# Countdown Buddy vs Countdown Widget Timer

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown Buddy at none against Countdown Widget Timer's shown. Countdown Buddy also leads on review sentiment (68% vs 43%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). Countdown Widget Timer's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown Widget Timer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. 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 4.6 for Countdown Widget Timer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 25K ratings behind it against 484, 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 43% of Countdown Widget Timer's.

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Countdown Widget Timer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | Countdown Widget Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) | [4.6 (484 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-timer/id1589042250/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 484 |
| Positive reviews | **67.8% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 149 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [App Box](https://appshunter.io/developer/1720178029) |

## 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


### Countdown Widget Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-timer/id1589042250)

Easily track important dates and events with a customizable countdown timer. Set reminders for birthdays, holidays, or personal goals, and view remaining time in days, hours, minutes, and seconds directly on your home screen.

**Highlights:** Unlimited event timers, Customizable backgrounds and colors, Home screen widget display, Flexible notification settings, Annual recurrence options

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access for one week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Full access for one month | $6.49 | per month |
| Full access for three months | $11.99 | per 3 months |
| Full access for one year | $13.49 | per year |
| Lifetime Full Access | $7.99 | one-time |
| Premium access forever | $7.99 | one-time |
| Access to premium Lifetimeme | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable widgets
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Good for ADHD
- 🚀 Affordable price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widgets not updating
- 🔒 Paid features required for basic functionality
- 🐛 Bugs after updates
- 🔒 Limited free features

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets not showing up on home screen
- Purchased features not working as expected
- App crashing after updates
- Countdown dates not accurate

**Requested features**

- Add repeat weekly/monthly option
- Allow more than one countdown for free
- Add option to show weeks in widget
- Improve widget customization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Is Countdown Widget Timer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Buddy or Countdown Widget Timer?

Countdown Buddy and Countdown Widget Timer are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 25K and 484 ratings respectively.

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

Countdown Widget Timer shows ads; Countdown Buddy does not.

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

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Countdown Widget Timer every 6 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on October 11, 2026 and Countdown Widget Timer on October 9, 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.*