# Countdowns vs Countdown Buddy

The clearest difference is rating: Countdown Buddy at 4.6 against Countdowns's 3.4. Countdown Buddy also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (25K vs 62). Countdowns's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdowns sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Buddy has 25K ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Countdowns's written reviews are positive against 68% of Countdown Buddy's.

Countdowns ships an update every 3 months, Countdown Buddy every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdowns | Countdown Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdowns-with-widget/id919133049/reviews) | **[4.6 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 62 | **25K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.8% of reviews | **67.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Martin Stemmle](https://appshunter.io/developer/589878780) | [Taptics Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1512213514) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdowns

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdowns-with-widget/id919133049)

Track important life events with a simple interface. See upcoming and past events at a glance with a convenient widget. Syncs across all your devices via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Event countdowns, Notification Center Widget, Countdown in days/time, Simple UI, iCloud Sync, No Advertisements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Unlimited | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple, dependable, and uncluttered
- 🚀 Syncs well across devices with iCloud
- 💡 Useful widget in Notification Center
- 👍 Works as advertised

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widgets not displaying properly
- 🐛 Sync issues, unable to restore purchases
- 🐛 App not working after updates
- 💰 Paid version required for full functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on iOS 14
- Countdowns not syncing across devices
- Unable to set dates beyond 30 days in free version
- Paid version not recognized after updates

**Requested features**

- Integration with Apple Calendar app
- Dark mode support
- Ability to set countdowns in weeks/months, not just days
- Automatic deletion of past events


### Countdown Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-buddy/id1534850579)

Create personalized countdown and count-up widgets for your home and lock screens. Visually track important dates like birthdays, vacations, or deadlines with custom designs, colors, and photos. Stay motivated and make waiting more exciting.

**Highlights:** Personalized countdown widgets, Count-up widgets, Home screen and lock screen support, Customizable designs, Background color options, Photo integration, Font selection

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown + | $3.59 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app overall
- 👍 Customizable widgets and designs
- 🔒 No subscription, one-time purchase
- 📈 Helpful for tracking events and milestones
- 🎨 Visually appealing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay for more
- 🐛 Widgets not updating properly
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches after updates
- 📊 Lack of advanced countdown options (e.g., weeks)

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets disappearing or not working after updates
- Countdown timers not updating correctly
- Inability to add new widgets or countdowns

**Requested features**

- Add ability to display multiple countdowns at once
- Implement automatic countdown reset/repeat functionality
- Allow custom countdown units (e.g., weeks, business days)
- Improve widget handling and update reliability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdowns free?

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

### Is Countdown Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdowns or Countdown Buddy?

Countdown Buddy is rated higher. Countdowns averages 3.4 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Countdown Buddy averages 4.6 from 25K ratings.

### Do Countdowns or Countdown Buddy have ads?

Neither Countdowns nor Countdown Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdowns or Countdown Buddy?

Countdowns ships an update every 3 months, and Countdown Buddy every 9 days. Most recently, Countdowns was updated on September 24, 2026 and Countdown Buddy on October 1, 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.*