Countdown Buddy review

Countdown Buddy, from Taptics, treats the widget as the product. You design a countdown or count-up widget in seconds by choosing one of 11 styles, then change the background color, add a photo from your library or the preset gallery, and pick from fonts chosen to suit each style. Each design is available in small and medium sizes, and you can change it later. Weekend exclusion lets the count skip Saturdays and Sundays, which suits work deadlines as well as trips. The App Store listing suggests birthdays, vacations, back to school, elections and game releases as typical uses. The catch is clear in the listing: the free version includes one countdown widget with the basic design, so most people will buy Countdown +, listed at $3.59 in the US App Store. It does not document the reminders, calendar import or sharing that the top picks offer. It has 4.6 stars from about 26,000 ratings.

Who it is for

People who mainly want one good-looking countdown widget on the Home Screen.

Price

Free version includes one basic widget; Countdown + costs $3.59 in the US App Store.

Countdown + $3.59
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• 11 countdown widget styles
• Background colors, your photos or a preset gallery
• Curated fonts for each style
• Small and medium widget sizes from each design
• Weekend exclusion for work deadlines, plus count-up widgets

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Fast widget design in a few taps
• Strength: Weekday-only counting helps with deadlines
• Strength: One small upgrade price
• Weakness: The free version includes only one widget with the basic design
• Weakness: Fewer reminder and list features than full countdown apps
• Weakness: No Android version in its listing

Key facts

• Price: Free; Countdown + $3.59
• App Store rating: 4.6 from 26K ratings
• Platforms: iPhone, Apple Watch
• Widget styles: 11

Where it ranks

Countdown Buddy is No. 9 in our Best Countdown Apps verdict.