# Countdown vs Beacon Pulse

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Beacon Pulse at none against Countdown's 10. Beacon Pulse also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Beacon Pulse asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, Beacon Pulse weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Beacon Pulse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-pretty-progress/id1597616326/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 144 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [keinois OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1597616328) | [Ramarya Software Services LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560821209) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-pretty-progress/id1597616326)

Visually track personal goals, habits, and important dates with customizable widgets. Supports counting up and down, recurring events, and synchronization across Apple devices. Offers detailed progress visualization and notifications to keep you motivated.

**Highlights:** Customizable home and lock screen widgets, Count up and down timers, Recurring event tracking, Apple Calendar and Reminders synchronization, Detailed progress visualization dashboard, Customizable colors, icons, and fonts, Notifications for key dates and streaks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $5.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $14.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $24.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $49.99 | one-time |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Handy and useful app
- 🚀 Helpful for tracking goals and projects
- 💡 Great customization options
- 👍 Sleek and visually appealing design
- 👍 Seamless integration with Apple ecosystem

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited functionality in free version
- 💰 Paid features can be expensive for some users
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches reported
- 🔒 Restricted customization options without paying

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for some users
- Widgets not updating in real-time as expected
- Countdown data resetting unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- More customization options for widgets
- Ability to track non-time-based progress
- Improved recurring event management
- Notification/alarm feature when countdown ends
- Wider range of color and font options


### Beacon Pulse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-pulse/id6745766788)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Beacon Pulse free?

Beacon Pulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Countdown or Beacon Pulse have ads?

Neither Countdown nor Beacon Pulse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Beacon Pulse?

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, and Beacon Pulse weekly. Most recently, Countdown was updated on November 3, 2026 and Beacon Pulse on November 2, 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.*