# New Year Countdown vs Christmas Countdown (2026)

The clearest difference is price: Christmas Countdown (2026) at Free against New Year Countdown's $0.99. Christmas Countdown (2026) also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 10 months). New Year Countdown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Christmas Countdown (2026) is free to download; New Year Countdown costs $0.99 up front. Christmas Countdown (2026) sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. New Year Countdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Christmas Countdown (2026) holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Christmas Countdown (2026) has 3.5K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of New Year Countdown's written reviews are positive against 98% of Christmas Countdown (2026)'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

New Year Countdown ships an update every 10 months, Christmas Countdown (2026) every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Year Countdown | Christmas Countdown (2026) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-year-countdown/id336363694/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-countdown-2026/id1175449517/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 97.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 51 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JS Digital Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012108950) | [Jupli](https://appshunter.io/developer/988757514) |

## What reviewers say

### New Year Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-year-countdown/id336363694)

Experience the magic of New Year's Eve daily with realistic fireworks and personalized backgrounds. Enjoy the countdown on your Apple Watch, mirror to your TV, and celebrate any occasion year-round.

**Highlights:** Realistic fireworks displays, Personalized backgrounds, Apple Watch compatibility, AirPlay mirroring, Year-round celebration, Badge display

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Christmas Countdown (2026)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-countdown-2026/id1175449517)

Track the days until Christmas with a festive snowy countdown. Personalize your experience with various backgrounds and classic holiday music. Unlock daily advent calendar gifts and enjoy an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Snowy countdown screen, Selection of Christmas backgrounds, Classic Christmas music, Daily advent calendar gifts, Ad-free experience, Premium upgrade for widget and more content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (2024) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium (2025) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium (2026) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium (Lifetime) | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐️ Excellent Christmas countdown app
- 🎄 Fun and interactive advent calendar
- 🎅 Customizable countdown and backgrounds
- 🎶 Enjoyable Christmas music
- 🎁 Daily gifts and activities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕰️ Occasional inaccuracies in countdown timer
- 💰 Some premium features locked behind paywall
- 🔋 Can be a battery drain on devices
- 🎨 Limited free background and music options

**Reported bugs**

- Countdown timer sometimes off by a day
- Music playback issues for some users
- Occasional app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- More free background and music options
- Ability to use own photos for backgrounds
- Additional mini-games and activities
- Countdown for other holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.)
- Improved widget functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is New Year Countdown free?

New Year Countdown costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Christmas Countdown (2026) free?

Christmas Countdown (2026) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, New Year Countdown or Christmas Countdown (2026)?

Christmas Countdown (2026) is rated higher. New Year Countdown averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Christmas Countdown (2026) averages 4.8 from 3.5K ratings.

### Do New Year Countdown or Christmas Countdown (2026) have ads?

Neither New Year Countdown nor Christmas Countdown (2026) shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, New Year Countdown or Christmas Countdown (2026)?

New Year Countdown ships an update every 10 months, and Christmas Countdown (2026) every 6 days. Most recently, New Year Countdown was updated on September 25, 2026 and Christmas Countdown (2026) on September 27, 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.*