# Countdown by Holiday Extras vs Vacation Countdown App

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Countdown by Holiday Extras at none against Vacation Countdown App's 13. Countdown by Holiday Extras also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Vacation Countdown App's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 55%) and ratings volume (18K vs 65). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vacation Countdown App sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Countdown by Holiday Extras asks for nothing beyond the download.

Vacation Countdown App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vacation Countdown App has 18K ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Countdown by Holiday Extras's written reviews are positive against 88% of Vacation Countdown App's.

Countdown by Holiday Extras ships an update weekly, Vacation Countdown App every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown by Holiday Extras | Vacation Countdown App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-by-holiday-extras/id915429488/reviews) | **[4.8 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown-app/id937072424/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 65 | **18K** |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | **88.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#163** |
| Size | 22 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Holiday Extras](https://appshunter.io/developer/783591491) | [Kulana Media Productions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/545200653) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown-app/id937072424)

**Currently charting:** #163 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

Track the exact date and time until your next adventure with this travel countdown app. Customize backgrounds, receive daily travel quotes, and manage packing lists. Includes fun geography and flag games to keep you entertained.

**Highlights:** Exact date and time countdown, Customizable background themes, Daily vacation quotes, Vacation packing checklist, Geography and flag games, Multiple countdowns

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Theme Theme Park | $1.99 | one-time |
| Theme Cocktails | $1.99 | one-time |
| Theme Beach 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Theme Rome | $1.99 | one-time |
| Theme Greece | $1.99 | one-time |
| Theme Mexico | $1.99 | one-time |
| Theme Florida | $1.99 | one-time |
| Theme Hawaiian Sunset | $1.99 | one-time |
| function to add your own picture | $2.99 | one-time |
| Theme Cruise Ship | $2.99 | one-time |
| Removal of ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium Version | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate countdown
- 👍 Customizable backgrounds
- 💡 Helpful packing list
- 🎉 Builds excitement for vacation
- 🗓️ Tracks multiple vacations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Unclear notification purpose
- 💰 Ads and paid features
- 🔒 Limited photo upload options
- 🧭 Inability to reorder or manage multiple countdowns

**Reported bugs**

- Notification flag appears without reason
- Uploaded photos not resizing properly

**Requested features**

- Vacation-specific packing lists
- Widget or home screen countdown display
- More background theme options
- Ability to exclude non-work days from countdown


## 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 App free?

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

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

Vacation Countdown App is rated higher. Countdown by Holiday Extras averages 4.6 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Vacation Countdown App averages 4.8 from 18K ratings.

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

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

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

Countdown by Holiday Extras ships an update weekly, and Vacation Countdown App every 3 weeks. Most recently, Countdown by Holiday Extras was updated on September 25, 2026 and Vacation Countdown App on September 24, 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.*