# Countdown Buddy vs Graded

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Graded at none against Countdown Buddy's 1. Graded also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Countdown Buddy's advantage is ratings volume (25K vs 1) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Graded asks for nothing beyond the download.

Graded holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 25K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Graded every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | Graded |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/graded-grade-tracker/id6444681284/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 67.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 149 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [Damien Pirotte](https://appshunter.io/developer/1656071322) |

## 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


### Graded

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/graded-grade-tracker/id6444681284)

Easily track and manage your school grades with this intuitive app. It adapts to any grading system, offers automatic tracking, and supports multiple years and terms. Enjoy a clean interface, data export, and automatic backups.

**Highlights:** Grade and average tracking, Customizable grading systems, Subject customization, Multiple year/term support, Data export and import, Automatic iCloud backup, Light and dark modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Is Graded free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Buddy or Graded?

Graded is rated higher. Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Graded averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Countdown Buddy or Graded have ads?

Neither Countdown Buddy nor Graded shows ads.

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

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Graded every 3 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on October 15, 2026 and Graded on September 29, 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.*