# Countdown Widget vs Xarra

The clearest difference is ads: Xarra at none against Countdown Widget's shown. Xarra also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Countdown Widget's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown Widget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Xarra sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown Widget ships an update every 4 weeks, Xarra every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown Widget | Xarra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-events/id6748829624/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 31 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Craig Osborne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653804952) | [Daniel Devesa Derksen-Staats](https://appshunter.io/developer/1866327000) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-events/id6748829624)

Easily create and track important dates like birthdays and deadlines. Organize events in a timeline with filters for upcoming, past, and all items. Personalize events with icons and receive optional reminders.

**Highlights:** Create and edit countdown events, Personalize events with icons, Optional local reminders, Home screen widgets, Customizable widget styles and colors, Upcoming, Past, and All filters

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Countdown Pro Yearly | $6.99 | per year |


### Xarra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xarra-text-to-speech-reader/id6759402266)

Listen to articles, documents, and web content with natural-sounding text-to-speech. Customize playback speed, voices, and reading fonts, with optional synced highlighting. This app prioritizes privacy, working offline without accounts or tracking.

**Highlights:** On-device text-to-speech, Supports PDF, EPUB, Markdown, and more, Web article sharing, Adjustable playback speed and voices, Customizable reading fonts, Synced line and word highlighting, Offline functionality

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown Widget free?

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

### Is Xarra free?

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

### Do Countdown Widget or Xarra have ads?

Countdown Widget shows ads; Xarra does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown Widget or Xarra?

Countdown Widget ships an update every 4 weeks, and Xarra every 3 weeks. Most recently, Countdown Widget was updated on October 26, 2026 and Xarra on October 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.*