TheDayBefore review

TheDayBefore is built around the D-day habit: you pick one of more than 80 keywords, such as an exam, a couple anniversary, graduation or a fan event, and the app sets the icon, background and notifications for you. It is one of the few apps here on both iPhone and Android, and it handles lunar calendar dates, which matters for lunar birthdays and holidays. Home and lock screen widgets come in several sizes and styles and carry your custom photo, stickers and fonts. Notifications can fire on the day or at D-7, D-3 or D-1, and milestones such as 100 days or one year are set automatically. Stories let you save up to 8 photos for each date, and Recommended events connect you with other people waiting for the same album drop or wedding. The US App Store lists a Basic one-month plan at $1.49 and Remove Ads at $9.99. The social layer is more than many people need for a single trip.

Who it is for

Students, couples and fans who count down to exams, anniversaries and release days on iPhone or Android.

Price

Free with ads; Basic is $1.49 for one month and Remove Ads is $9.99 in the US App Store.

Remove Ads $9.99 Basic (1-Month Plan) $1.49
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• 80+ keywords that set the icon, background and notifications for you
• Home screen and lock screen widgets in several sizes and styles
• Notifications on the day or at D-7, D-3 or D-1
• Automatic milestone alerts such as 100 days and 1 year
• Stories with up to 8 photos per date

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Available on both iPhone and Android
• Strength: Supports lunar calendar dates such as lunar birthdays
• Strength: Recommended events let you count down with others waiting for the same day
• Weakness: Ads unless you pay
• Weakness: The community and story features add steps a simple countdown does not need
• Weakness: The iPhone app is a large download at 354.9 MB

Key facts

• Price: Free; Basic $1.49 per month
• App Store rating: 4.8 from 1.1K ratings
• Platforms: iPhone, Apple Watch, Android
• Lunar dates: Yes

Where it ranks

TheDayBefore is No. 4 in our Best Countdown Apps verdict.