days. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on November 9, 2026 and Anniversary Tracker on November 7, 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.*