# Countdown Buddy vs Countdown Widget

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Countdown Widget at 100% against Countdown Buddy's 68%. Countdown Widget also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Countdown Buddy's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (25K vs 2). On price, ads, 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 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown Widget 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Countdown Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Countdown Widget's.

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Countdown Widget every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | Countdown Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-holidays/id6504262113/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 67.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 149 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [Accessible Resources Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1389365061) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-holidays/id6504262113)

Build anticipation for holidays and special events with customizable countdown timers. Features vibrant templates, animated effects, and personalized touches to make every celebration exciting. Share your countdowns with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Set countdown timers for events, Holiday-specific templates, Animated effects for widgets, Customizable colors and emojis, Create custom countdown widgets, iCloud sync across devices, Share countdowns via webpage

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Is Countdown Widget free?

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

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

Countdown Widget is rated higher. Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Countdown Widget averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

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

Neither Countdown Buddy nor Countdown Widget shows ads.

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

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Countdown Widget every 3 months. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on September 29, 2026 and Countdown Widget on September 20, 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.*