# X vs Countdown Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: X at none against Countdown Buddy's 1. X also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). Countdown Buddy's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (26K vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. X asks for nothing beyond the download.

X holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 26K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of X's written reviews are positive against 68% of Countdown Buddy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

X ships an update every 9 months, Countdown Buddy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | X | Countdown Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-ring/id318017748/reviews)** | [4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | 58.3% of reviews | **67.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Colton White](https://appshunter.io/developer/318017751) | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) |

## What reviewers say

### X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/x-ring/id318017748)

A simple utility app that provides a countdown to the annual X-Ring ceremony. Users can customize the countdown date and time for their specific event.

**Highlights:** Countdown to X-Ring day, Customizable ceremony date, Customizable countdown time, iOS device integration, Developed with alumni support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Countdown Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579)

Create personalized countdown and count-up widgets for your home and lock screens. Visually track important dates like birthdays, vacations, or deadlines with custom designs, colors, and photos. Stay motivated and make waiting more exciting.

**Highlights:** Personalized countdown widgets, Count-up widgets, Home screen and lock screen support, Customizable designs, Background color options, Photo integration, Font selection

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown + | $3.59 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app overall
- 👍 Customizable widgets and designs
- 🔒 No subscription, one-time purchase
- 📈 Helpful for tracking events and milestones
- 🎨 Visually appealing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay for more
- 🐛 Widgets not updating properly
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 📊 Lack of advanced countdown options (e.g., weeks)

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets disappearing or not working after updates
- Countdown timers not updating correctly
- Inability to add new widgets or countdowns

**Requested features**

- Add ability to display multiple countdowns at once
- Implement automatic countdown reset/repeat functionality
- Allow custom countdown units (e.g., weeks, business days)
- Improve widget handling and update reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is X free?

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

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, X or Countdown Buddy?

X is rated higher. X averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 from 26K ratings.

### Do X or Countdown Buddy have ads?

Neither X nor Countdown Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, X or Countdown Buddy?

X ships an update every 9 months, and Countdown Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, X was updated on October 23, 2026 and Countdown Buddy on October 25, 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.*