# Countdown by Holiday Extras vs Vacation Countdown ‎

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Countdown by Holiday Extras at none against Vacation Countdown ‎'s 4. Countdown by Holiday Extras also leads on ads (none vs shown). Vacation Countdown ‎'s advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 65) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vacation Countdown ‎ sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Countdown by Holiday Extras asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Countdown by Holiday Extras against 4.8 for Vacation Countdown ‎. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vacation Countdown ‎ has 1.1K ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 53% of Countdown by Holiday Extras's written reviews are positive against 50% of Vacation Countdown ‎'s.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown by Holiday Extras | Vacation Countdown ‎ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-by-holiday-extras/id915429488/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown/id1638144543/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 65 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **53.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 22 MB | 220 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Holiday Extras](https://appshunter.io/developer/783591491) | [Zaffles](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078438438) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown by Holiday Extras

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-by-holiday-extras/id915429488)

Stay excited for your upcoming trips with a customizable countdown. Add your own photos, use smart packing lists, and share your anticipation with friends and family. Track multiple events and enjoy an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Home screen widget, AI-powered packing checklist, Customizable backgrounds, Countdown to any event, Multiple countdown tracking, Suggested and recurring events

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🤩 Great for reminders
- 💖 Love the countdown feature
- 🌟 Accurate time tracking
- 🥰 Helpful for planning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 New layout disliked
- 👎 Old layout preferred
- 😠 Photos deleted after updates
- 😟 Past events lost
- 😩 App crashes after updates

**Reported bugs**

- App won't open after update
- App crashes on opening
- Widget not updating
- App deleted all trips
- App crashed and doesn't store new trips

**Requested features**

- Automatically add holidays (Christmas, Halloween, New Year's Eve/Day)
- Widgets update time remaining without opening app
- Add a checklist for holidays
- Option to revert to old layout
- Sync across devices


### Vacation Countdown ‎

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown/id1638144543)

Visually track your upcoming trips with a beautiful countdown timer. Get daily reminders and share your excitement with friends and family. This app also offers a home screen widget for at-a-glance updates.

**Highlights:** Vacation countdown timer, Home screen widget, Daily trip reminders, Easy sharing with friends, Offline functionality, Beautiful background images

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vacation Supporter/Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Vacation Supporter/Annual | $6.99 | per year |
| Vacation Countdown Lifetime | $2.99 | one-time |
| Vacation Countdown Lifetime | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown by Holiday Extras free?

Countdown by Holiday Extras is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Vacation Countdown ‎ free?

Vacation Countdown ‎ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown by Holiday Extras or Vacation Countdown ‎?

Vacation Countdown ‎ is rated higher. Countdown by Holiday Extras averages 4.6 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Vacation Countdown ‎ averages 4.8 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Countdown by Holiday Extras or Vacation Countdown ‎ have ads?

Vacation Countdown ‎ shows ads; Countdown by Holiday Extras does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown by Holiday Extras or Vacation Countdown ‎?

Countdown by Holiday Extras ships an update weekly, and Vacation Countdown ‎ weekly. Most recently, Countdown by Holiday Extras was updated on October 24, 2026 and Vacation Countdown ‎ on October 25, 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.*