# Ahead vs TickDown

The clearest difference is update cadence: TickDown at every 4 days against Ahead's every 3 weeks. TickDown also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Ahead's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ahead sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year and TickDown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ahead against 5.0 for TickDown. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Ahead ships an update every 3 weeks, TickDown every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ahead | TickDown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ahead-countdown-calendar/id1639892784/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tickdown-countdown-and-tasks/id6807993067/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 15 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alex Malek](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639892786) | [Nusaif Valappil](https://appshunter.io/developer/6807993069) |

## What reviewers say

### Ahead

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ahead-countdown-calendar/id1639892784)

Easily track important life events with this user-friendly calendar countdown application. View upcoming events as home screen widgets, receive timely notifications, and share your countdowns with others. Sync events across devices and enjoy a dark mode option.

**Highlights:** Home screen widgets, Event notifications, Cross-device sync, Event sharing, Dark mode

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $3.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Unlock | $12.99 | one-time |


### TickDown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tickdown-countdown-and-tasks/id6807993067)

Organize your life by combining countdowns to important events with a clear task list. View your deadlines, birthdays, and to-dos all in one place, with customizable visuals and reminders. The core app works offline, and optional premium features unlock advanced widgets and backups.

**Highlights:** Live countdowns to the second, Customizable event backgrounds, Subtasks with progress tracking, Integrated calendar view, Event and task reminders, Home and Lock Screen widgets (Premium), Encrypted on-device backups

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TickDown Premium | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ahead free?

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

### Is TickDown free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Ahead or TickDown?

Ahead and TickDown are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Ahead or TickDown have ads?

Both Ahead and TickDown show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ahead or TickDown?

Ahead ships an update every 3 weeks, and TickDown every 4 days. Most recently, Ahead was updated on October 23, 2026 and TickDown on October 8, 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.*