Comparison

Basic Countdown Timer vs CountdownZen

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

Head to head
About

Basic Countdown Timer

Features
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Count down to the things that matter in your day โ€” the train you can't miss, the meeting that starts at 3pm, the school bus. Basic Countdown Timer keeps all your deadlines in one calm list. Each one ticks away on its own card, so you can see at a glance what's coming and how long you've got. Tap one for a full-screen dial that you can leave running on the side, while you get ready. WHY PEOPLE USE BASIC COUNTDOWN TIMER ยท Know how long you've got before an event Keep track of your time with a simple, easy-to-use interface. ยท All your deadlines, one glance Multiple countdowns run side by side. Active ones are sorted to the top and colour-tagged, so the next thing that matters is always the first thing you see. ยท Reuse the same countdown every day Set it up once, then switch it on with one tap. "Standup at 9:30" or "leave at 4:40". Then come back tomorrow, ready to go โ€” no re-entering anything. ยท On your Lock Screen with Live Activities An armed countdown keeps ticking right on your Lock Screen, and a Home Screen control starts your regular countdowns in a tap. ยท Synced across iPhone and iPad with iCloud Set a countdown on one device, and it's waiting on your other device. Sync is automatic and private to your iCloud account, with no sign-up or setup needed. ยท Warned before time runs out (Pro) Ask for a nudge at 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes before the deadline โ€” separately from the final alert, so a flight reminder and bedtime reminder can behave differently. ยท Make each one recognisable (Pro) Tag countdowns with a colour and a symbol โ€” a red backpack for the school run, a plane for that flight โ€” so you recognise them instantly, by sight or by VoiceOver. ยท Full-screen focus mode Tap a countdown to fill the screen with the dial. No controls, no clutter โ€” just the time you have left. ยท A finished alert, not a silent failure When time is up, the countdown stays on screen with a chime until you acknowledge it. Nothing quietly expires while you're not looking. Basic Countdown Timer is built to feel at home on iOS: Live Activities, a Lock Screen presence, haptics, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver labels throughout, and the familiar swipe-to-delete. Your countdowns sync over iCloud, privately, to every iPhone and iPad signed in to your Apple ID. It's free to time three countdowns. Countdown Pro unlocks unlimited countdowns, colour and symbol tags, and early notifications, with one simple purchase, and no subscription.

About

CountdownZen

Features
Read full description

A wedding. A vacation. A deadline that changes everything. A birthday. Life is full of dates that matter - CountdownZen makes sure you never lose sight of them. Countdown Timer for Every Moment That Matters: Create countdowns for any event. Add a name, date, and time - and watch the days, hours, and minutes tick down in real time. Clean, calm, and distraction-free. Home Screen Widgets - Always Visible: Add a widget and your countdown is always there, no app required. Just glance at your phone and know exactly how much time is left. Import from Your Calendar: Turn existing calendar events into countdowns instantly. Trips, appointments, celebrations - CountdownZen makes them visible the moment they matter. Never Miss an Important Date: Set a notification and get reminded when the day arrives. No more letting important dates sneak up on you. Count Everything with Pro: The free version includes one countdown to get started. Upgrade to CountdownZen Pro and track every event, every milestone, every moment worth anticipating. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: http://countdownzen.com/privacy Support address: contact@indiezen.me

Screenshots

Basic Countdown Timer4 screens
CountdownZen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Basic Countdown Timer at none against CountdownZen's 2. CountdownZen's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. CountdownZen sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.29 per 7 days. Basic Countdown Timer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Basic Countdown Timer versus CountdownZen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBasic Countdown TimerCountdownZen
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 24 monthsโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.1 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size6 MB48 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperThomas DonohueMark Stelmachenko

In-app purchases

None

Basic Countdown Timer

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

CountdownZen

Subscriptions2
  • CountdownZen Pro โ€“ Weekly3 Days trial$0.297 Days
  • CountdownZen Pro - Annual$1.991 Year

Questions

Is Basic Countdown Timer free?
Basic Countdown Timer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CountdownZen free?
CountdownZen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Basic Countdown Timer or CountdownZen have ads?
Neither Basic Countdown Timer nor CountdownZen shows ads.

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