# Countdown vs SimpleCal

The clearest difference is update cadence: Countdown at weekly against SimpleCal's fortnightly. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and SimpleCal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 — 4.7 for Countdown against 4.7 for SimpleCal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24K and 18K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 85% of SimpleCal's.

Countdown ships an update weekly, SimpleCal fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | SimpleCal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-event-countdown/id983258067/reviews) | [4.7 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplecal-simple-calendar/id1227579630/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 18K |
| Positive reviews | 80.1% of reviews | **85.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 200 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ROOT38 LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1206411222) | [Yohei Fujikawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1227579629) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-event-countdown/id983258067)

Easily track important dates and events with a beautifully designed countdown timer and calendar. Set unlimited countdowns, customize with icons and colors, and receive basic reminders. Share your upcoming events with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Unlimited event countdowns, Count up or down to events, Customizable icons and colors, Add notes to events, Basic notifications and reminders, Event sharing

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium 3 Months | $5.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly (50% Off) | $9.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Customizable colors and icons
- 🕰️ Helpful for tracking upcoming events
- 💻 Works well on multiple devices
- 🧠 Assists with time management and organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Premium features locked behind paywall
- 💸 Aggressive promotion of premium version
- 🔔 Lack of customizable notifications
- 🗓️ Missing calendar view and repeat event options
- 🐛 Issues with past event tracking and data loss after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Premium subscription issues after updates
- Inconsistent font sizing and layout
- Countdown accuracy problems for distant events

**Requested features**

- Calendar view integration
- Repeat/recurring event options
- More customization for notifications
- Ability to view past event details
- Improved handling of long-term countdowns


### SimpleCal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplecal-simple-calendar/id1227579630)

This app offers a straightforward way to manage your schedule, sync events across devices using iCloud or Google Calendar, and stay organized with reminders and weather forecasts. Its customizable interface and simple design make adding and editing events quick and intuitive.

**Highlights:** Cross-platform sync (iCloud/Google), Event reminders (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly), Weather forecast integration, Customizable event and color themes, Simple event adding and editing, Widget for quick event overview, Dark mode support

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ads removal | $0.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😍 Awesome!!
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Well-organized
- 🎨 Helpful color-coding
- ⏰ Useful reminders

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Deleted events/data loss
- 🔒 Requires full access to Apple Calendar
- 🗓️ Can't edit read-only events
- 🎨 Limited color options
- 🗓️ Can't add events on days with existing events

**Reported bugs**

- Calendar stuck on one date
- Home screen widget not working
- Issues with setting recurring events

**Requested features**

- Add more color options
- Ability to gray out past days
- Custom reminder times
- Separate work and personal calendars
- Printable calendar view


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is SimpleCal free?

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

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

Countdown and SimpleCal are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 24K and 18K ratings respectively.

### Do Countdown or SimpleCal have ads?

Both Countdown and SimpleCal show ads.

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

Countdown ships an update weekly, and SimpleCal fortnightly. Most recently, Countdown was updated on October 15, 2026 and SimpleCal on October 15, 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.*