# Smart Events Countdown vs Countdown Buddy

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown Buddy at none against Smart Events Countdown's shown. Countdown Buddy also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (25K vs 110). Smart Events Countdown's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smart Events Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Smart Events Countdown against 4.6 for Countdown Buddy. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 25K ratings behind it against 110, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Smart Events Countdown's written reviews are positive against 68% of Countdown Buddy's.

Smart Events Countdown ships an update every 13 months, Countdown Buddy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Events Countdown | Countdown Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (110 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-events-countdown/id641343059/reviews) | [4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 110 | **25K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.2% of reviews** | 68.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dmytro Vynokurov](https://appshunter.io/developer/350017076) | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Events Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-events-countdown/id641343059)

Easily track important dates and milestones with a user-friendly countdown timer. Customize your display to see remaining time in various units and access your countdowns directly from your home screen.

**Highlights:** User-friendly interface, Countdown widget, Multiple countdown display modes, Automatic device syncing, Customizable countdowns

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Events | $2.99 | one-time |


### Countdown Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579)

Create personalized countdown and count-up widgets for your home and lock screens. Visually track important dates like birthdays, vacations, or deadlines with custom designs, colors, and photos. Stay motivated and make waiting more exciting.

**Highlights:** Personalized countdown widgets, Count-up widgets, Home screen and lock screen support, Customizable designs, Background color options, Photo integration, Font selection

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown + | $3.59 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app overall
- 👍 Customizable widgets and designs
- 🔒 No subscription, one-time purchase
- 📈 Helpful for tracking events and milestones
- 🎨 Visually appealing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay for more
- 🐛 Widgets not updating properly
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 📊 Lack of advanced countdown options (e.g., weeks)

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets disappearing or not working after updates
- Countdown timers not updating correctly
- Inability to add new widgets or countdowns

**Requested features**

- Add ability to display multiple countdowns at once
- Implement automatic countdown reset/repeat functionality
- Allow custom countdown units (e.g., weeks, business days)
- Improve widget handling and update reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Events Countdown free?

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

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smart Events Countdown or Countdown Buddy?

Smart Events Countdown and Countdown Buddy are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 110 and 25K ratings respectively.

### Do Smart Events Countdown or Countdown Buddy have ads?

Smart Events Countdown shows ads; Countdown Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Events Countdown or Countdown Buddy?

Smart Events Countdown ships an update every 13 months, and Countdown Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, Smart Events Countdown was updated on September 4, 2026 and Countdown Buddy on September 25, 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.*