# Countdown Star vs Smartlights countdown

The clearest difference is rating: Countdown Star at 4.8 against Smartlights countdown's 2.5. Countdown Star also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 25%) and ratings volume (216K vs 20). Smartlights countdown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Star sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Smartlights countdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown Star holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star has 216K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Countdown Star's written reviews are positive against 25% of Smartlights countdown's.

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, Smartlights countdown every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | Smartlights countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews)** | [2.5 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlights-countdown/id1248150372/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **59.6% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 55 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) |

## 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


### Smartlights countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlights-countdown/id1248150372)

Control Christmas projectors with Bluetooth, set custom countdown dates and titles, and read time. Get technical support directly from the developer.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth connectivity, Projector password function, Read time in phone, Calculate Christmas distance, Set custom countdown dates, Type custom titles for countdowns

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Is Smartlights countdown free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Star or Smartlights countdown?

Countdown Star is rated higher. Countdown Star averages 4.8 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Smartlights countdown averages 2.5 from 20 ratings.

### Do Countdown Star or Smartlights countdown have ads?

Countdown Star shows ads; Smartlights countdown does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or Smartlights countdown?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and Smartlights countdown every 2 months. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on September 26, 2026 and Smartlights countdown on June 5, 2026.

---

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