Comparison

Smart Choices vs Retirement Countdown+

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

Head to head
About

Smart Choices

Encourage positive behavior in children with a customizable reward system. Track progress, sync across devices, and access rewards easily. Unlock premium features with a subscription for unlimited rewards and more.

Highlights
  • Customizable rewards
  • Multiple child support
  • Reward history tracking
  • iCloud sync
  • Apple Watch support
  • Siri integration
Features
Read full description

Reward and reinforce positive behavior in your children with Smart Choices! When your children make a smart choice, let them tap the button and watch for a potential reward. - Supports families with multiple children! - Fully customizable rewards! - Track reward history effortlessly! - Empower your children’s decision-making! --- Deep integration with popular iOS features: - iCloud Sync: Keep rewards and history up-to-date across all devices - Apple Watch support: Access rewards right from your wrist! - Shortcuts and Siri: Quick and easy reward access! --- Unlock all features with the Smarter Choices subscription: - Unlimited rewards - Multiple Children - Enable or disable specific rewards - Comprehensive reward history - Access to all future, exciting features - Support an independent developer --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jakedgrant/SmartChoices/main/privacy_policy.md

About

Retirement Countdown+

Features
Read full description

Retirement Countdown+ tells you exactly how long you have left - and unlike a plain countdown, it knows the difference between days and days at work. A WORKDAY COUNT THAT IS ACTUALLY RIGHT Most countdown apps count calendar days and stop there. This one takes off your weekends, your public holidays for every year until your date, and the vacation and PTO you have booked - and it understands real working patterns, including a 9/80 schedule, four on four off, or any rotation that repeats. It will tell you how many hours you have left at work, which is the number worth quoting when someone asks. YOURS TO LOOK AT Six themes, each one a different world with its own typeface and its own horizon behind the countdown: Coast, Night Shift, Golf Course, Garden, Last Light and Quiet Library. Three are dark. Or use a photo of your own as the background. No paying per wallpaper. A REASON TO CHECK IT A different quote every morning, a check-in streak, and the milestones worth marking on the way out - including your last working Christmas. SOMETHING WORTH SHARING Turn your countdown or the day's quote into a card and send it to whoever keeps asking when you are finishing. IT DOES NOT END AT ZERO On the day, the app says congratulations. After it, it counts up, so you can see how long you have been free. ALSO INCLUDED - A bucket list for the things retirement is actually for - A daily reminder, if you want one - Backup and restore, so a new phone does not cost you your countdown - Works in your own language and date format NO ADS. EVER. Not during the free trial, not after. Seven days free, then one payment and it is yours for good. No subscription. WHAT STAYS FREE Your day count never stops. The number of days until your date keeps working whether you buy or not, so you never lose your countdown.

Screenshots

Smart Choices4 screens
Retirement Countdown+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retirement Countdown+ at every 4 days against Smart Choices's every 11 months. Retirement Countdown+ also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Both are free to download. Smart Choices sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Retirement Countdown+ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart Choices ships an update every 11 months, Retirement Countdown+ every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 12, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Smart Choices versus Retirement Countdown+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart ChoicesRetirement Countdown+
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJacob GrantWayne Nixon

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Smart Choices

Subscriptions2
  • All Access$2.991 Month
  • All Access7 Days trial$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • All Access$19.99
1 purchases

Retirement Countdown+

One-time1
  • Unlock the Full App$6.99

Questions

Is Smart Choices free?
Smart Choices is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Retirement Countdown+ free?
Retirement Countdown+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Smart Choices or Retirement Countdown+ have ads?
Neither Smart Choices nor Retirement Countdown+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smart Choices or Retirement Countdown+?
Smart Choices ships an update every 11 months, and Retirement Countdown+ every 4 days. Most recently, Smart Choices was updated on September 12, 2026 and Retirement Countdown+ on September 12, 2026.

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