# Vacation Countdown App vs Cruise Countdown & Picker

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cruise Countdown & Picker at none against Vacation Countdown App's 13. Cruise Countdown & Picker also leads on ads (none vs shown). Vacation Countdown App's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 74%) and chart position (#163 vs unranked). On price, rating and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vacation Countdown App sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Cruise Countdown & Picker asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Vacation Countdown App against 4.7 for Cruise Countdown & Picker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vacation Countdown App has 18K ratings behind it against 2.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Vacation Countdown App's written reviews are positive against 74% of Cruise Countdown & Picker's.

Vacation Countdown App ships an update every 3 weeks, Cruise Countdown & Picker every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vacation Countdown App | Cruise Countdown & Picker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown-app/id937072424/reviews)** | [4.7 (2.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-countdown-and-picker/id1072175149/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 2.8K |
| Positive reviews | **88.4% of reviews** | 74.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#163** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kulana Media Productions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/545200653) | [CRUISE PICKER LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1072175148) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Cruise Countdown & Picker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-countdown-and-picker/id1072175149)

Easily search and compare thousands of cruises without annoying pop-ups. Set price alerts for specific trips or subscribe to deal categories to find the best prices. Explore ship details, dining, entertainment, and cabin options.

**Highlights:** Search and filter cruises, Price alert notifications, Last minute and destination deals, Detailed ship and cabin information, Cruise countdown widgets, Compare prices from multiple sites

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing app
- 🚀 Ideal for cruisers
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient
- 👍 Customizable countdown

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widget issues
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Missing cruise lines and ships
- 🐛 Difficulty editing settings
- 🐛 Inaccurate ship/image display in widget

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not working properly
- Inability to save new cruise
- Crashes when using certain features

**Requested features**

- Add more cruise lines and ships
- Improve widget customization options
- Allow editing of settings without adding widget first
- Enhance cruise search capabilities
- Provide option to exclude certain cruise lines or ports


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vacation Countdown App free?

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

### Is Cruise Countdown & Picker free?

Cruise Countdown & Picker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Vacation Countdown App or Cruise Countdown & Picker?

Vacation Countdown App is rated higher. Vacation Countdown App averages 4.8 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Cruise Countdown & Picker averages 4.7 from 2.8K ratings.

### Do Vacation Countdown App or Cruise Countdown & Picker have ads?

Vacation Countdown App shows ads; Cruise Countdown & Picker does not.

### Which is updated more often, Vacation Countdown App or Cruise Countdown & Picker?

Vacation Countdown App ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cruise Countdown & Picker every 2 weeks. Most recently, Vacation Countdown App was updated on September 24, 2026 and Cruise Countdown & Picker on September 22, 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.*