# Countdown Buddy vs Busy calculator

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Busy calculator at none against Countdown Buddy's 1. Busy calculator also leads on iOS requirement (15.8.3 vs 18.0). Countdown Buddy's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Busy calculator every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | Busy calculator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 67.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 149 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.8.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [Hideaki Uchikoshi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1559575002) |

## 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


### Busy calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busy-calculator/id6502144467)

**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 Busy calculator free?

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

### Do Countdown Buddy or Busy calculator have ads?

Busy calculator shows ads; Countdown Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Buddy or Busy calculator?

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Busy calculator every 2 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on October 29, 2026 and Busy calculator on October 25, 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.*