# Countdown widget vs Important Dates

The clearest difference is rating: Important Dates at 4.9 against Countdown widget's 4.5. Important Dates also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16). Countdown widget's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 39) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown widget sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Important Dates sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Important Dates holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown widget has 1.3K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Countdown widget's written reviews are positive against 100% of Important Dates's.

Countdown widget ships an update weekly, Important Dates every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown widget | Important Dates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-day-counter/id1568911092/reviews) | **[4.9 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/important-dates-countdown/id1625185222/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 39 |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 36 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Amit Verma](https://appshunter.io/developer/1219761009) | [Roman Kotov](https://appshunter.io/developer/912021271) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-day-counter/id1568911092)

Design personalized countdown and count-up widgets for any event. Customize with themes, styles, and app icons. Track birthdays, holidays, vacations, and more with aesthetic looks and iCloud sync. Supports various widget sizes and modes.

**Highlights:** Custom countdown and count-up widgets, Multiple widget styles and themes, iOS Lock Screen and Standby widgets, Customizable app icons and fonts, Add personal photos, iCloud sync, Count up from past events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Pro. | $9.99 | per year |
| Countdown Pro. | $8.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Pro. | $12.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Pro. | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Best out there
- 👍 Paid version is a must
- 👍 Thank you so so much
- 👍 I love the app
- 👍 Great app!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not happy with this app
- 💡 Widgets should be for sale
- 💡 The style of widgets they are all for premium and I think that should change xx
- 🐛 Good app, doesnt fully work for me
- 💡 OK

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Countdown widget not working on lock screen
- Countdown based on EST instead of user's timezone

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Sync with calendars
- Show hours, minutes, and seconds in countdown


### Important Dates

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/important-dates-countdown/id1625185222)

Easily track upcoming events or past milestones with this intuitive day counter. Organize events with custom folders, set personalized reminders, and view countdowns directly on your home screen. Make every moment count by staying on top of what matters most.

**Highlights:** Unlimited event tracking, Custom event organization with folders, Personalized reminders and notifications, Home screen widgets for instant updates, Track days remaining and days elapsed, Unique automatically generated backgrounds

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Support the project | $1.99 | one-time |
| Support the project | $9.99 | one-time |
| Support the project | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown widget free?

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

### Is Important Dates free?

Important Dates is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown widget or Important Dates?

Important Dates is rated higher. Countdown widget averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Important Dates averages 4.9 from 39 ratings.

### Do Countdown widget or Important Dates have ads?

Neither Countdown widget nor Important Dates shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown widget or Important Dates?

Countdown widget ships an update weekly, and Important Dates every 2 weeks. Most recently, Countdown widget was updated on September 22, 2026 and Important Dates on September 22, 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.*