Comparison

Play Countdown vs Four 4s

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

Head to head
About

Play Countdown

Engage in a daily mental math challenge with a numbers puzzle. Use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to reach a target number using six given numbers. It's a fun way to improve arithmetic skills and keep your mind sharp.

Highlights
  • Daily math puzzles
  • Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
  • Whole number results only
  • Relax Mode (no timer)
  • Progress tracking and trophies
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Give your mental math a workout. Six numbers. One target. With a fresh puzzle every day, and unlimited practice whenever you want more. Play Countdown turns arithmetic practice into a satisfying numbers game. Combine six numbers using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to reach the target exactly. Each number can be used once, and division must produce a whole number. The rules are simple. Finding the right combination is the challenge. And close counts too. Every daily scores points: 10 for hitting the target, then 7, 5, 3 or 1 the closer you get. Solve it in the fewest possible moves for a bonus point. Stuck? Bank your closest number to lock in your points, then see how everyone did on today's puzzle. Can you score a perfect week of 70? Make it a small daily habit: a puzzle over coffee, a challenge during your commute, or a few minutes of focused play whenever you want a break. Watch the timer or switch to Relax Mode and take your time. Every puzzle gives you a reason to practise mental arithmetic. Try different combinations, put your multiplication tables to work, and look for a clever route to the answer. Whether you're brushing up on everyday maths or enjoy solving number puzzles, there's a new target waiting each day. And when one a day isn't enough, Countdown Extended gives you unlimited Challenges, so you can keep practising for as long as you like. Your daily game includes: - A fresh puzzle every day, the same for everyone - Points for every daily, plus a bonus for the fewest moves - Bank your closest number when you're stuck - The shortest way to the target after a miss - How everyone did: the spread of scores, where you stand and the median solve time - A weekly scorecard, points milestones and lifetime badges - A quick interactive tutorial to get you started - Clear, step-by-step calculations as you play - Relax Mode to hide the timer - Daily streaks and 24 trophies to collect - Recent game history with your moves and solve times - Optional reminders at the time you choose - Share your score without revealing the numbers - Satisfying buttons, confetti celebrations, and light and dark modes Play your daily puzzle for free, with access to the last seven days. Want more practice? Unlock Countdown Extended with a one-time purchase: - Unlimited Challenges: a fresh puzzle whenever you want, as many as you like - 31 days of daily puzzles instead of the last seven - Resume unfinished games and pick up where you left off - Full stats: your solve times, fastest games and how you're improving - All future updates included Pay once. Play forever. No subscription. No ads, no account, no tracking. The daily puzzles are built in, so you can play offline. Sharing your results for "How everyone did" is optional and can be turned off in Settings. Six numbers. One target. Can you solve the puzzle?

About

Four 4s

Features
Read full description

Four 4s: A Brain-Training Math Puzzle! Is your brain feeling a little rusty lately? Introducing "Four 4s," the historic math puzzle born in Great Britain in 1881, now available as an iPhone app! The rules are very simple. In "Four 4s," you just arrange four "4"s and operator panels like +, -, ×, and ÷ to create an equation. Your challenge is to make the answer equal every number from 0 to 100. It looks easy, but it's deceptively deep. Can you use your full insight and mathematical mind to complete all the numbers? It's as easy as moving the panels with your finger, like "44 × (4 - 4) = 0"! But... can you make a number like 73? Loosen up your rigid thinking and have fun training your calculation skills and creativity. By the time you clear all the puzzles, your math brain will be more powerful than ever! ・ Simple Controls: Just arrange the panels as if you were playing with blocks. It's that easy! ・ Endless Challenges: Once you've conquered the "Four Fours," take on new challenges with "Four 1s" or "Four 3s"! Achieve great results to unlock a mode where you can play with any numbers you like. ・ Completely Free: The game is supported by ads, so you can enjoy the entire experience for free. Turn your spare moments into the ultimate brain-training time. Download now!

Screenshots

Play Countdown4 screens
Four 4s4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Four 4s at none against Play Countdown's 1. Four 4s also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Play Countdown's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and update cadence 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. Play Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Four 4s asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Play Countdown ships an update fortnightly, Four 4s every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Play Countdown versus Four 4s: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlay CountdownFour 4s
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB121 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperJoachim DorelTADASHI FUKUZAWA

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Play Countdown

One-time1
  • Countdown Extended$1.99
None

Four 4s

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Play Countdown free?
Play Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Four 4s free?
Four 4s is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Play Countdown or Four 4s have ads?
Four 4s shows ads; Play Countdown does not.
Which is updated more often, Play Countdown or Four 4s?
Play Countdown ships an update fortnightly, and Four 4s every 2 weeks. Most recently, Play Countdown was updated on October 24, 2026 and Four 4s on October 8, 2026.

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