Comparison

Note vs Countdown Reminder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Note

This minimalist notes app helps you focus on what matters most. Create up to 8 infinite pages with beautiful typefaces and customizable line formatting. Save notes as plain text files to iCloud Drive or locally, and access them via widgets and shortcuts.

Highlights
  • Minimalist interface
  • Up to 8 infinite pages
  • Customizable line formatting (color, italics)
  • Plain text file export
  • iCloud Drive sync
  • Home/Lock Screen widgets
  • Apple Watch app
Features
Read full description

Keep notes you really care about in focus with this mini note app & widget. It’s like a pinned note in its own app. The app feels like just 1 note, but you can create up to 8 infinite pages. It features beautiful typefaces. There is extra spacing between lines. You can mark lines with color, italics, or both. Pages can also be given custom names. Each page is saved as a plain text file, either in iCloud Drive or only on your iPhone or iPad. Text and links can be added to a page in the app from within other apps using the Share button. You can add a sticky note widget to your Home Screen and Lock Screen that shows the last line you selected in the app or the line you pinned in the Home Screen widget. A control lets you open the app directly from Control Center or your Lock Screen. You can also assign this control to your iPhone’s Action button. An Apple Watch app and widget show the last line you selected in the app on your paired iPhone or the line you pinned in the app on your watch. App Privacy: There is no sign-in and no data is collected. Your files are encrypted on your device using your passcode when it’s locked or turned off. If iCloud Backup is turned on for the app in the Settings app > [Your Name] > iCloud > Storage > Backups > [Your Device], your app data is uploaded to iCloud. If you want your files in iCloud Drive to be end-to-end encrypted, please turn on Advanced Data Protection in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection. If you have Share Analytics turned on in Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements, we receive app analytics from Apple. This does not contain your app data or personally identify you. Other Features: To add a new line, pull down when you are at the top of a page. Easily move lines up ↑ or down ↓. Quickly undo or redo changes above the keyboard. Tap the ⋯ button above the keyboard for more actions, such as adding the date or inserting a line break. Link or move lines to another page using the Quick Actions menu. List markers (like ‘•’) and spaces you type at the start of a line automatically get added to a new line below it. A URL scheme allows you to go directly to a page or to a specific line on a page. Support for Apple’s Writing Tools on compatible devices. Supports multiple windows on iPad. Fully accessible with VoiceOver. Gestures: Swipe left or right on a page while editing to move the insertion point from word to word. To move the insertion point, touch and hold the Space bar on the onscreen keyboard with one finger, then slide your finger around the keyboard. Swipe left with three fingers to undo or right to redo. Tap on a page with three fingers to show a menu with undo, cut, copy, paste, and redo. The use of this app is subject to your agreement to: Apple’s Standard End User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Apple’s Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/ If you use iCloud with the app, iCloud’s Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/icloud/

About

Countdown Reminder

Features
Read full description

Never lose track of what matters. Countdown Reminder helps you count down to birthdays, anniversaries, vacations, deadlines, weddings, graduations — anything worth the wait. BEAUTIFUL COUNTDOWNS Create stunning, color-coded countdowns with custom emojis, photos, and 10 handcrafted themes. Watch animated flip-clock digits tick down in real time. Switch between list and grid views. Your nearest event gets a featured hero card front and center. SMART REMINDERS Set preset reminders (1 week, 1 day, 1 hour) or create custom ones down to the minute. Every countdown automatically notifies you when it reaches zero. Never miss a moment again. ORGANIZE YOUR WAY Group events into categories, search across all your countdowns, or start from templates — Birthday, Trip, Wedding, Deadline, and more — that auto-fill emoji, color, and reminders for you. MILESTONES & NOTES Add a preparation checklist to any countdown. Track sub-tasks like "Buy gift," "Book venue," or "Send invitations" with a progress bar showing how ready you are. CLOUD SYNC Sign in once and your countdowns sync across all your devices. Create an event on your phone, see it on your tablet. Powered by Supabase with end-to-end encryption. SHARE LIVE COUNTDOWNS Generate a share code for any countdown and send it to friends or family. They can watch the same countdown tick down in real time — no account needed. EXPORT & BACKUP Export all your data as JSON. Import it on a new device. You're always in control of your data. FREE, NO SUBSCRIPTION Free to use, supported by ads — no subscription required. All data stored locally on your device unless you choose to enable cloud sync. Your countdowns are yours. FEATURES AT A GLANCE • Unlimited countdowns with custom colors, emojis, and photos • 10 color themes with light and dark mode • Animated flip-clock countdown display • Smart reminders with custom scheduling • Categories for organization • Event templates for quick creation • Milestone checklists per event • Cloud sync across devices • Shareable live countdown links • Working days calculator • Calendar export (Google Calendar) • Home screen widget • JSON data export and import • Contact attachment with call, SMS, and WhatsApp • Recurring events (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) • 3-page onboarding for new users • Haptic feedback throughout • Supports English and Spanish

Screenshots

Note2 screens
Countdown Reminder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Countdown Reminder at Free against Note's $4.99. Note's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Countdown Reminder is free to download; Note costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Note ships an update every 8 days, Countdown Reminder every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Note versus Countdown Reminder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNoteCountdown Reminder
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DevelopernonzerosumnessHaileslassie Lilay Desalegn

In-app purchases

None

Note

No in-app purchases

None

Countdown Reminder

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Note free?
Note costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Countdown Reminder free?
Countdown Reminder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Note or Countdown Reminder have ads?
Countdown Reminder shows ads; Note does not.
Which is updated more often, Note or Countdown Reminder?
Note ships an update every 8 days, and Countdown Reminder every 2 months. Most recently, Note was updated on September 21, 2026 and Countdown Reminder on September 18, 2026.

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