# Countdown Star (Ad vs kien

The clearest difference is price: kien at Free against Countdown Star (Ad's $1.99. kien also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Countdown Star (Ad's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 2). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

kien is free to download; Countdown Star (Ad costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Countdown Star (Ad holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star (Ad has 3.7K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Countdown Star (Ad ships an update fortnightly, kien every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star (Ad | kien |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star-ad-free/id569371565/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kien/id1493788544/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 55.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#176** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [Ouborg & Gatin BV](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493788543) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown Star (Ad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star-ad-free/id569371565)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Paid · Entertainment (US App Store)

Track time until or since important events with customizable timers. Set up countdowns for birthdays, holidays, and vacations, or count up from anniversaries and special dates. Share your event timers with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Add custom events, Customize event visuals, Apple Watch display, Today Widget integration, Set exact event times, Adjust time units, Share event timers

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Customizable backgrounds
- 🚀 Simple and functional
- 🎨 Nice visual design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable widget functionality
- 🔍 Limited event management options
- 💰 Paid version doesn't import free version data
- 🔧 Lack of customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Custom wallpapers not saving
- Countdown not updating correctly
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Notification system not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Recurring event support
- Ability to exclude weekends/holidays from countdown
- Multiple event display on main screen
- Improved widget functionality
- Sync across devices


### kien

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kien/id1493788544)

This application allows users to control their SUB and SAT speakers. Adjust volume and select audio inputs with ease.

**Highlights:** Volume control, Input selection, Speaker management

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star (Ad free?

Countdown Star (Ad costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is kien free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Star (Ad or kien?

Countdown Star (Ad is rated higher. Countdown Star (Ad averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while kien averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Countdown Star (Ad or kien have ads?

Neither Countdown Star (Ad nor kien shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star (Ad or kien?

Countdown Star (Ad ships an update fortnightly, and kien every 2 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Star (Ad was updated on October 24, 2026 and kien on October 14, 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.*