# New Year Countdown vs Countdown Star

The clearest difference is price: Countdown Star at Free against New Year Countdown's $0.99. Countdown Star also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 10 months). New Year Countdown's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Countdown Star is free to download; New Year Countdown costs $0.99 up front. Countdown Star sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. New Year Countdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown Star holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star has 216K 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 60% of Countdown Star'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, Countdown Star fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Year Countdown | Countdown Star |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-year-countdown/id336363694/reviews) | **[4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **216K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 59.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 51 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JS Digital Productions, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012108950) | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) |

## 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


### Countdown Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593)

Track time until or since important life events. Set custom timers for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and more. Personalize with your own photos and share progress with friends.

**Highlights:** Add custom events, Customize event visuals, Apple Watch display, Today Widget integration, Set exact event times, Adjust time units, Share event progress

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Customizable backgrounds
- 👍 Helpful for tracking events
- 👍 Useful for long-distance relationships

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget not working
- 🐛 Wallpaper feature not working
- 🐛 Countdown inaccuracies
- 🐛 Notifications not working
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not displaying events
- Wallpaper not saving
- Countdown off by one day
- Notifications not working as expected
- Crashes and glitches after updates

**Requested features**

- Add weeks option
- Allow multiple countdowns on one screen
- Provide Apple Watch complications
- Add ability to export/backup data
- Improve wallpaper customization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is New Year Countdown free?

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

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Which has better reviews, New Year Countdown or Countdown Star?

Countdown Star is rated higher. New Year Countdown averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Countdown Star averages 4.8 from 216K ratings.

### Do New Year Countdown or Countdown Star have ads?

Countdown Star shows ads; New Year Countdown does not.

### Which is updated more often, New Year Countdown or Countdown Star?

New Year Countdown ships an update every 10 months, and Countdown Star fortnightly. Most recently, New Year Countdown was updated on September 25, 2026 and Countdown Star on September 28, 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.*