# Countdown Star vs Global Live

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Global Live at none against Countdown Star's 1. Global Live also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, Global Live every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | Global Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 55 MB | 156 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [Vaughn Sterling](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781265707) |

## 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


### Global Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/global-live/id6738582854)

**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 Global Live free?

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

### Do Countdown Star or Global Live have ads?

Countdown Star shows ads; Global Live does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or Global Live?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and Global Live every 2 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on October 15, 2026 and Global Live on October 12, 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.*