# Countdown vs Countdown@

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown at none against Countdown@'s shown. Countdown also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 37%). Countdown@'s advantage is ratings volume (39K vs 162) and update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, 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 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Countdown against 4.7 for Countdown@. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown@ has 39K ratings behind it against 162, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 37% of Countdown@'s.

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, Countdown@ every 5 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) | **[4.7 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1456997268/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 162 | **39K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 37.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 61 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Rob Sammons](https://appshunter.io/developer/659065077) | [Wuhan Linggu Dingdang Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/612318541) |

## 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/id1456997268)

Easily track important life events with stylish countdown timers. Create custom events like vacations, birthdays, and holidays. View upcoming events with a convenient widget and even count up from past milestones.

**Highlights:** Create custom event countdowns, Count up from past events, Event timeline with diary and notes, Widget for important events, Stylish event tracking

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Premium | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Customizable countdown
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing
- 🎨 Ability to select background and music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔔 Countdown only triggers a notification, not an alarm
- 🔒 Widget functionality locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Inconsistent widget behavior
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Paywall for basic features

**Reported bugs**

- Countdown not updating correctly
- Widget not displaying as customized
- Inability to delete past events

**Requested features**

- Ability to set countdown as alarm
- Sync countdowns across devices
- More customization options for widget
- Allow multiple countdowns in widget


## 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 4.7 from 39K 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 5 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.*