Comparison

Countdown Timer Button vs HAMSignal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Countdown Timer Button

A highly customizable countdown timer for board games and other scenarios requiring timed turns. Easily start, stop, and reset the timer with adjustable display colors and formats.

Highlights
  • Board game turn timer
  • Customizable colors
  • Adjustable time display
  • Start, stop, and reset functionality
  • Versatile for various timed needs
Features
Read full description

This app is designed to be used as a board game turn timer, but it can be used anywhere where there is need to display countdown in seconds. Fully customizable colors and user can define how remaining time is displayed.

About

HAMSignal

This app provides real-time solar weather data and forecasts specifically for amateur radio operators. It alerts users to improving band conditions, offers propagation tools, and includes a QSO logbook with solar data. Designed to help operators maximize their on-air time.

Highlights
  • Real-time K-index, SFI, and A-index updates
  • Band opening push notifications
  • 27-day solar forecast
  • Grey zone and terminator overlay
  • PSK Reporter live data
  • QSO logbook with solar conditions
  • Contest mode dashboard
Features
Read full description

Get an alert when your HF band is likely open at your QTH. HAMSignal rates each band, day and night, from live NOAA solar data. Made for licensed amateur radio operators. ALERTS • Band alerts (80m to 10m) follow the solar forecast by default: SFI and K-index, day and night, with thresholds you can adjust. • Or choose measured: it counts stations that receivers near you decode on PSK Reporter, so it needs active receivers in your area. • Four free space-weather alerts (M-class flares and up, G1 storms and up, strong aurora, proton events), plus custom alerts on SFI, K, solar wind, X-ray and more • Background checks run when iOS allows, so an alert can arrive late. Settings > Alert timing shows how late. CONDITIONS • Every HF band rated open, fair or closed at your location, from NOAA SWPC data • What can I work right now (US): open bands legal for your license class, with FCC Part 97 limits • Am I being heard: who decoded your signal in the last hour, from PSK Reporter • A VHF card for 6m, 2m, aurora and the sporadic E season • 27-day forecast, history, grey line map, solar imagery and a path predictor OPERATE • DX cluster and POTA spots, and PSK Reporter activity for your grid • POTA self-spotting that queues offline, POTA and SOTA lookup, Activator Mode, satellite passes, APRS and your repeaters • Offline logbook with unlimited QSOs, iCloud sync, ADIF import and CSV export, plus pocket tools from antenna length to Morse HAMSIGNAL PRO $9.99 per year with a 14-day free trial for new subscribers, or buy Lifetime once. You get a reminder on day 12. • Alerts for every band, unlimited custom alerts, and measured openings to the continents or DXCC entities you pick (free: one band alert, one custom alert) • 6m, 2m and aurora-on-VHF alerts, tagged sporadic E, aurora, TEP or meteor scatter • Heads-up alerts for storms (forecast, or likely within hours), HF radio blackouts and a good 10m day tomorrow • DX spot alerts, and POTA hunter alerts with spots you logged today crossed out • Heard map with up to 30 days of history, and an alert when a new continent or DXCC entity hears you • Greyline sked alerts, a morning briefing, and alert controls such as quiet hours • Path planner: likely openings over the next 48 hours, with an alert 30 minutes before (a model estimate) • Saved locations, and Rover mode, which can switch when you arrive at one • LoTW confirmations, and DXCC, WAS and VUCC lists (free shows your counts) • Contest Mode, and ADIF, Cabrillo and Field Day export • Live Activities for an operating session and a greyline countdown • A full-screen shack display for a phone on a stand or an iPad • Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets, and the Apple Watch app With the app closed, live-data alerts rely on background refreshes, so they are likely, not guaranteed, and show their data's age. ALREADY A HAMSIGNAL USER? Bought Pro, or HAMSignal when it was a paid app? You keep Pro, new features included. Installed HAMSignal before version 3.9? Widgets and the Apple Watch app stay free for you. Your alerts keep working as before. Missing something? Tap Restore Purchases. No sign-up, no ads and no server: your log stays on your devices and in your own iCloud. ABOUT THE SUBSCRIPTION HAMSignal Pro Yearly is $9.99 per year (US price; local prices vary), with a 14-day free trial for new subscribers. It renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the trial or period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm, or when the free trial ends. Cancel anytime in Settings > your name > Subscriptions. HAMSignal Pro Lifetime is one payment, no subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://stephenlthorn.github.io/app-legal/ham-signal/privacy.html Requires iOS 17 or later; the Control Center control needs iOS 18, and the Apple Watch app watchOS 10.

Screenshots

Countdown Timer Button3 screens
HAMSignal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: HAMSignal at Free against Countdown Timer Button's $1.99. Countdown Timer Button's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

HAMSignal is free to download; Countdown Timer Button costs $1.99 up front. HAMSignal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Countdown Timer Button asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Countdown Timer Button against 5.0 for HAMSignal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Countdown Timer Button ships an update every 2 weeks, HAMSignal every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Countdown Timer Button versus HAMSignal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCountdown Timer ButtonHAMSignal
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuotu OyStephen Thorn

Customer experience

Countdown Timer Button

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

HAMSignal

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Countdown Timer Button

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

HAMSignal

Subscriptions1
  • HAMSignal Pro Yearly14 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • HAMSignal Pro$4.99

Questions

Is Countdown Timer Button free?
Countdown Timer Button costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is HAMSignal free?
HAMSignal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Countdown Timer Button or HAMSignal?
Countdown Timer Button and HAMSignal are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Countdown Timer Button or HAMSignal have ads?
Neither Countdown Timer Button nor HAMSignal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Countdown Timer Button or HAMSignal?
Countdown Timer Button ships an update every 2 weeks, and HAMSignal every 9 days. Most recently, Countdown Timer Button was updated on November 4, 2026 and HAMSignal on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons