Best countdown widget apps for iPhone (2026)
Seven countdown apps that put a widget on your Home Screen or Lock Screen, compared on the things that actually differ: what the free tier includes, which widgets cost money, repeats, reminders and sync. Data comes from each app's US App Store listing, first read on September 26, 2026 and checked again on October 16, 2026. One of the seven is ours; it is marked, and it is judged by the same table as the rest.
The comparison
| App | Free tier | Widgets | Repeats | Sync | US rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countdown Widget: Any Event (ours) | Unlimited events, every widget size on Home Screen and Lock Screen, reminders, repeats, iCloud sync — all free. Pro adds the Pro backdrops, your own photos, typefaces, the Live Activity and counting down with someone you invite. | Home Screen + Lock Screen, all sizes, free | Yearly, monthly, weekly, every N days | iCloud, no account | ★ 4.8 · 13 ratings |
| Countdown Star | Free version with ads and an optional Remove Ads purchase (there is also a paid ad-free version); add as many events as you like, with iCloud sync, repeating events and Home Screen widgets listed as features. | Home Screen (small, medium, large) + Apple Watch | Annual events advance automatically | iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | ★ 4.8 · 216,173 ratings |
| Countdown | Unlimited events, count-up, iCloud sync and reminders 1 day / 1 week before. Home Screen widget, Lock Screen widget, StandBy and calendar auto-import are Premium. | Home Screen, Lock Screen, StandBy — Premium | Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily | iCloud | ★ 4.8 · 188,720 ratings |
| Countdown: Event Countdown | Unlimited countdowns, counting up or down, and a Next Event Home Screen widget are free; the ticking, multi-event, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets, repeats and sync are Premium. | Next Event widget free; live, multi-event, Lock Screen, StandBy paid | Premium (shows ages on birthdays) | Premium, across Apple devices | ★ 4.7 · 23,889 ratings |
| DayCount | Event counters, categories, notes, streaks; reminders before or after events; widgets with custom fonts and textures (the listing does not state a free limit). | Home Screen + Lock Screen, custom filters and textures | Daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, yearly, custom | Backup and sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac | ★ 4.7 · 26,263 ratings |
| Countdown Buddy | One countdown widget with the basic design; 11 widget styles and more widgets are paid. | Home Screen + Lock Screen, small and medium, 11 styles | Not stated; weekend exclusion for deadlines | Not stated | ★ 4.6 · 26,138 ratings |
| Days • Countdown & Widgets | Countdown and count-up with full-screen photos, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, recurring events (the listing does not state a free limit). | Home Screen + Lock Screen | Yearly, monthly, weekly | Not stated | ★ 4.8 · 12,658 ratings |
Which one to pick
- You want widgets without paying: Countdown Widget: Any Event (ours) — every widget size is free, and so are unlimited events, repeats, reminders and iCloud sync. Countdown: Event Countdown gives you one free Next Event widget.
- You want the longest track record: Countdown Star — on the App Store since 2012, with over 200,000 ratings, with an Apple Watch app and time zones per event.
- You count streaks and time since: DayCount — counters run before and after the date, with reminders on either side.
- You want the prettiest calendar: Countdown: Event Countdown — month grid, Live Activities, countdown videos (the calendar view and Live Activities are Premium).
- You only need one widget and want to design it: Countdown Buddy — 11 widget styles, one free.
- You want full-screen photos: Days • Countdown & Widgets.
The seven apps
1. Countdown Widget: Any Event — go ka (that's us)
Here the widgets are not the paid feature: every widget size, unlimited events, recurring dates, reminders and iCloud sync are free; the subscription adds the Pro backdrops, your own photos behind a countdown, the Pro typefaces, the Lock Screen Live Activity and inviting someone to count down with you. It also keeps a daily on-device snapshot so an update or reinstall never loses the events. New in 2026, so it has few ratings yet — judge it by what the free tier covers.
Free tier: Unlimited events, every widget size on Home Screen and Lock Screen, reminders, repeats, iCloud sync — all free. Pro adds the Pro backdrops, your own photos, typefaces, the Live Activity and counting down with someone you invite.
