# Countdown vs lodestar

Countdown and lodestar are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and lodestar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, lodestar every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | lodestar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 144 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [keinois OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1597616328) | [Jonathan Poeder](https://appshunter.io/developer/6799742300) |

## 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 (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited access | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $2.99 | per month |
| 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 |
| Unlimited access | $8.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $14.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $24.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress Pro (Annual) | $24.99 | per year |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Pretty Progress PRO (Lifetime) | $34.99 | one-time |
| 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


### lodestar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lodestar-media-stack-remote/id6800141090)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| lodestar monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| lodestar lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is lodestar free?

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

### Do Countdown or lodestar have ads?

Neither Countdown nor lodestar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or lodestar?

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, and lodestar every 5 days. Most recently, Countdown was updated on October 30, 2026 and lodestar on October 18, 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.*