# Countdown vs Countdown

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown at none against Countdown's shown. Countdown's advantage is ratings volume (186K vs 162) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 186K ratings behind it against 162, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 72% of Countdown's.

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, Countdown every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Countdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-upcoming-events/id964477476/reviews) | **[4.8 (186K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 162 | **186K** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **71.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#29** |
| Size | 61 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rob Sammons](https://appshunter.io/developer/659065077) | [Find Appiness LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685887104) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-upcoming-events/id964477476)

Easily track upcoming events, holidays, and important dates with custom photos and notifications. View your countdowns on your Apple Watch, Mac, or Lock Screen widgets. Share events and enjoy a private, ad-free experience with optional Pro features.

**Highlights:** Add, modify, and view countdowns, Customizable photos from library or web, Siri integration for easy access, Apple Watch and Mac support, Widgets for home and lock screens, Shareable countdown images, Customizable event notifications

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Pro | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🖼️ Customizable background images
- ✨ Clean and elegant design
- 🚀 Fast and reliable performance
- 💰 Good value for one-time purchase

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 App became paid/premium required
- 🖼️ Widget customization limitations
- ⏳ Date selector can be cumbersome
- 📸 Photo cropping/zooming issues
- 🚫 Limited free features

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Cannot add more than two countdowns
- 🐛 Widget colors "washing out"
- 🐛 Incorrect countdowns
- 🐛 Countdown data disappeared
- 🐛 Keyboard shows up and won't go away

**Requested features**

- Recurring event option
- Ability to crop images
- Import calendar events
- Integration with Google/iCloud calendars
- Option to show more than one goal in a large widget


### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Easily track important dates and events with a customizable countdown timer. Set reminders, organize events with tags, and view upcoming dates on your home screen or Apple Watch. Syncs across devices and offers various counting options.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdown timer, Event reminders, Home screen widgets, Apple Watch support, Event sharing, iCloud sync, Repeatable countdowns

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start 7-Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Countdown Widget Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Widget | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🎨 Customizable colors and emojis
- ⏰ Accurate countdown tracking
- 🔔 Helpful reminders and notifications
- 💰 One-time payment for premium features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Paid widget feature
- 🔍 Lack of instructions/guidance
- 🔀 Inconsistent countdown display on widget
- 📅 Limited repeat options for events
- 🖼️ No option to use custom photos

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not updating automatically
- Countdown display issues after iOS 14 update
- Inability to delete archived events

**Requested features**

- Add ability to count up from past events
- Provide more date/time format options
- Implement calendar view for all events
- Allow custom backgrounds for widgets
- Add support for weekly/monthly repeating events


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Countdown free?

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

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

Countdown is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.6 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while Countdown averages 4.8 from 186K ratings.

### Do Countdown or Countdown have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Countdown does not.

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

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, and Countdown every 4 days. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 19, 2026 and Countdown on September 25, 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.*