Comparison

Countdown ‎ vs Life Circles

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Countdown ‎

Visually track upcoming events with customizable countdowns. Set timers for vacations, concerts, or anniversaries using your own photos, music, and phrases. Share your progress with friends and family.

Highlights
  • iOS 16 Lock Screen Widgets
  • Home Screen Widgets
  • Customizable Background Photos
  • Personalized Music & Fonts
  • Calendar Event Integration
  • Count Up from Past Events
  • Event Reminders
Features
Read full description

Count down to your next event — a vacation, your favorite band's concert, a movie premiere, a graduation, an anniversary, and more — in style! Features: LOCK SCREEN WIDGETS: Add countdown widgets to your lock screen! First, set up your countdown in the Countdown app. Then, pull down your lock screen, long-hold an empty area and tap "Customize." FLEXIBLE UNITS: Years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, and even heartbeats! (e.g. "3 months 14 mins" or "56,713 heartbeats") DRAG the Countdown and DISPLAY it wherever you want. Use YOUR OWN PHOTOS as the background, including INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK PHOTOS! Or browse a large selection of FREE BACKGROUND PHOTOS. Flip through your background photos while counting down. Set your own MUSIC for each Countdown. Customizable FONTS, font colors, and background colors. Add YOUR OWN PHRASE — "the concert of the year," "little pumpkin's dance performance," "we board the plane." Create Countdowns straight from your CALENDAR EVENTS. MULTIPLE Countdowns — rearrange them however you like. REMINDERS for your events. SHARE a live Countdown or a screenshot via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or email. Count down to ANNIVERSARIES that repeat every year. (e.g. "25 days until my 10th anniversary!") COUNT UP from past events. (e.g. "21 days since…") SMART TOOLBAR stays hidden until you tap the screen — more room for your Countdowns. Works in PORTRAIT and LANDSCAPE mode. === Countdown Premium === HOME SCREEN WIDGETS: Count the days to your event without ever opening the app. SLIDESHOW MODE: Automatically cycle your background photos with a choice of animation styles and speeds. NO ADS: No distractions or clutter — just you and your countdown. Make each second count! In addition to the free features above, Countdown Premium is available as a subscription. Premium subscribers get an ad-free experience, home screen widgets, and slideshow mode. Price may vary by location. Subscriptions are charged to your payment method through your Apple ID account and renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscription anytime in Account Settings. Terms: https://www.sunflowr.com/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://www.sunflowr.com/privacy/

About

Life Circles

Features
Read full description

Life Circles is a calm, private way to stay close to the people who matter — family, close friends, and the ones slipping quietly out of touch. No feeds, no follower counts, no noise. Just one small, satisfying ritual a day. Modern life makes it easy to drift. Life Circles gently reminds you who you haven't spoken to, surfaces the moments worth showing up for, and helps you tend your relationships with intention. TEND YOUR CIRCLE • Add the people who matter and set how close — inner, middle, or outer circle • Get one gentle nudge a day to reach out to someone you're drifting from • Log each catch-up and keep a warm, quiet streak going WARMTH MAP • See your whole circle at a glance — everyone warm, cooling, or cold • Know instantly who needs a little attention NEVER MISS THE MOMENTS • Birthday and important-date alerts, a few days ahead • Close the loop on promises — "I'll send you that recipe" — until they're done • Reminders and a simple calendar to keep life tidy RITUALS & GOALS • Build your own recurring rituals — "Call Mum every Sunday" • A calm weekly review to plan one real catch-up • Track personal goals alongside your relationships FRIEND CIRCLES • Create private groups with friends and keep a friendly best-friend scoreboard • Log good deeds given and received, crown a monthly winner, build a hall of fame LIFE CIRCLES PREMIUM Unlock AI-powered tools: • Warm message drafts written in your own voice • Pre-call briefs on what to ask before you reach out • Life Circles AI chat for thoughtful relationship advice • Daily personal affirmations • Create your own friend circles PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your relationships are yours. No selling data, no surveillance, fully exportable, and delete-your-account-anytime. Available in English and Spanish, with light and dark themes. Life Circles Premium is an auto-renewing subscription (monthly or annual). Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.life-circles.org/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.life-circles.org/privacy

Screenshots

Countdown ‎4 screens
Life Circles4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Life Circles at every 5 days against Countdown ‎'s every 2 months. Life Circles also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Countdown ‎ sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 3 months and Life Circles sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Countdown ‎ ships an update every 2 months, Life Circles every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Countdown ‎ versus Life Circles: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCountdown ‎Life Circles
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (11K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB34 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSevenlogics, Inc.Frank Farrell

Bugs and requests

Countdown ‎

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on opening
  • Countdown not displaying correctly
  • Widget not loading properly
  • Purchased premium features not working

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to have multiple countdowns
  • Option to repeat countdown events
  • Countdown widget on home screen
  • Improved sharing capabilities

Life Circles

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Countdown ‎

Subscriptions2
  • Countdown Premium - 3 Months$4.993 Months
  • Countdown Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time3
  • Premium Backgrounds I$0.99
  • Holiday Backgrounds I$0.99
  • Premium$19.99
2 purchases

Life Circles

Subscriptions2
  • Premium_Monthly1 Month trial$3.991 Month
  • Life Circles Premium — Annual1 Month trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Countdown ‎ free?
Countdown ‎ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Life Circles free?
Life Circles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Countdown ‎ or Life Circles have ads?
Both Countdown ‎ and Life Circles show ads.
Which is updated more often, Countdown ‎ or Life Circles?
Countdown ‎ ships an update every 2 months, and Life Circles every 5 days. Most recently, Countdown ‎ was updated on October 24, 2026 and Life Circles on October 11, 2026.

Other comparisons