# Countdown vs Countdown widget

The clearest difference is ads: Countdown widget at none against Countdown's shown. Countdown widget also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 80%). Countdown's advantage is ratings volume (24K vs 1.3K) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Countdown widget sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 24K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 88% of Countdown widget's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Countdown widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (24K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-event-countdown/id983258067/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-day-counter/id1568911092/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **24K** | 1.3K |
| Positive reviews | 79.9% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 197 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ROOT38 LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1206411222) | [Amit Verma](https://appshunter.io/developer/1219761009) |

## 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


### Countdown widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown-widget-day-counter/id1568911092)

Design personalized countdown and count-up widgets for any event. Customize with themes, styles, and app icons. Track birthdays, holidays, vacations, and more with aesthetic looks and iCloud sync. Supports various widget sizes and modes.

**Highlights:** Custom countdown and count-up widgets, Multiple widget styles and themes, iOS Lock Screen and Standby widgets, Customizable app icons and fonts, Add personal photos, iCloud sync, Count up from past events

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Countdown Pro. | $9.99 | per year |
| Countdown Pro. | $8.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Pro. | $12.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Pro. | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Best out there
- 👍 Paid version is a must
- 👍 Thank you so so much
- 👍 I love the app
- 👍 Great app!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not happy with this app
- 💡 Widgets should be for sale
- 💡 The style of widgets they are all for premium and I think that should change xx
- 🐛 Good app, doesnt fully work for me
- 💡 OK

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices
- Countdown widget not working on lock screen
- Countdown based on EST instead of user's timezone

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Sync with calendars
- Show hours, minutes, and seconds in countdown


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

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

### Is Countdown widget free?

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

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

Countdown is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Countdown widget averages 4.5 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do Countdown or Countdown widget have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Countdown widget does not.

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

Countdown ships an update weekly, and Countdown widget weekly. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 24, 2026 and Countdown widget on September 22, 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.*