# Countdowns vs Countdown Widget with Emoji

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown Widget with Emoji at none against Countdowns's shown. Countdowns's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 59%) and ratings volume (9.3K vs 336). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdowns sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Countdown Widget with Emoji sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Countdowns against 4.6 for Countdown Widget with Emoji. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdowns has 9.3K ratings behind it against 336, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Countdowns's written reviews are positive against 59% of Countdown Widget with Emoji's.

Countdowns ships an update every 4 weeks, Countdown Widget with Emoji every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdowns | Countdown Widget with Emoji |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdowns-event-countdown/id917514700/reviews)** | [4.6 (336 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-with-emoji/id1411285986/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.3K** | 336 |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 59.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shayes Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/412539504) | [Lasmit TLB Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/535281397) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdowns

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdowns-event-countdown/id917514700)

Track upcoming events or past milestones with customizable countdowns and count-ups. Visualize your time with beautiful widgets and sync across all your Apple devices. Organize events with lists and receive custom notifications.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdown and count-up timers, Gorgeous, colorful widgets, Unlimited number of timers, Repeating timers, Calendar event import, iCloud sync, Custom notifications

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdowns Premium | $0.99 | per month |
| Countdowns Premium | $7.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Unlock | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Accurate and reliable countdowns
- 💡 Customizable countdown settings
- 🔒 Syncs across devices via iCloud
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget not always updating automatically
- 💰 Paid subscription required for some features
- 🐛 Occasional bugs or glitches
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with user tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Countdowns not displaying correctly
- Sync issues between devices
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Allow reordering of countdowns
- Improve recurring event handling
- Add more customization options
- Provide full-screen countdown view
- Implement more notification options


### Countdown Widget with Emoji

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-with-emoji/id1411285986)

Track upcoming events with a personalized countdown. Choose a date, assign a representative emoji, and see how much time remains until your special occasion. Features include customizable widgets and calendar integration.

**Highlights:** Event countdowns, Emoji representation, Customizable widgets, Calendar import, Dark Mode support, Apple Watch app, iCloud sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Club - Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Club - Annual | $4.99 | per year |
| Lifetime - No subscription | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Great for organizing events
- 🤩 Widgets look amazing
- 💯 Simple and useful
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💖 Makes counting down fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Requires payment for features
- 😩 Nagging for reviews
- ❌ Not working on Apple Watch
- ⚠️ Deceptive marketing
- 🔒 Repeating events locked behind paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Glitchy emoji selection
- Contact form not sending
- Doesn't work on Apple Watch SE 2
- Icon selection not appearing until re-opened
- Widgets not supported (claimed)

**Requested features**

- Ability to hide menu bar
- Menu bar visually aligns with events
- Insert own photos instead of Apple icons
- Section for past events
- Make more features free


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdowns free?

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

### Is Countdown Widget with Emoji free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdowns or Countdown Widget with Emoji?

Countdowns is rated higher. Countdowns averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.3K ratings, while Countdown Widget with Emoji averages 4.6 from 336 ratings.

### Do Countdowns or Countdown Widget with Emoji have ads?

Countdowns shows ads; Countdown Widget with Emoji does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdowns or Countdown Widget with Emoji?

Countdowns ships an update every 4 weeks, and Countdown Widget with Emoji every 6 weeks. Most recently, Countdowns was updated on September 24, 2026 and Countdown Widget with Emoji on September 23, 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.*