# Countdown vs Countdown Widget Timer

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown at none against Countdown Widget Timer's shown. Countdown also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 43%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Countdown Widget Timer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. 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 Timer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 162 and 484 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 43% of Countdown Widget Timer's.

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, Countdown Widget Timer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Countdown Widget Timer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-upcoming-events/id964477476/reviews) | [4.6 (484 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-timer/id1589042250/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 162 | **484** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 61 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rob Sammons](https://appshunter.io/developer/659065077) | [App Box](https://appshunter.io/developer/1720178029) |

## 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 Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-timer/id1589042250)

Easily track important dates and events with a customizable countdown timer. Set reminders for birthdays, holidays, or personal goals, and view remaining time in days, hours, minutes, and seconds directly on your home screen.

**Highlights:** Unlimited event timers, Customizable backgrounds and colors, Home screen widget display, Flexible notification settings, Annual recurrence options

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access for one week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Full access for one month | $6.49 | per month |
| Full access for three months | $11.99 | per 3 months |
| Full access for one year | $13.49 | per year |
| Lifetime Full Access | $7.99 | one-time |
| Premium access forever | $7.99 | one-time |
| Access to premium Lifetimeme | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable widgets
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Good for ADHD
- 🚀 Affordable price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widgets not updating
- 🔒 Paid features required for basic functionality
- 🐛 Bugs after updates
- 🔒 Limited free features

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets not showing up on home screen
- Purchased features not working as expected
- App crashing after updates
- Countdown dates not accurate

**Requested features**

- Add repeat weekly/monthly option
- Allow more than one countdown for free
- Add option to show weeks in widget
- Improve widget customization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Countdown Widget Timer free?

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

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

Countdown and Countdown Widget Timer are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 162 and 484 ratings respectively.

### Do Countdown or Countdown Widget Timer have ads?

Countdown Widget Timer shows ads; Countdown does not.

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

Countdown ships an update fortnightly, and Countdown Widget Timer every 6 weeks. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 19, 2026 and Countdown Widget Timer on September 27, 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.*