# Countdown Buddy vs WatchScrambles

The clearest difference is price: Countdown Buddy at Free against WatchScrambles's $0.99. Countdown Buddy also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 14 months). WatchScrambles's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Countdown Buddy is free to download; WatchScrambles costs $0.99 up front. Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. WatchScrambles asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, WatchScrambles every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and May 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | WatchScrambles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 149 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [Paul Scott](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542422467) |

## 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


### WatchScrambles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watchscrambles/id6446205784)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Is WatchScrambles free?

WatchScrambles costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Countdown Buddy or WatchScrambles have ads?

Neither Countdown Buddy nor WatchScrambles shows ads.

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

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and WatchScrambles every 14 months. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on September 29, 2026 and WatchScrambles on May 16, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*