# Pencil Planner vs Countdown Fred

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Countdown Fred at none against Pencil Planner's 3. Countdown Fred also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Pencil Planner's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pencil Planner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months. Countdown Fred asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown Fred holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Planner has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pencil Planner ships an update every 3 weeks, Countdown Fred monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Planner | Countdown Fred |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-planner-stift/id1661094074/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-fred/id6446439349/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 84.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 51 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TNX Apps UG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1270694783) | [DaMtech](https://appshunter.io/developer/988332450) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-planner-stift/id1661094074)

This app allows users to visually plan their schedules by drawing appointments directly onto a calendar. It offers an intuitive, pen-on-paper experience for effortless scheduling, making it ideal for families and couples to coordinate activities and boost overall productivity.

**Highlights:** Draw appointments directly on calendar, Intuitive pen-on-paper planning, Visual family planner, Couple calendar for shared planning, Boost productivity and organization, Supports iPad stylus input

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quarterly Pro | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Pro | $7.99 | per year |
| Pro | $12.99 | one-time |


### Countdown Fred

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-fred/id6446439349)

This app helps you keep track of important upcoming dates by displaying them as colorful cards. You can add events like holidays, birthdays, or gigs, and the app automatically sorts them by date. It offers home screen widgets and customizable display options for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Customizable event cards, Automatic date sorting, Home screen widgets, Days or weeks display, Light and dark mode, No accounts or clutter

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil Planner free?

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

### Is Countdown Fred free?

Countdown Fred is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pencil Planner or Countdown Fred?

Countdown Fred is rated higher. Pencil Planner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Countdown Fred averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Pencil Planner or Countdown Fred have ads?

Neither Pencil Planner nor Countdown Fred shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil Planner or Countdown Fred?

Pencil Planner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Countdown Fred monthly. Most recently, Pencil Planner was updated on November 3, 2026 and Countdown Fred on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*