Countdown Star review

Countdown Star has the largest ratings count of any app on this list, 4.8 stars from about 217,000 ratings in the US App Store, and its feature list explains the appeal. You add as many events as you like, count down to future dates or up from past ones, and annual events such as birthdays roll forward to the next year on their own. Each event can use one of more than 15 built-in wallpapers or your own photo, and when a countdown hits zero you can pick confetti, fireworks, balloons, stars or lasers. A slider switches the display between seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years, and each event can sit in its own time zone, which helps for trips abroad. iCloud keeps events in sync across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, and widgets come in three sizes. The free version shows ads, removable for $1.99. It lacks the calendar import that Countdown by Find Appiness offers.

Who it is for

People who want large photo backgrounds and a celebration when the countdown reaches zero.

Price

Free with ads; Remove Ads costs $1.99 in the US App Store, and an ad-free edition is sold separately.

Remove Ads $1.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Unlimited events, counting down or counting up from past dates
• Small, medium and large Home Screen widgets
• iCloud sync of events and wallpapers across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
• Confetti, fireworks, balloons, stars or lasers at zero
• Per-event time zones and a slider that switches units from seconds to years

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Removing ads costs only $1.99 once
• Strength: Annual events move to the next year automatically
• Strength: More than 15 built-in wallpapers, or your own photos
• Weakness: The free version contains advertising
• Weakness: Notifications are tied to events marked as favorites
• Weakness: No calendar or contact import is listed

Key facts

• Price: Free; Remove Ads $1.99
• App Store rating: 4.8 from 217K ratings
• Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
• Wallpapers: 15+ built in, or your own photos

Where it ranks

Countdown Star is No. 2 in our Best Countdown Apps verdict.