# Countdown Star vs Retirement Countdown ·

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Countdown Star at 216K against Retirement Countdown ·'s 12K. Countdown Star also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and review sentiment (60% vs 49%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Star sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Retirement Countdown · sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. 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 4.8 for Retirement Countdown ·. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star has 216K ratings behind it against 12K, 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 49% of Retirement Countdown ·'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | Retirement Countdown · |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews) | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retirement-countdown/id1645215938/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 12K |
| Positive reviews | **59.6% of reviews** | 49.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 55 MB | 225 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [Zaffles](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078438438) |

## 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


### Retirement Countdown ·

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retirement-countdown/id1645215938)

Track your retirement date with a visually appealing countdown. Features include daily reminders, home screen widgets, and the ability to share your progress with loved ones. Enjoy beautiful background images and offline functionality.

**Highlights:** Retirement countdown timer, Home screen widget, Daily notification reminders, Share countdown with friends, Offline functionality, Customizable background images

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retirement Supporter/Monthly | $0.49 | per month |
| Retirement Supporter/Annual | $4.99 | per year |
| Retirement Lifetime Supporter | $3.99 | one-time |
| Retirement Lifetime Supporter | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful widget
- 💎 Beautiful backgrounds
- 🎉 Exciting countdown
- 🙋‍♀️ Helpful daily updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Collects too much personal data
- 🛑 Intrusive ads
- 🐛 Snapola error message

**Reported bugs**

- Snapola error message when setting retirement date

**Requested features**

- Ability to track multiple countdowns
- Percentage of career completion


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Is Retirement Countdown · free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Star or Retirement Countdown ·?

Countdown Star and Retirement Countdown · are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 216K and 12K ratings respectively.

### Do Countdown Star or Retirement Countdown · have ads?

Both Countdown Star and Retirement Countdown · show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or Retirement Countdown ·?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and Retirement Countdown · fortnightly. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on September 24, 2026 and Retirement Countdown · on September 24, 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.*