Comparison

CountDelight vs Countdown

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

Head to head
About

CountDelight

Features
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Anticipation, made beautiful. CountDelight is the home for the moments you're counting down to - and the journal, tasks, and calendar that hold the rest. Whether you're four months out from a wedding, two weeks from a board exam, three sleeps from a holiday, or just trying to keep this week from getting away from you, CountDelight gives every moment its own beautiful countdown and its own little story. Everything is private. Everything works offline. Nothing about your life ever leaves your device. - ONE APP, FOUR THINGS YOU ACTUALLY USE - โ€ข COUNTDOWNS - Beautifully designed cards for trips, birthdays, weddings, exams, deadlines, anniversaries, baby due dates, project launches, and the hundred other things that matter. Custom themes, emojis, photos, tags, and recurring events. โ€ข TASKS - Attach checklists to any countdown, or keep a simple standalone to-do list. See what's due today, this week, or never (it's fine, we don't judge). โ€ข JOURNAL - Capture a thought tied to a moment, or just write freely. Add photos, mood, location. Read back through your year by tag, by countdown, or by date. โ€ข CALENDAR - Two-way sync with your iPhone Calendar (optional). See your countdowns alongside everything else. Nothing is duplicated, nothing is lost. - ON-DEVICE AI ASSISTANT - CountDelight uses Apple's on-device AI to suggest new countdowns based on what you already track, draft journal entries from your day, and give you a short morning briefing. Every prompt and response stays on your iPhone - no servers, no accounts, no training on your data. Ever. If your device doesn't support on-device AI, everything else works exactly the same. - WIDGETS, LOCK SCREEN, AND DYNAMIC ISLAND - โ€ข Home Screen widgets in every size - a single hero countdown, a stack of the next few, or a today-at-a-glance view of everything ahead โ€ข Lock Screen widgets - circular, rectangular, and inline - keep your nearest moment one glance away, even when your phone is locked โ€ข StandBy widgets turn your bedside iPhone into a quiet ambient countdown overnight โ€ข Live Activities tick down on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island - no need to open the app โ€ข Tap any widget to jump to the matching countdown โ€ข Pin multiple widgets side by side - one for the wedding, one for the trip, one for the deadline - BUILT FOR YOUR LIFE - โ€ข Cinematic full-screen view for the moments worth pausing on โ€ข Daily Briefing - a calm summary of what's ahead, grounded in your real data โ€ข Search everything - across countdowns, tasks, and journal entries - instantly โ€ข Dark Mode and a palette of themes (Teal Ocean, Midnight, Cobalt, Gunmetal and more) โ€ข Custom card sizes, tags, filters, and sort options โ€ข Full Dynamic Type and VoiceOver support - PRIVATE BY DESIGN - โ€ข Your countdown titles, journal entries, tasks, photos, AI prompts, and search queries never leave your device โ€ข Free tier is genuinely free with unlimited countdowns โ€ข Anonymous, opt-out analytics - no cross-app tracking, no account (as an indie developer it helps me improve the app) โ€ข On-device storage uses full file protection โ€ข iCloud sync (optional) is end-to-end encrypted by Apple - PRO (one-time purchase. Yes.. I don't like subscriptions either) - Unlock everything forever: โ€ข Unlimited countdowns โ€ข Unlimited journal entries โ€ข AI Assistant, Daily Briefing, and AI journal prompts โ€ข All themes and card sizes โ€ข Calendar two-way sync โ€ข iCloud sync across all your devices โ€ข Live Activities and all widget sizes โ€ข Collaborative sharing - share a countdown with a partner, family, or team You decide when you upgrade. Free works forever. - A NOTE FROM THE MAKER - I built CountDelight because I wanted one place that respected my time, my data, and my attention - not another app that begs for notifications or asks for my email before it lets me write a single word. If that sounds like the app you've been looking for - welcome. Have an idea or feedback? Email hello@countdelight.com. Every message is read by a human.

About

Countdown

Features
Read full description

Some dates don't feel urgent until they're gone. The warranty that ran out three weeks before the screen cracked. The passport you renewed in a panic. The car service you meant to book in spring. None of them felt like a deadline at the time โ€” which is exactly why they get missed. Countdown keeps all of them in one list and tells you before it's too late. EVERYTHING WITH A DATE, IN ONE LIST A warranty, a passport, an insurance renewal, a vet visit and a trip all live together, ordered by what needs you soonest. Nothing hides in a folder you forgot to open. IT ASKS THE RIGHT QUESTION Pick a category and the screen changes with it. Electronics asks when you bought it and how long the warranty runs. Insurance asks when the cover started and how long it runs. A passport asks when it expires. You never fill in a generic form. THREE WAYS TO ENTER A DATE - You know the date โ€” pick it - You know the start and the length โ€” the end date is worked out for you - It repeats โ€” mark it done and it rolls forward on its own REMINDERS THAT ARRIVE Choose how far ahead you want to hear about it: a day, a week, three months. Reminders arrive at 9:00 in your local time, and they work on the free plan. KEEP THE RECEIPT WITH THE DATE With the unlock, attach a photo of a receipt or document to any item. It stays in the app's own storage on your device. The app never gets access to your photo library at all โ€” it doesn't ask for the permission, because it doesn't need it. FREE Track 10 items with one reminder each. Archived items don't count toward the limit, so you never have to delete your history to make room for something new. ONE PAYMENT UNLOCKS - Unlimited items - Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets - Repeating items that roll forward - More than one reminder per item - Receipt and document photos - CSV export One payment. No subscription. PRIVACY IS THE ARCHITECTURE, NOT A PROMISE No account. No sign-in. No analytics. No tracking. The app has no server and makes no network request except to Apple for your purchase. The app never sends your dates anywhere.

Screenshots

CountDelight4 screens
Countdown4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown at none against CountDelight's shown. Countdown also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. CountDelight sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CountDelight ships an update every 4 weeks, Countdown monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
CountDelight versus Countdown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCountDelightCountdown
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks โ€” betterMonthly
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size47 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSANCTUARY MOON LIMITEDMURATHAN ORAN

In-app purchases

1 purchases

CountDelight

One-time1
  • CountDelight Pro$5.99
1 purchases

Countdown

One-time1
  • Tiny Countdown Pro$1.99

Questions

Is CountDelight free?
CountDelight is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Countdown free?
Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CountDelight or Countdown have ads?
CountDelight shows ads; Countdown does not.
Which is updated more often, CountDelight or Countdown?
CountDelight ships an update every 4 weeks, and Countdown monthly. Most recently, CountDelight was updated on October 13, 2026 and Countdown on October 14, 2026.

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