Comparison

Countdown vs Looking FWD

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

Head to head
About

Countdown

Easily track upcoming events and deadlines. Set a date and name for any occasion to see the remaining time in months, weeks, and days. Never forget important dates again with this helpful reminder tool.

Highlights
  • Track upcoming events
  • Count down time remaining
  • Display time in months, weeks, days
  • Remember important dates
  • Set custom event names
Features
Read full description

Do you have an event approaching? Want to know how long is left before this event? This application will do the job perfectly! Set the date of your choice and the name of the event, and you’ll quickly see how many months, weeks and days you have left. This application remembers important dates for you and helps you count down to the deadline. Terms of service: https://termsfeed.com/terms-service/5c8b6678a74ea05ab5f671329b35ddc1

About

Looking FWD

Track upcoming events with a customizable countdown. Add photos, emojis, and checklists to your events. View upcoming events on your home screen with widgets. Syncs securely across devices via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Customizable event countdowns
  • Event reminders
  • Home screen widgets
  • Photo and emoji customization
  • Checklists for events
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

Life’s happy moments. Count down to yours. Looking FWD is a colourful calendar for counting down to the things that make life special. From big birthdays and weddings to holidays, concerts and your next pay day, keep everything you’re excited about in one happy place. Enjoy the anticipation, see what’s coming next and be ready when the day arrives. • Make every countdown yours Bring your events to life with emojis, photos and colours. Create your own categories for the people, plans and occasions that matter to you. • See the good things ahead Explore upcoming events in your calendar and watch the days count down. Choose your countdown style and add progress rings to see each moment getting closer. • Celebrate the milestones Keep birthdays and anniversaries together, with ages and special milestones highlighted so the big ones stand out. • Put happy moments on your Home Screen Add customisable Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets to keep your favourite countdowns in sight without opening the app. • Turn anticipation into preparation Set reminders and add checklists to your events. Keep gift ideas, holiday packing and plans for the big day right beside the countdown. • Add events with less effort Import from Contacts and Calendar, explore suggested events, or type naturally with on-device AI Smart Entry on supported devices. • Keep everything together Sync your events across your Apple devices with iCloud. Enjoy light and dark appearances, and keep private event categories behind authentication. Whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime celebration or a little treat at the end of the week, give yourself something to look forward to. What are you Looking FWD to? -- Subscription -- Looking FWD requires a subscription to access the features described above. Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period at the price of your selected plan. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Terms of Service: https://www.johnmackay.dev/#terms Privacy Policy: https://www.johnmackay.dev/#privacy -- Support -- Need a hand? Use Email Support in the app’s Help section to get in touch.

Screenshots

Countdown4 screens
Looking FWD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Countdown at free with in-app purchases against Looking FWD's subscription. Countdown also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and device support (4 vs 2). Looking FWD's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (63% vs 52%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and Looking FWD sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 32 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 63% of Looking FWD's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Countdown versus Looking FWD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCountdownLooking FWD
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (52 ratings) — better4.0 (32 ratings)
Positive reviews51.5% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings52 — better32
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB220 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperoWorld SoftwareJohn Mackay

Customer experience

Countdown

All ratings52 ratings
Positive82.7%
Neutral7.7%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive51.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative45.5%

Looking FWD

All ratings32 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral3.1%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Countdown

Subscriptions1
  • Countdown Pro - days Counter7 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • LifeTime access$12.99
4 purchases

Looking FWD

Subscriptions3
  • Unlock Looking FWD3 Days trial$0.297 Days
  • Unlock Looking FWD3 Days trial$0.791 Month
  • Unlock Looking FWD3 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock Looking FWD$9.99

Questions

Is Countdown free?
Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Looking FWD free?
Looking FWD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Countdown or Looking FWD?
Countdown is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.4 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while Looking FWD averages 4.0 from 32 ratings.
Do Countdown or Looking FWD have ads?
Countdown shows ads; Looking FWD does not.
Which is updated more often, Countdown or Looking FWD?
Countdown ships an update every 2 weeks, and Looking FWD every 2 weeks. Most recently, Countdown was updated on October 29, 2026 and Looking FWD on October 24, 2026.

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