7 Best Countdown Star Alternatives for iPhone in 2026
Checked 20 October 2026. Every competitor detail below comes from that app's US App Store page and Apple's public lookup data, fetched that day. Left details come from the app itself.
Countdown Star is one of the most popular countdown apps on the iPhone, with 4.8 stars from 216,279 ratings on the US App Store. It counts down to birthdays, holidays, trips and weddings, with celebration animations at zero. People look for an alternative when they want Lock Screen widgets or Live Activities, no ads, or a different style. Here are six alternatives and when each one fits.
Disclosure: we make Left, so we have put it first. Here is why, and when another app suits you better.
Quick verdict
- Best for countdowns on the Lock Screen and Home Screen with free widgets and Live Activities: Left.
- Biggest rival, with Lock Screen, StandBy and Apple Watch: Countdown by Find Appiness.
- Best for Live Activities and a calendar view: Countdown: Event Countdown by ROOT38.
- Best single Premium unlock with Apple Watch: Countdown@.
- Best photo-led countdowns with a low-cost lifetime option: Days • Countdown & Widgets.
- Best for counting both ways, plus streaks: DayCount.
- Best for progress-style widgets and Watch complications: Countdown - Pretty Progress.
What Countdown Star does well
By Joseph Merrill. Its App Store page lists unlimited events ("add as many events as you like"), celebration animations such as confetti and fireworks, repeating events that "automatically advance to the next year", small, medium and large Home Screen widgets, an Apple Watch app, iCloud sync, time zones per event and more than 15 built-in backgrounds or your own photos.
- Price: free with ads, with a Remove Ads purchase; a separate Countdown Star (Ad-Free) app is a paid download.
- Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Macs, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.
- Recent changes: version 3.0 in June 2026 was "a complete rewrite". Later updates refined the timer design, added a Home Event option and fixed crashes and iCloud sync issues. Version 3.0.7 added a Recover My Events option in Settings, and 3.0.10 in September added iOS 27 support.
- Privacy: the free app's privacy label lists location, identifiers, usage data and diagnostics under "Data Used to Track You"; the Ad-Free app lists only diagnostics under "Data Not Linked to You".
If you like Countdown Star's animations and Home Screen widgets, it remains a good choice. The alternatives below differ on Lock Screen widgets, Live Activities, ads and style.
Comparison table
Ratings and counts are from the US App Store, checked 20 October 2026; Left's is its worldwide average. "Not stated" means the listing doesn't mention it, not that the feature is missing.
| App | Price model | Lock Screen widgets | Live Activities | Apple Watch | Rating (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Countdown Star | Free with ads; Remove Ads or paid Ad-Free app | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | 4.8 (216,279) |
 Left | Free, 2 countdowns; Left Premium unlimited | Yes (free) | Yes (free) | Yes, with complications | 4.7 (worldwide) |
| Countdown (Find Appiness) | Free with ads; widget unlock purchase that also removes ads | Yes (Premium) | Not stated | Yes | 4.8 (189,110) |
 Countdown: Event Countdown (ROOT38) | Free with ads; Premium monthly, yearly or lifetime | Yes (Premium) | Yes (Premium) | Not listed | 4.7 (23,902) |
| Countdown@ | Free with ads; one Premium purchase | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | 4.7 (40,427) |
 Days • Countdown & Widgets | Free; monthly, yearly or lifetime Pro | Yes | Not stated | Yes | 4.8 (12,675) |
 DayCount | Free; Premium yearly or lifetime | Yes | Not stated | Not listed | 4.7 (26,262) |
 Countdown - Pretty Progress | Free, 4 custom widgets; Pro weekly to lifetime | Yes | Yes (in-app event, release notes) | Yes, with complications | 4.7 (3,109) |
1. Left: countdowns you see without opening an app
Left is a time awareness app for iPhone. Countdowns live in Ahead, next to habits in Since and year and life progress in Time Left.
- Create a date: tap Add a date ahead, search the templates, type a name or import an event with From calendar. Set Starts and, for something that lasts, Until.
- Repeat: Never, Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly or Yearly, so birthdays and anniversaries roll on by themselves.
- Make it yours: Show as... counts in hours, days, weeks, months or years; add a symbol, a color and a photo from your library or Unsplash.
- Reminders: 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 week, 2 days or 1 day before, at a time you choose.
- Live Activities: Get ready for the start and Get the final countdown show a live countdown on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, staying 4 hours unless you dismiss them.
- Four widgets: Ahead (small, medium, large, plus circular and rectangular on the Lock Screen), Ahead Bars, Ahead Circle and the Time Ahead list (3 dates in medium, 7 in large). The small ones also work in StandBy.
- Left Premium extras: unlimited dates and Joint Ahead dates, which appear in your friends' Ahead too.
Best for: a few countdowns that matter, visible on the Lock Screen and Home Screen, with Live Activities for the final stretch.
Price: free to download, with no ads. The free plan includes 2 Ahead dates, counted over every date you've ever created, so deleting one doesn't free a slot. Left Premium, a subscription or lifetime purchase, unlocks unlimited dates. Prices are shown in the app before you buy.
