# Countdown Buddy vs Cast Along

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cast Along at none against Countdown Buddy's 1. Cast Along also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 68%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Countdown Buddy's advantage is ratings volume (26K vs 39). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Cast Along holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 26K ratings behind it against 39, 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 Cast Along's.

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, Cast Along every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Buddy | Cast Along |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) | **[4.9 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cast-along-knitting-math/id6760704901/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **26K** | 39 |
| Positive reviews | 67.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 149 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) | [Goodknits](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885825016) |

## 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


### Cast Along

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cast-along-knitting-math/id6760704901)

This app simplifies knitting calculations and helps you track your progress. It offers tools for yarn estimation, sizing, and row counting, allowing you to focus on your craft without complex math. Enjoy a seamless knitting experience with no guesswork involved.

**Highlights:** Yarn calculator with stash check, Size finder, Swatch checker, Increase/decrease spacing calculator, Row and repeat tracking, Multiple counters per project, Project timers

**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 Cast Along free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Buddy or Cast Along?

Cast Along is rated higher. Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 26K ratings, while Cast Along averages 4.9 from 39 ratings.

### Do Countdown Buddy or Cast Along have ads?

Neither Countdown Buddy nor Cast Along shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Buddy or Cast Along?

Countdown Buddy ships an update every 9 days, and Cast Along every 8 days. Most recently, Countdown Buddy was updated on October 23, 2026 and Cast Along on October 7, 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.*