# Countdown Star vs Protoworld

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Protoworld at none against Countdown Star's 1. Protoworld also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Countdown Star's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 17 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, Protoworld every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | Protoworld |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | — |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 55 MB | 391 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [Grafikens Hus Gripsholms Kungsladugard AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607657584) |

## 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


### Protoworld

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protoworld/id1607657582)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Is Protoworld free?

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

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or Protoworld?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and Protoworld every 17 months. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on October 14, 2026 and Protoworld on October 1, 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.*