Roost. vs anyCountdown
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Roost.
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Bedtime without the phone fight. Roost locks the apps that keep you — or your kids — up at night, on a schedule you set, behind a PIN that can’t be undone in a weak moment. Set it once and it runs automatically. Now with Roost +, you can also pause apps by location. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose the apps. Pick the feeds, games, and chats that should pause. 2. Set the schedule. Match school nights and weekends to the way your family actually works. 3. Add locations with Roost +. Pause selected apps when the device arrives at places like school, tutoring, or afterschool care, then unlock them when it leaves. 4. Make it stick. A parent PIN and Apple Screen Time help keep settings from being switched off. When a schedule starts, your chosen apps are locked until the window ends. With Roost +, apps can also lock and unlock automatically based on saved locations. No nightly nagging, no manual on/off. ROOST + Roost + is an optional subscription add-on for location-based app blocking: - Create saved locations with custom names and radius controls. - Automatically pause apps when the device arrives. - Automatically unlock apps when the device leaves. - View location-based roosting status inside the app. FOR PARENTS Roost is built around routines instead of constant policing: - Parent PIN protects your settings and early wake-ups. - Recovery email lets you reset your PIN securely if you forget it. - Screen Time guide walks you through the iOS settings that keep Roost firmly in place. - Location-based blocking helps protect focus during school, tutoring, care programs, and other daily routines. FOR EVERYONE Not a parent? Roost works just as well for grown-ups who scroll past their own bedtime. Run it in self-managed mode and give yourself a gentle, automatic pause for the apps you can’t put down. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Roost is built to need as little of your data as possible: - Your PIN is hashed and stored only in your device’s secure Keychain. It never leaves your phone. - The apps and schedules you choose are represented by Apple’s private Screen Time tokens. We never see which apps you block or when. - Location-based blocking uses saved places to trigger Roost + on your device. - We don’t sell data or run ads. The only personal information Roost collects is an email address, used solely to send a PIN reset code if you ever forget your PIN. BUILT ON APPLE SCREEN TIME Roost uses Apple’s Family Controls, Screen Time, and Location Services frameworks to block apps reliably at the system level. Made for iPhone and iPad. Sleep first. Scroll later. Questions? Email support@useroost.app Privacy Policy: https://useroost.app/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://useroost.app/terms.html
anyCountdown
This widget app helps you visualize important upcoming dates with customizable designs. Track events like weddings, birthdays, and holidays directly on your Home and Lock Screens. It offers a variety of themes and personalization options, with an option to count up after an event occurs.
- Customizable Home and Lock Screen widgets
- Over 30 hand-crafted widget styles
- Count-up mode for past events
- Personalize with own photos, fonts, and colors
- No sign-in required
- iCloud sync across Apple devices
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Every big moment deserves a beautiful countdown. Countdown is the widget app that puts your most important days front and centre on your Home Screen and Lock Screen — stunning, glanceable, and always up to date. Whether you are counting down to your wedding day, the arrival of a new baby, a dream holiday, a big exam, or retirement, Countdown turns any date into a beautiful widget you will look forward to seeing every time you pick up your phone. BEAUTIFUL WIDGETS FOR EVERY OCCASION Countdown offers more than 30 hand-crafted widget styles, from elegant wedding florals and botanical watercolours to bold minimalist type, K-pop fan themes, anime-inspired designs, and even memento mori styles for the philosophically inclined. There is a theme for every personality and every event. Widgets live on your Home Screen and Lock Screen, so your countdown is always visible without opening the app. Choose from small, medium, and large sizes to fit your layout perfectly. EVENTS WE LOVE Wedding and engagement countdowns. Baby due dates and pregnancy milestones. Birthday and anniversary reminders. Christmas and New Year anticipation. Graduation day. Retirement. Next holiday or cruise. Exam dates. Sobriety milestones. The start of a new school year. Any date that matters to you. COUNT UP AS WELL AS DOWN Once your event arrives, Countdown does not go dark. Switch to count-up mode and watch the days, months, and years accumulate since that special moment — perfect for tracking how long you have been married, how old your child is, or how long you have maintained a healthy streak. NO SIGN-IN REQUIRED Countdown does not ask for an account, an email address, or a subscription. Open the app, create your event, pick a theme, and your widget is live. Your data syncs automatically across all your Apple devices via iCloud. PERSONALISE EVERYTHING Add your own photos as widget backgrounds. Choose fonts, colours, and layouts. Give each countdown a name. Whether you want something romantic and ornate or clean and modern, you will find the perfect look. FREE AND PRO Countdown is free to download and use. Upgrade to Pro for a one-time payment of $9.99 to unlock all widget styles and future updates. Individual theme packs are also available for $3.99 each if you prefer to pick only what you love. There is no subscription, no hidden cost, and no data harvesting. Pay once, enjoy forever. START YOUR COUNTDOWN TODAY Your wedding is getting closer. Your baby is almost here. The holiday you have been planning for months is nearly in reach. Download Countdown and make every day feel like it counts. Terms of Use: https://markg.app/apps/countdown/terms Privacy Policy: https://markg.app/apps/countdown/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
Roost. and anyCountdown are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Roost. sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and anyCountdown sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Roost. ships an update every 2 weeks, anyCountdown fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Roost. | anyCountdown |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 696 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Merit Apps LLC | Tu Hoang |
In-app purchases
Roost.
- Roost+ Monthly$4.991 Month
- Roost+ Yearly$39.991 Year
anyCountdown
- Pro Weekly$0.997 Days
- Pro Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$2.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$4.99









