# Personalized Call from Santa vs Smartlights countdown

The clearest difference is rating: Personalized Call from Santa at 4.8 against Smartlights countdown's 2.6. Personalized Call from Santa also leads on ratings volume (9.8K vs 21) and review sentiment (49% vs 25%). Smartlights countdown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Personalized Call from Santa sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Smartlights countdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

Personalized Call from Santa holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Personalized Call from Santa has 9.8K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Personalized Call from Santa's written reviews are positive against 25% of Smartlights countdown's.

Personalized Call from Santa ships an update monthly, Smartlights countdown every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Personalized Call from Santa | Smartlights countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/personalized-call-from-santa/id914022423/reviews)** | [2.6 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlights-countdown/id1248150372/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | **48.9% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 97 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PackageFromSanta.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/914022426) | [Gemmy Industries Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/889851671) |

## What reviewers say

### Personalized Call from Santa

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/personalized-call-from-santa/id914022423)

Create a magical Christmas experience with personalized phone calls from Santa Claus. Choose from various messages, schedule the call, and even see Santa's photo on the screen. This free app offers a unique way to spread holiday cheer and encourage children.

**Highlights:** Personalized Santa calls, Scheduled call times, Unique Santa messages, Optional child's photo on screen, Customizable greetings, Call screen customization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade Free Call to Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade Plus Call to Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Additional Call From Santa | $4.99 | one-time |
| Add 3 Calls | $12.99 | one-time |
| Additional 6 Calls | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎅 Great Santa calls
- 👍 Customizable features
- 🎁 Wonderful Christmas magic
- 💫 Jolly and happy Santa voice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive for additional calls
- 🙅‍♀️ Limited free features
- 🤔 Confusing to use
- 🚫 Unreliable service

**Reported bugs**

- Scheduled calls not working
- Purchased calls not delivered
- Inability to access purchased content

**Requested features**

- Multiple child support
- Voicemail option
- More video/call customization
- Separate account for divorced parents


### Smartlights countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartlights-countdown/id1248150372)

Control Christmas projectors with Bluetooth, set custom countdown dates and titles, and read time. Get technical support directly from the developer.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth connectivity, Projector password function, Read time in phone, Calculate Christmas distance, Set custom countdown dates, Type custom titles for countdowns

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Personalized Call from Santa free?

Personalized Call from Santa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Smartlights countdown free?

Smartlights countdown is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Personalized Call from Santa or Smartlights countdown?

Personalized Call from Santa is rated higher. Personalized Call from Santa averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9.8K ratings, while Smartlights countdown averages 2.6 from 21 ratings.

### Do Personalized Call from Santa or Smartlights countdown have ads?

Neither Personalized Call from Santa nor Smartlights countdown shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Personalized Call from Santa or Smartlights countdown?

Personalized Call from Santa ships an update monthly, and Smartlights countdown every 2 months. Most recently, Personalized Call from Santa was updated on October 22, 2026 and Smartlights countdown on October 21, 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.*