# Countdown Star vs Holiday Countdown App

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Countdown Star at 59% against Holiday Countdown App's 13%. Countdown Star also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Holiday Countdown App's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Star sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Holiday Countdown App sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Holiday Countdown App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star has 216K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Countdown Star's written reviews are positive against 13% of Holiday Countdown App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, Holiday Countdown App every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | Holiday Countdown App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holiday-countdown-app/id1100976651/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **59.5% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 55 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [ABY LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1360019657) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593)

Track time until or since important life events. Set custom timers for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and more. Personalize with your own photos and share progress with friends.

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

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Customizable backgrounds
- 👍 Helpful for tracking events
- 👍 Useful for long-distance relationships

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget not working
- 🐛 Wallpaper feature not working
- 🐛 Countdown inaccuracies
- 🐛 Notifications not working
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not displaying events
- Wallpaper not saving
- Countdown off by one day
- Notifications not working as expected
- Crashes and glitches after updates

**Requested features**

- Add weeks option
- Allow multiple countdowns on one screen
- Provide Apple Watch complications
- Add ability to export/backup data
- Improve wallpaper customization


### Holiday Countdown App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/holiday-countdown-app/id1100976651)

This app helps you count down to special events with customizable themes and backgrounds. It also includes a memory game and a travel guide to inspire your next vacation.

**Highlights:** Countdown to events, Customizable themes and backgrounds, Memory card game, Travel inspiration guide, Share countdowns

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| Unlock Theme Snow | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Theme Mountains | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Theme Zen | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Theme Mountain Lake | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Theme Buddha | $0.99 | one-time |
| function to add your own picture | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Is Holiday Countdown App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Star or Holiday Countdown App?

Holiday Countdown App is rated higher. Countdown Star averages 4.8 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Holiday Countdown App averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Countdown Star or Holiday Countdown App have ads?

Both Countdown Star and Holiday Countdown App show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or Holiday Countdown App?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and Holiday Countdown App every 3 months. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on October 15, 2026 and Holiday Countdown App on September 28, 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.*