# Countdown Star vs Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Countdown Star at 59% against Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard's 11%. Countdown Star also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (216K vs 43K). Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Countdown Star holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Star has 216K ratings behind it against 43K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Countdown Star's written reviews are positive against 11% of Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews)** | [4.5 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amazon-kids-parent-dashboard/id6471528064/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 43K |
| Positive reviews | **59.3% of reviews** | 11.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#121** |
| Size | 55 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [AMZN Mobile LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/297606954) |

## 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


### Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amazon-kids-parent-dashboard/id6471528064)

**Currently charting:** #121 Top Free · Entertainment (US App Store)

Manage your children's digital experiences across Amazon devices and services. Set time limits, customize content, and monitor activity to foster healthy digital habits. Supports up to four child profiles.

**Highlights:** Set time limits, Prioritize learning content, Review child activity, Manage content library, Create child profiles, Pause/resume device access

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple dashboard app
- 👍 Pause/resume button is great
- 🚀 Much quicker than the other app
- 👍 Great educational tool for young kids
- 👍 Fabulous parental controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Pause/resume feature doesn't work
- 🐛 Inability to override individual settings
- 🐛 Unintuitive and not user-friendly
- 🐛 Lacks ability to block entire channels or videos
- 🐛 Can't view only apps downloaded to kids' tablets

**Reported bugs**

- Pause feature doesn't work
- Time limits don't get enforced
- Resets time limits without warning
- Inconsistent behavior across devices
- Confusing navigation and settings

**Requested features**

- Option to automatically pause screen time in intervals
- Ability to set time limits for specific apps
- Option to add temporary screen time extensions
- More granular time limit settings (e.g. 15-minute increments)
- Separate settings for different devices (e.g. tablet vs Echo Dot)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Is Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard free?

Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown Star or Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard?

Countdown Star is rated higher. Countdown Star averages 4.8 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard averages 4.5 from 43K ratings.

### Do Countdown Star or Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard have ads?

Countdown Star shows ads; Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard fortnightly. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on October 22, 2026 and Amazon Kids Parent Dashboard on October 22, 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.*