# Year Countdown vs Countdown Star

The clearest difference is price: Countdown Star at Free against Year Countdown's $0.99. Countdown Star also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 12 months). Year Countdown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

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

Countdown Star holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star has 216K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Year Countdown's written reviews are positive against 60% of Countdown Star's.

Year Countdown ships an update every 12 months, Countdown Star fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Year Countdown | Countdown Star |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/year-countdown/id343118794/reviews) | **[4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **216K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **59.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 7 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sebastien BUET](https://appshunter.io/developer/321941181) | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) |

## What reviewers say

### Year Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/year-countdown/id343118794)

This app provides a real-time countdown to the next year and Christmas. Customize the visual experience with animated snow, selectable snowflakes, and background frames. Easily switch between the countdown and a clock display with a double tap.

**Highlights:** Countdown to New Year, Countdown to Christmas, Portrait and landscape orientation, Snowfall and color animations, Customizable snowflakes and backgrounds, Switch between countdown and clock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 Year Countdown free?

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, Year Countdown or Countdown Star?

Countdown Star is rated higher. Year Countdown averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Countdown Star averages 4.8 from 216K ratings.

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

Countdown Star shows ads; Year Countdown does not.

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

Year Countdown ships an update every 12 months, and Countdown Star fortnightly. Most recently, Year Countdown was updated on September 10, 2026 and Countdown Star on September 29, 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.*