# Countdown Star vs Christmas Countdown! 2026

The clearest difference is update cadence: Countdown Star at fortnightly against Christmas Countdown! 2026's every 3 months. Countdown Star also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 6.2K) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Christmas Countdown! 2026's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 60%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Star sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Christmas Countdown! 2026 sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Countdown Star against 4.7 for Christmas Countdown! 2026. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star has 216K ratings behind it against 6.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Countdown Star's written reviews are positive against 77% of Christmas Countdown! 2026's.

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, Christmas Countdown! 2026 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | Christmas Countdown! 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews)** | [4.7 (6.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-countdown-2026/id1439014968/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 6.2K |
| Positive reviews | 59.6% of reviews | **77.1% 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 | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [Yuvrajsinh Jadeja](https://appshunter.io/developer/1244442367) |

## 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


### Christmas Countdown! 2026

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/christmas-countdown-2026/id1439014968)

Track the exact time remaining until Christmas 2025 with a dynamic countdown. Enjoy festive themes, snowfall effects, animated characters, and ambient Christmas music. Personalize your experience with HD wallpapers and share the excitement with loved ones.

**Highlights:** Christmas countdown timer, Day and night themes, Snowfall effects, Christmas wallpapers, Ambient Christmas music, Animated Christmas characters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy Pro | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy Coffee | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎄 Christmas countdown
- 🎅 Helpful for Christmas planning
- 🎶 Christmas music
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎉 Fun and engaging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Ads too frequent
- 🔧 Bugs and glitches
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 🚫 Lack of customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Countdown not accurate
- Notifications not working properly
- Wallpapers not available as advertised

**Requested features**

- Christmas gift list feature
- Ability to set app as wallpaper
- Countdown to other holidays
- More customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Is Christmas Countdown! 2026 free?

Christmas Countdown! 2026 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Star or Christmas Countdown! 2026?

Countdown Star is rated higher. Countdown Star averages 4.8 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Christmas Countdown! 2026 averages 4.7 from 6.2K ratings.

### Do Countdown Star or Christmas Countdown! 2026 have ads?

Both Countdown Star and Christmas Countdown! 2026 show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or Christmas Countdown! 2026?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and Christmas Countdown! 2026 every 3 months. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on September 24, 2026 and Christmas Countdown! 2026 on September 23, 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.*