# Countdown Buddy vs School Days Counter & Widget

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown Buddy at none against School Days Counter & Widget's shown. Countdown Buddy also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 123) and update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). School Days Counter & Widget's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). 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 School Days Counter & Widget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

School Days Counter & Widget holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 26K ratings behind it against 123, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Countdown Buddy's written reviews are positive against 56% of School Days Counter & Widget's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, School Days Counter & Widget monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | School Days Counter & Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) | **[4.8 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-days-counter-and-widget/id6476528951/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 123 |
| Positive reviews | **67.7% of reviews** | 55.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 149 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [Shayes Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/412539504) |

## 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


### School Days Counter & Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/school-days-counter-and-widget/id6476528951)

Track days until school events, vacations, or deadlines with customizable countdowns. Features include school schedule integration, exclusion lists, and calendar imports. Widgets and Apple Watch support provide quick updates.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdowns/count-ups, School schedule integration, Exclusion lists for off days, Calendar holiday import, Home & Lock Screen widgets, Apple Watch app & complications, iCloud sync, Sharing options

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Is School Days Counter & Widget free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Buddy or School Days Counter & Widget?

School Days Counter & Widget is rated higher. Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while School Days Counter & Widget averages 4.8 from 123 ratings.

### Do Countdown Buddy or School Days Counter & Widget have ads?

School Days Counter & Widget shows ads; Countdown Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Buddy or School Days Counter & Widget?

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and School Days Counter & Widget monthly. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on November 12, 2026 and School Days Counter & Widget on November 8, 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.*