# Best Timer vs Countdown

The clearest difference is price: Countdown at Free against Best Timer's $0.99. Countdown also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 7 months). Best Timer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Countdown is free to download; Best Timer costs $0.99 up front. Countdown sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Best Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 186K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Best Timer's written reviews are positive against 72% of Countdown's.

Best Timer ships an update every 7 months, Countdown every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Best Timer | Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-timer/id415656570/reviews) | **[4.8 (186K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 22 | **186K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.1% of reviews | **72.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#44** |
| Size | 49 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serhii Simkovskyi](https://appshunter.io/developer/959904647) | [Find Appiness LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685887104) |

## What reviewers say

### Best Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/best-timer/id415656570)

This app offers a versatile suite of timekeeping tools, including a sand timer, kitchen timer, countdown, and stopwatch. It visually represents time, making it easy to understand for all ages, and provides customizable alarm sounds and color themes.

**Highlights:** Digitized sand timer with artistic design, Kitchen timer with visual minute indicator, Futuristic countdown/count up timer, Powerful stopwatch with lap/split modes, Kid-friendly time visualization, Customizable alarm sounds and repeat options, Multiple color themes

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Elegant design
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🕰️ Versatile timer options
- 🔊 Nice selection of alarm sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sound issues (no sound, alarm not working)
- ⏱️ Limited timer duration (e.g. hourglass max 12 mins)
- 🎨 Limited color/theme options
- 🔍 Lack of high-contrast mode

**Reported bugs**

- Stopwatch lap timer bug
- Compatibility issues with iOS updates
- Freezing/crashing on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to use custom music/sounds for alarms
- Interval/workout timer mode
- Vibration option for alerts
- More color/theme customization
- Larger/full-screen timer display


### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428)

**Currently charting:** #44 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Easily track important dates and events with a customizable countdown timer. Set reminders, organize events with tags, and view upcoming dates on your home screen or Apple Watch. Syncs across devices and offers various counting options.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdown timer, Event reminders, Home screen widgets, Apple Watch support, Event sharing, iCloud sync, Repeatable countdowns

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start 7-Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Countdown Widget Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Widget | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🎨 Customizable colors and emojis
- ⏰ Accurate countdown tracking
- 🔔 Helpful reminders and notifications
- 💰 One-time payment for premium features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Paid widget feature
- 🔍 Lack of instructions/guidance
- 🔀 Inconsistent countdown display on widget
- 📅 Limited repeat options for events
- 🖼️ No option to use custom photos

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not updating automatically
- Countdown display issues after iOS 14 update
- Inability to delete archived events

**Requested features**

- Add ability to count up from past events
- Provide more date/time format options
- Implement calendar view for all events
- Allow custom backgrounds for widgets
- Add support for weekly/monthly repeating events


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Best Timer free?

Best Timer costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Best Timer or Countdown?

Countdown is rated higher. Best Timer averages 3.9 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Countdown averages 4.8 from 186K ratings.

### Do Best Timer or Countdown have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Best Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Best Timer or Countdown?

Best Timer ships an update every 7 months, and Countdown every 4 days. Most recently, Best Timer was updated on September 28, 2026 and Countdown 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.*