Widgets: Home Screen + Lock Screen, all sizes, free · Repeats: Yearly, monthly, weekly, every N days · Sync: iCloud, no account
2. Countdown Star — Joseph Merrill
The veteran: on the App Store since 2012 with over 200,000 ratings. Strong on the countdown itself — time-zone support, a slider that flips between seconds and years, celebration animations at zero, and an Apple Watch app. The listing does not describe Lock Screen widgets.
Free tier: Free version with ads and an optional Remove Ads purchase (there is also a paid ad-free version); add as many events as you like, with iCloud sync, repeating events and Home Screen widgets listed as features.
Widgets: Home Screen (small, medium, large) + Apple Watch · Repeats: Annual events advance automatically · Sync: iCloud across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
3. Countdown — Find Appiness LLC
Very popular and easy to use, with sharing and a StandBy widget. The catch for widget fans: the listing marks the Home Screen widget, the Lock Screen widget and calendar auto-import as Premium features, so the free version is mostly the in-app list.
Free tier: Unlimited events, count-up, iCloud sync and reminders 1 day / 1 week before. Home Screen widget, Lock Screen widget, StandBy and calendar auto-import are Premium.
Widgets: Home Screen, Lock Screen, StandBy — Premium · Repeats: Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily · Sync: iCloud
4. Countdown: Event Countdown — ROOT38 LIMITED
The prettiest calendar view of the group: every event on a month grid, color-coded, with Live Activities in the Dynamic Island as the moment approaches and countdowns you can export as a video — the listing puts the calendar view and Live Activities under Premium. Unlimited events are free; most widget sizes are not.
Free tier: Unlimited countdowns, counting up or down, and a Next Event Home Screen widget are free; the ticking, multi-event, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets, repeats and sync are Premium.
Widgets: Next Event widget free; live, multi-event, Lock Screen, StandBy paid · Repeats: Premium (shows ages on birthdays) · Sync: Premium, across Apple devices
5. DayCount — Zaminiti Pty Ltd
For people who count in both directions: counters track time before and after the date, streaks sit next to events, and reminders can fire minutes to years before or after. Widgets are unusually configurable — filters, fonts, textures, borders — on both Home and Lock Screen, and events can be imported from your calendar.
Free tier: Event counters, categories, notes, streaks; reminders before or after events; widgets with custom fonts and textures (the listing does not state a free limit).
Widgets: Home Screen + Lock Screen, custom filters and textures · Repeats: Daily, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, yearly, custom · Sync: Backup and sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac
6. Countdown Buddy — Taptics Ltd.
A widget designer more than an event list: you build a countdown or count-up widget from 11 styles and drop it on the Home or Lock Screen, and work deadlines can skip weekends. The free version is one basic widget, so it is best if you only ever need one countdown.
Free tier: One countdown widget with the basic design; 11 widget styles and more widgets are paid.
Widgets: Home Screen + Lock Screen, small and medium, 11 styles · Repeats: Not stated; weekend exclusion for deadlines · Sync: Not stated
7. Days • Countdown & Widgets — MD Apps LTD
The photo-first option: each event is a full-screen picture you swipe through, with subtle animations. Recurring birthdays and anniversaries, count-up for past events, and widgets on both screens.
Free tier: Countdown and count-up with full-screen photos, Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, recurring events (the listing does not state a free limit).
Widgets: Home Screen + Lock Screen · Repeats: Yearly, monthly, weekly · Sync: Not stated
How we chose
We searched the US App Store for "countdown widget", "days until countdown" and "countdown app", took the countdown-specific apps with the most ratings, and read each listing for what it says about the free tier, widgets, repeats, reminders and sync. Apps that are general widget makers (Widgetsmith) or visual timers for kids were left out. We did not test paid tiers, and we did not rank by rating — the list is grouped by what each app is best at. We make one of these apps; it is included because it is a countdown widget app for iPhone, and it is described with the same fields as everyone else.