Comparison

ctrl vs Countdown

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

Head to head
About

ctrl

Features
Read full description

You're losing 4+ hours a day to your phone. That's 60 full days every yearβ€”gone forever. ctrl-time helps you take them back. WHAT MAKES CTRL-TIME DIFFERENT Most screen time apps shame you with numbers. ctrl-time does something different: it shows you what those numbers actually mean for your life. Every minute wasted is a minute you'll never get back. Every minute saved is a minute you can spend on what truly matters. YOUR LIFE IN WEEKS Inspired by Stoic philosophy, the Life in Weeks grid shows your entire existence at a glanceβ€”4,160 weeks, each represented by a single dot. The filled dots are weeks you've already lived. The empty ones are all you have left. It's not meant to scare you. It's meant to wake you up. - See exactly what percentage of your life you've lived - Tap any week to explore what you did (or didn't do) - Export the grid as your iPhone wallpaper - A daily reminder that your time is not infinite FOCUS MODE β€” BLOCK DISTRACTIONS One tap. Zero willpower needed. ctrl-time uses Apple's native Screen Time integration to block the apps that steal your attention. Choose sessions from 15 to 120 minutes and watch the distractions disappear. - Block Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and any time-wasting app - Native iOS integrationβ€”no workarounds or hacks - Live Activities show your timer on Dynamic Island MINUTES RECLAIMED β€” YOUR NEW KPI Every focus session gives you back precious minutes. ctrl-time tracks them all, showing you exactly how much life you've reclaimed. Watch the counter grow. Those aren't just numbersβ€”that's time you've taken back from the algorithm. REPLACEMENT ACTIONS What will you do with your reclaimed time? - Read a book - Exercise - Learn a new skill - Spend time with loved ones Log your activities and give meaning to every minute you save. Turn screen time into life time. DAILY JOURNALING A minimalist journal to reflect on your day. Each entry is linked to its corresponding week in your Life in Weeks gridβ€”building the story of your life, one week at a time. THREE MOTIVATION STYLES Choose how you want to be guided: STOIC β€” Direct messages inspired by ancient philosophy. "Memento mori. Your time is not unlimited." EMPATHETIC β€” Gentle, compassionate reminders. "It's okay to slow down. This is living too." PRAGMATIC β€” Data and concrete numbers. "18 minutes on Instagram = 18 minutes of life." ALWAYS WITH YOU - Home Screen widgets: Life in Weeks, minutes reclaimed, quick journal - Live Activities: timer visible on Dynamic Island and lock screen - Smart notifications: only when they truly matter PREMIUM Unlock everything: - Unlimited focus sessions - Advanced stats and trends - Goals Progression - Journaling Monthly: $9.99 | Yearly: $25 (save 79%) Spend life, not screen. Your next week starts now. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Countdown

Features
Read full description

Countdown is the warmest, simplest way to count down to the moments that matter in your life. Waiting for a trip? Studying for an exam? Trying not to forget a birthday? Countdown lets you organize your goals into categories and see, at a glance, exactly how much time is left for each one. FEATURES β€’ Unlimited categories (Travel, Health, Career, Family, and more) β€’ Countdown to each goal in days, hours, and minutes β€’ Reminders β€” get notified as your goal approaches β€’ Progress summary β€” see how far you've come β€’ Personal notes β€” remember why you chose this goal β€’ A warm, calm, distraction-free design WHY COUNTDOWN? Skip the cluttered planners and busy calendars. Countdown helps you focus on what actually matters, all counted down in one simple place. Countdown is free to start. Track up to 5 active countdowns at no cost. For unlimited countdowns and data export, we offer a one-time, affordable Pro upgrade β€” no subscription, no surprise charges. Add your first goal today, and take one step closer.

Screenshots

ctrl4 screens
Countdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown at none against ctrl's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. ctrl sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ctrl ships an update every 5 days, Countdown every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
ctrl versus Countdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterctrlCountdown
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days β€” betterEvery 8 days
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size16 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiuseppe RennaSelcuk ALBUT

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ctrl

Subscriptions2
  • ctrl-time Premium Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • ctrl-time Premium Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
1 purchases

Countdown

One-time1
  • Countdown Pro$3.99

Questions

Is ctrl free?
ctrl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Countdown free?
Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ctrl or Countdown have ads?
ctrl shows ads; Countdown does not.
Which is updated more often, ctrl or Countdown?
ctrl ships an update every 5 days, and Countdown every 8 days. Most recently, ctrl was updated on October 28, 2026 and Countdown on October 31, 2026.

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