# Heart Schools vs Countdown@

Heart Schools and Countdown@ both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of Heart Schools's written reviews are positive against 37% of Countdown@'s. Heart Schools also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Countdown@'s advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown@ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Heart Schools asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Heart Schools against 4.7 for Countdown@. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39K and 40K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Heart Schools's written reviews are positive against 37% of Countdown@'s.

Heart Schools ships an update every 2 months, Countdown@ every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heart Schools | Countdown@ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heart-schools/id548389448/reviews)** | [4.7 (40K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1456997268/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 39K | **40K** |
| Positive reviews | **73.7% of reviews** | 37.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [American Heart Association](https://appshunter.io/developer/441987817) | [Wuhan Linggu Dingdang Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/612318541) |

## What reviewers say

### Heart Schools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heart-schools/id548389448)

Manage your fundraising efforts for the American Heart Association's Schools program directly from your mobile device. Track progress, update your personal fundraising page, and communicate with supporters via email.

**Highlights:** Fundraising progress tracking, Update fundraising page, Send supporter emails, Mobile event management, Real-time progress updates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps raise money for a good cause
- 🤩 Fun and engaging features like games and AR
- 💕 Supports kids with heart conditions
- 🎉 Exciting prizes and giveaways

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 😕 Confusing navigation and UI
- 🤯 Frustrating login and account management issues
- 🤔 Inconsistent functionality across different devices

**Reported bugs**

- Heart Hero scanner not working
- Points not accurately tracked or updated
- Arcade games not loading properly
- Donation submissions failing or not registering

**Requested features**

- Allow multiple children under one parent account
- Improve check deposit and donation tracking
- Add more games and interactive content
- Provide better instructions and tutorials


### Countdown@

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1456997268)

Easily track important life events with stylish countdown timers. Create custom events like vacations, birthdays, and holidays. View upcoming events with a convenient widget and even count up from past milestones.

**Highlights:** Create custom event countdowns, Count up from past events, Event timeline with diary and notes, Widget for important events, Stylish event tracking

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Premium | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Customizable countdown
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing
- 🎨 Ability to select background and music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔔 Countdown only triggers a notification, not an alarm
- 🔒 Widget functionality locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Inconsistent widget behavior
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Paywall for basic features

**Reported bugs**

- Countdown not updating correctly
- Widget not displaying as customized
- Inability to delete past events

**Requested features**

- Ability to set countdown as alarm
- Sync countdowns across devices
- More customization options for widget
- Allow multiple countdowns in widget


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heart Schools free?

Heart Schools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Countdown@ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Heart Schools or Countdown@?

Heart Schools is rated higher. Heart Schools averages 4.8 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Countdown@ averages 4.7 from 40K ratings.

### Do Heart Schools or Countdown@ have ads?

Countdown@ shows ads; Heart Schools does not.

### Which is updated more often, Heart Schools or Countdown@?

Heart Schools ships an update every 2 months, and Countdown@ every 5 days. Most recently, Heart Schools was updated on October 18, 2026 and Countdown@ on October 18, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*