# Countdown vs Countdown Widget & Counter

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Countdown Widget & Counter at 2.4K against Countdown's 162. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown Widget & Counter sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. 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 4.6 for Countdown Widget & Counter. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown Widget & Counter has 2.4K 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 76% of Countdown Widget & Counter's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Countdown Widget & Counter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-upcoming-events/id964477476/reviews) | [4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-and-counter/id1533996161/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 162 | **2.4K** |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **75.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 61 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rob Sammons](https://appshunter.io/developer/659065077) | [The Good App Company, Limited Liability Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086171798) |

## 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 Widget & Counter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-and-counter/id1533996161)

Create customizable widgets to track upcoming events directly on your home screen. Visualize your countdowns with beautiful designs, icons, and color gradients. Receive real-time notifications for important dates.

**Highlights:** Live countdown widgets, Customizable widget templates, Event editor with live preview, Color gradients, Over 50 icons, Real-time push notifications

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Widget Studio PRO | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Widget Studio PRO | $4.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $5.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $7.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $8.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $12.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio PRO | $12.99 | per year |
| Widget Studio Pro Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |
| Widget Studio Pro Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Fantastic for glancing at events
- 👍 Cool app
- 👍 Nice widgets
- 👍 Good countdown app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Extremely buggy
- 🔕 NOT IMPRESSED (no sound)
- 💰 Expensive price
- 💰 Money
- 💰 Only 2 for free

**Reported bugs**

- Time calculation isn't correct
- Widget and in-app display show different days remaining
- Widget goes blank after phone restart
- Countdowns freeze or count up unexpectedly
- Paid version still shows ads

**Requested features**

- Better integration with calendar and reminder API
- Ability to rearrange events in the countdown list
- Option to default 'What's Next' to user's choice
- Larger photo frame in widget
- Ability to group events into categories


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Countdown Widget & Counter free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or Countdown Widget & Counter?

Countdown and Countdown Widget & Counter are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 162 and 2.4K ratings respectively.

### Do Countdown or Countdown Widget & Counter have ads?

Neither Countdown nor Countdown Widget & Counter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Countdown Widget & Counter?

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, and Countdown Widget & Counter fortnightly. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 19, 2026 and Countdown Widget & Counter 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.*