Comparison

Countdown vs Countdown Widget

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Countdown

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
Read full description

Event Countdown is the beautifully simple countdown, calendar and widget app for the important days in your life. Counting down since 2015, rated 4.7 stars from over 130,000 ratings worldwide. The original Event Countdown app, used by over a million people every month. Start straight away with unlimited countdowns. No account or sign-up needed. Count down to the days that matter: Birthday, Holiday, Party, Christmas, Halloween, Wedding, Anniversary, Baby Due Date, Graduation, New Home, Match Day, Concert, Film Release, Retirement, Bucket List and many more. NEW: CALENDAR VIEW See every event on a beautiful month grid, with your events colour-coded below. Swipe between months, tap a day, open any countdown. LIVE COUNTDOWN WIDGETS A Home Screen widget that ticks every second, plus Next Event, multi-event, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets. LIVE ON YOUR LOCK SCREEN Live Activities show your next event on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island as the moment approaches. MAKE IT YOURS, SHARE THE EXCITEMENT Hundreds of icons, every colour, repeats that show ages on birthdays. Then turn any countdown into a shareable video. Free version: - Unlimited event countdowns, all in one place - Next Event widget on your Home Screen - Count up or down in years, days, hours, minutes and seconds - Colour code events • choose from 450 icons - Share events with friends and family - Notes, notifications, and search Premium version: - Calendar View (NEW) - The full widget collection: Live Countdown, Lock Screen, StandBy, multi-event and choose-your-event widgets - Live Activities on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island - Ad free • Calendars • Detailed notifications - Sync events across all your Apple devices - Repeat events (with ages on birthdays and anniversaries) - 450 colour icons Event Countdown Premium is available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-off lifetime purchase. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Terms of Use - https://www.root38.com/terms-and-conditions/ Privacy Policy - https://www.root38.com/privacy-policy/

About

Countdown Widget

Easily track upcoming events with customizable widgets. Personalize your countdowns with photos or colors, and view them on your home screen or lock screen. Share excitement with friends and family.

Highlights
  • Customizable widgets
  • Personalize with photos/colors
  • Lock screen countdowns
  • Shareable countdowns
  • Flexible display options (days, hours, minutes, seconds)
  • Event notifications
  • Calendar import
Features
Read full description

Never miss life's most important moments. Whether you're counting down to your birthday, planning the perfect vacation, or eagerly awaiting the holidays, our countdown widget keeps every special date right at your fingertips. Built for iOS 27 - experience the latest features Apple has to offer with a countdown app designed for the newest generation of iPhone. Make It Yours Personalize every countdown with your favorite colors or photos. Want a tropical beach background for your vacation countdown? A festive theme for Christmas? A cherished memory for your anniversary? Simply choose any image from your gallery or pick from our beautiful color palette. Every countdown becomes uniquely yours. Resize widgets to fit perfectly on your screen. Whether you prefer a compact view or a large, eye-catching display, you have complete control over how your countdowns appear. Place as many widgets as you need - there's no limit. Fill your home screen with all the moments that matter most to you. Live Countdown on Your Lock Screen Watch the seconds tick away in real-time without unlocking your phone. Our lock screen widgets update continuously, so your most anticipated moments are always visible at a glance. No need to open the app — just look at your phone and instantly see how much time remains until your next big event. Share the Excitement Counting down alone is fun, but counting down together is even better. Send countdown widgets to friends and family so everyone can anticipate the same special moment. Planning a group vacation? Getting ready for a wedding? Share your countdown and build excitement together. Flexible Display Options Choose exactly how you want to see your countdown. Display days, hours, minutes, seconds, or any combination that works for you. Some moments call for a simple day counter, while others deserve a precise second-by-second countdown. You decide what matters most. Customize what shows before and after your event passes. Keep celebrating even after the big day arrives by switching to count-up mode and see how long it's been since that special moment. Stay on Track Set notifications so you never forget what's coming. Get reminded a week before, a day before, or right when the moment arrives. Import events directly from your calendar with just a few taps - no need to manually enter dates you've already saved. All Your Events in One Place View every countdown on a single, beautifully organized screen. Scroll through your upcoming birthdays, holidays, trips, and milestones all in one list. Stay organized and never lose track of what's coming next. Perfect for Every Occasion Birthday, Christmas, New Year, Wedding, Baby Arrival, Vacation, Holiday Trip, Anniversary, Graduation, Concert, Party, Retirement, Game Day, Travel Adventure, First Day of School, Summer Break, Moving Day, Job Start Date, Marathon, Product Launch, Season Premiere, Family Reunion and so much more. Whatever you're counting down to, we've got you covered. Why You'll Love It Simple and intuitive design makes creating countdowns effortless. Beautiful customization options let you express your style. Powerful widgets keep your important dates visible without opening the app. Reliable notifications ensure you never miss a moment. Start counting down to what matters most. Download now and make every moment count. Questions or Feedback? We'd love to hear from you!  Your suggestions help us make the app even better. Reach out anytime at hello@applayers.io Privacy Policy: https://applayers.io/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://applayers.io/terms/

Screenshots

Countdown4 screens
Countdown Widget4 screens

Verdict

The call

Countdown and Countdown Widget both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 30% of Countdown Widget's. Countdown also leads on ratings volume (24K vs 419) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Countdown Widget's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Countdown Widget sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Countdown against 4.8 for Countdown Widget. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 24K ratings behind it against 419, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 30% of Countdown Widget's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Countdown versus Countdown Widget: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCountdownCountdown Widget
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (24K ratings)4.8 (419 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better30.0% of reviews
Number of ratings24K — better419
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size200 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperROOT38 LIMITEDAPPLAYERS LTD

Customer experience

Countdown

All ratings23,856 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews967 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral7.3%
Negative12.6%

Countdown Widget

All ratings419 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative60.0%

Bugs and requests

Countdown

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Countdown

Subscriptions5
  • Premium Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Premium 3 Months7 Days trial$5.993 Months
  • Premium1 Year trial$9.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly (50% Off)1 Year trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$49.99
9 purchases

Countdown Widget

Subscriptions8
  • Premium Access7 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • Premium Access7 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Premium Access$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Premium Access7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium Access14 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium Access1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium Access1 Month trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium Access7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium access$39.99

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 Widget is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.7 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Countdown Widget averages 4.8 from 419 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 October 5, 2026 and Countdown Widget on October 3, 2026.

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