Comparison

Countdowns vs GekoNotes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Countdowns

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
Read full description

Countdowns helps you count down to something you're looking forward to, whether that's a wedding, birthday, or new iPhone! Need to count up from it instead? No problem! Designed to be more than a timer app, Countdowns is great for keeping tabs on how long it is until something, or how long it is since it happened. Count up from the last time you had a cigarette and down to your next cookie — if it happened in the past or is happening in the future, Countdowns keeps track of the time so you don't need to. Countdowns can keep your timers running no matter where you are. Available for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, Countdowns can sync your timers between your devices so you're always up to speed. As a free download, Countdowns offers the following features: - Gorgeous, colorful widgets on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. - An unlimited number of countdowns. - Repeating timers which are perfect for birthdays and similar events. - Siri & Shortcuts integrations. - Support for importing events from calendars, reminders, and contacts. - Multiple unit options (days, weeks, etc.) and icons to make your countdown your very own. - Dark mode. - And more! An optional monthly, annual, or one-time in-app purchase unlocks additional features, including: - iCloud support to keep all of your timers in sync across iPhones, iPads, and Macs. - A compact display mode so you can see more timers at once. - Lists so you can more easily organize your timers — put all of your birthday timers in a list, for example. - Directional indicators so you always know whether a timer is counting up or down. - Custom notifications and sounds so you'll never miss a timer again. - Archive function that saves old timers. Countdowns subscriptions can be canceled at any time, but will renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the next payment is due. For more information, see our privacy policy & terms of use: https://www.countdowns-app.com/policies

About

GekoNotes

Read full description

GekoNotes is the ultimate instant-capture scratchpad designed for the Apple ecosystem. Engineered for frictionless, distraction-free note-taking, it replaces bloated, complex note suites with surgical simplicity and speed. Capture fleeting thoughts, verification codes, meeting action items, URLs, or structured task lists in under two seconds. Key Features: • Structured 36-Slot Capacity Organize your thoughts across 3 independent Banks (A, B, and C) with 12 slots each. No nested folders, no file tree sprawl—just fast, predictable organization for Work, Personal, and Active Projects. • Native Rich Text & Smart Lists Format your notes with Bold, Italic, Underline, and Regular styles. Create progressive Bullet, Numbered, and Lettered lists, or toggle Interactive Checklists with inline strikethrough. • Real-Time Live Search Find anything instantly with real-time match highlighting and step-by-step navigation directly inside your notes. • Seamless & Conflict-Safe iCloud Sync Keep your notes synchronized across iOS and macOS automatically via encrypted Apple iCloud. No accounts, no sign-ups, and no cloud loading delays. • iOS-Native Integrations - System Share Extension: Clip text and URLs directly from Safari, Mail, or any app. - Siri & App Intents: Use voice or Shortcuts to save notes instantly ("Save to GekoNotes"). - Tactile Haptics: Distinct, responsive multi-tier haptic feedback. • Highly Customizable - 181 SF Symbol icons across 12 categories to personalize each slot. - 5 curated neon accent colors and 3 appearance themes (Dark, Light, System). - Drag-and-drop note reordering. • Absolute Privacy & Zero Telemetry Your data is strictly yours. Zero proprietary backend servers, zero third-party analytics SDKs, zero tracking, and zero ads. Full offline support with local JSON backup export and import. Experience lightning-fast, native scratchpad productivity with GekoNotes.

Screenshots

Countdowns4 screens
GekoNotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GekoNotes at none against Countdowns's 6. GekoNotes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Countdowns sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. GekoNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Countdowns ships an update every 4 weeks, GekoNotes every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Countdowns versus GekoNotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCountdownsGekoNotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9.4K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings9.4K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShayes Apps LLCMICHELE BRUZZA

Bugs and requests

Countdowns

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

GekoNotes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Countdowns

Subscriptions2
  • Countdowns Premium7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Countdowns Premium7 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time4
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Lifetime Unlock$19.99
None

GekoNotes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Countdowns free?
Countdowns is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GekoNotes free?
GekoNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Countdowns or GekoNotes have ads?
Countdowns shows ads; GekoNotes does not.
Which is updated more often, Countdowns or GekoNotes?
Countdowns ships an update every 4 weeks, and GekoNotes every 3 days. Most recently, Countdowns was updated on October 15, 2026 and GekoNotes on October 6, 2026.

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