# Countdown Star vs ALI SD

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ALI SD at none against Countdown Star's 1. ALI SD also leads on 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. ALI SD asks for nothing beyond the download.

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, ALI SD every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Star | ALI SD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-star/id576177593/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Size | 55 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Merrill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1099488988) | [Aircraft Lighting International Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1047330653) |

## 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


### ALI SD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ali-sd/id6763572479)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Star free?

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

### Is ALI SD free?

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

### Do Countdown Star or ALI SD have ads?

Countdown Star shows ads; ALI SD does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Star or ALI SD?

Countdown Star ships an update fortnightly, and ALI SD every 2 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Star was updated on October 17, 2026 and ALI SD on October 6, 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.*