Comparison

RetroDotTimer vs Countdown LCD

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

Head to head
About

RetroDotTimer

Features
Read full description

A full-screen countdown that looks like the dot-matrix displays of vintage arcades and early computing. Set the time, put your iPhone or iPad face up on your desk, and let the pixel grid count down. ONE TIMER, FULL SCREEN • A large dot-matrix countdown, readable across the room • Tap the display to start, pause, or resume — or turn on the Start/Pause button if you prefer one • Optional landscape mode that fills the whole screen • Keep the screen awake while a timer runs, with an only-while-charging option LOCK SCREEN AND DYNAMIC ISLAND • The Live Activity shows a real dot-matrix face, not a plain text label • It counts down on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • It follows the color scheme you chose in the app, including changes made mid-run • At zero it morphs into a checkmark and chimes once WIDGETS, CONTROLS, AND SIRI • A Home Screen widget that mirrors the timer, display-only • Control Center buttons to start a Pomodoro or a preset without opening the app • Siri and Shortcuts: start a timer, a preset, a Pomodoro, or the stopwatch, and pause, resume, or reset TIMER MODES • Presets: 5, 10, 25, and 45 minutes • Custom duration, 1 to 180 minutes • Classic Pomodoro: 25 minutes of work, 5-minute breaks, a 15-minute long break, 4 rounds • Stopwatch with a live hundredths-of-a-second sub-display • Multi-phase custom timers for intervals, rounds, and routines DISPLAY STYLES • Dot Matrix — the original pixel grid, with adjustable dot weight and square or round dots • 7-Segment — slanted LED calculator digits • Flip Clock — split-flap digits with animated transitions (Pro) • Small & Big — blocky digits with size-varied segments (Pro) COLOR • Transparent, Dark, and Light schemes • Six premium schemes: Amber, Green Terminal, Blue Glow, VFD Cyan, Sunset, Neon Pink (Pro) • Any text and background color you like (Pro) • Multicolored digits with Rainbow, Pastel, Neon, and Sunset palettes (Pro) WHEN TIME IS UP • Freeze at 00 or morph into a checkmark • A notification when the countdown ends • Sound and haptic alerts between Pomodoro and custom-timer phases WHAT THIS IS NOT Retro Dot Timer runs one timer at a time. No task lists, no labels, no session history, no analytics, no cloud sync. It is a single, quiet countdown. PRIVACY No accounts, no tracking, no analytics, no data collection. Everything works offline. FREE AND PRO The app is a free download and stays useful forever without paying. Presets, custom durations, the Dot Matrix and 7-Segment displays, square dots, Pomodoro, the stopwatch, the widget, Control Center buttons, Siri shortcuts, and the Live Activity are all free. Pro is a single one-time purchase, never a subscription. On iPhone and iPad it adds the Custom Timer Editor, six premium color schemes, custom colors, multicolored digits, and the Flip Clock and Small & Big displays. Pro is a Universal Purchase — the same payment unlocks the Mac menu-bar app. Every Pro feature is unlocked free for 14 days, starting automatically at first launch. No signup, no payment details. When the trial ends nothing is charged, Pro features simply return to the free tier, and any custom timers you saved stay runnable. LANGUAGES English, Spanish, Spanish (Latin America), German, French, Simplified Chinese. REQUIREMENTS iOS 18.0 or later. iPhone and iPad. SUPPORT contact@andeanbearstudios.com

About

Countdown LCD

Features
Read full description

A countdown timer that looks and reads like a real seven-segment display. Big, sharp digits you can read from the back of the room. For speakers, conferences and meetings: start the timer, set your iPhone or iPad on the lectern, and everyone knows how long is left. ON STAGE The screen stays awake while the countdown runs, so it never dims mid-talk. In landscape the digits fill the whole screen. SIX DISPLAYS Four backlit themes glow red, green, blue or amber on true black. Two reflective panels, a handheld-console green and a calculator tan, catch the light like a real LCD. AIM FOR A TIME "Ends at" counts down to a set date and time instead of a length. Beyond 24 hours the display switches to days, hours and minutes, then back to seconds on the last day. AIRPLAY Send the display to an Apple TV or any AirPlay screen: full frame, no controls. Your iPhone stays in charge. NEVER DRIFTS The countdown runs from an absolute end time. Leave the app, lock the phone, relaunch: the time stays exact. A Live Activity keeps it on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. BUILT FOR THE JOB Duration presets you can edit and reorder. An adjustable extend button for when a session runs over. Siri and Shortcuts to start, pause or add time without touching the screen. NO ACCOUNT, NO TRACKING No sign-up, no analytics, no third-party SDKs, no data collected. It's a timer. One-time purchase, no subscription. For iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

RetroDotTimer4 screens
Countdown LCD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RetroDotTimer at Free against Countdown LCD's $0.99. RetroDotTimer also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Countdown LCD's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). On ads and device support 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

RetroDotTimer is free to download; Countdown LCD costs $0.99 up front. RetroDotTimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Countdown LCD asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RetroDotTimer ships an update every 5 weeks, Countdown LCD weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
RetroDotTimer versus Countdown LCD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetroDotTimerCountdown LCD
PriceFree — better$0.99
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndean Bear Studios GmbHCamille Terol

In-app purchases

1 purchases

RetroDotTimer

One-time1
  • RetroDotTimer Pro$4.99
None

Countdown LCD

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RetroDotTimer free?
RetroDotTimer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Countdown LCD free?
Countdown LCD costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do RetroDotTimer or Countdown LCD have ads?
Neither RetroDotTimer nor Countdown LCD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RetroDotTimer or Countdown LCD?
RetroDotTimer ships an update every 5 weeks, and Countdown LCD weekly. Most recently, RetroDotTimer was updated on November 5, 2026 and Countdown LCD on November 3, 2026.

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