# Vacation Countdown App vs Cruise Countdown Timer

The clearest difference is rating: Vacation Countdown App at 4.8 against Cruise Countdown Timer's 3.5. Vacation Countdown App also leads on ratings volume (18K vs 4) and chart position (#177 vs unranked). Cruise Countdown Timer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Vacation Countdown App sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Cruise Countdown Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Vacation Countdown App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vacation Countdown App has 18K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Vacation Countdown App | Cruise Countdown Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown-app/id937072424/reviews)** | [3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-countdown-timer/id6761128404/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 88.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#177** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 192 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kulana Media Productions LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/545200653) | [Austin Garlick](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829816182) |

## What reviewers say

### Vacation Countdown App

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

**Currently charting:** #177 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 Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-countdown-timer/id6761128404)

This app provides a visually engaging countdown to your next cruise vacation. It features a live, second-by-second timer, customizable backgrounds, and smart notifications for key milestones. Share your excitement with friends and family through generated countdown cards.

**Highlights:** Live second-by-second countdown, Home screen widget, Smart milestone notifications, Customizable cruise-inspired wallpapers, Trip planning and naming, Shareable countdown cards

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vacation Countdown App free?

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

### Is Cruise Countdown Timer free?

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

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

Vacation Countdown App is rated higher. Vacation Countdown App averages 4.8 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Cruise Countdown Timer averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do Vacation Countdown App or Cruise Countdown Timer have ads?

Vacation Countdown App shows ads; Cruise Countdown Timer does not.

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

Vacation Countdown App ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cruise Countdown Timer weekly. Most recently, Vacation Countdown App was updated on October 2, 2026 and Cruise Countdown Timer 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.*