Pros: Lock Screen and Home Screen countdown widgets and Live Activities at no cost; photo backgrounds; units from hours to years; countdowns next to habits and year progress.
Cons: only 2 free countdowns, while Countdown Star lets you add as many as you like; no celebration animations; needs an iPhone with iOS 26 or later.
2. Countdown by Find Appiness
By Find Appiness LLC. Its App Store page lists Lock Screen, StandBy and Home Screen widgets, an Apple Watch glance, sharing, reminders 1 day or 1 week before, counting up from past events, repeats, tags, notes, a working-days-only count and iCloud sync. Recent release notes add Siri and Shortcuts and, with Premium, alarms and an extra-large widget for iOS 27.
Best for: the closest match to Countdown Star in size, with Lock Screen and StandBy covered.
Price: free with ads, and you can "Create as many events as you'd like". Widgets, display formats and calendar auto-import are Premium, through a widget unlock purchase that also removes ads.
Pros: 4.8 from 189,110 ratings; Apple Watch; StandBy widget; updated in October 2026.
Cons: widgets aren't in the free version; its privacy label lists identifiers used to track you.
3. Countdown: Event Countdown by ROOT38
By ROOT38 Limited. Its App Store page lists, for free, "Unlimited event countdowns", a Next Event Home Screen widget, counting up or down, 450 icons and sharing. Premium adds a calendar view, the full widget collection including Lock Screen and StandBy, Live Activities on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, sync and repeating events with ages on birthdays.
Best for: people who want Live Activities and a month calendar of their countdowns.
Price: free with ads; Premium is "available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or as a one-off lifetime purchase".
Pros: a clear free tier; Live Activities with Premium; iPhone, iPad and Mac; updated for iOS 27.
Cons: Lock Screen widgets, Live Activities and sync need Premium; Apple Watch isn't listed; its privacy label lists identifiers and usage data used to track you.
4. Countdown@
By Wuhan Linggu Dingdang Technology Co., Ltd. Its App Store page describes different event types, a widget for important events, counting up from past events and a timeline of notes in every event. Recent release notes add extra-large widgets for iOS 27 and emoji on widgets.
Best for: a single Premium unlock and an Apple Watch app.
Price: free with ads, with one Countdown Premium in-app purchase, which the listing says will "Unlock widget, no ads and custom format".
Pros: 4.7 from 40,427 ratings; Apple Watch, iPad and Mac; frequent widget updates.
Cons: the widget needs Premium; Lock Screen widgets aren't mentioned; its privacy label lists identifiers used to track you.
5. Days • Countdown & Widgets
By MD Apps Ltd. Its App Store page describes countdowns and count-ups, a countdown calendar with full-screen photos, Lock Screen and Home Screen widgets, recurring events and reminders. Recent release notes add hiding events from widgets and choosing which calendars to pull events from.
Best for: photo-led countdowns with Lock Screen widgets and an Apple Watch app.
Price: free to download, with monthly, yearly and lifetime Pro options.
Pros: Lock Screen widgets; Apple Watch; a lifetime option; no advertising shown in the listing.
Cons: free limits aren't stated; iPad isn't in its compatibility list; its privacy label lists purchases used to track you.
6. DayCount
By Zaminiti Pty Ltd. Its App Store page describes counters before and after a date, categories, photos from your library or Unsplash, repeats, notes, daily streaks and habits, widgets with filters, fonts and textures on the Home Screen or Lock Screen, a daily summary notification, calendar import and Face ID lock.
Best for: one app for countdowns, days since and simple streaks.
Price: free to download; DayCount Premium is an annual subscription with a 7-day free trial, or a lifetime purchase.
Pros: counts both ways; detailed widget styling; sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac; Siri and Shortcuts.
Cons: Apple Watch isn't listed; free limits aren't stated; its privacy label lists contact info and user content as linked to you.
7. Countdown - Pretty Progress
By keinois OU. Its App Store page describes widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, StandBy and Mac, Watch complications, counting up or down, recurring events, Calendar and Reminders import, percent complete and six templates. An in-app event on its listing announces Live Activities and alarms, and its 2.2.0 release notes add Dynamic Island support. We compare it in detail in Pretty Progress vs Left and list more options in Pretty Progress alternatives.
Best for: people who like seeing a countdown as a progress bar or percentage.
Price: "The free version of Pretty Progress includes four custom countdown widgets with two designs". Pro is offered weekly, monthly, yearly or as a lifetime purchase.
Pros: the widest widget coverage here, from Lock Screen to StandBy to the Watch; progress-style designs; privacy label lists no data linked to you.
Cons: the free version is limited to four custom widgets.
How we chose
- Search first: we searched the US App Store for countdown apps on 20 October 2026 and looked for apps people name as Countdown Star alternatives.
- Kept: apart from Left, which we include because we make it, countdown apps updated in the last few months with thousands of ratings.
- Left out: apps with only a few hundred ratings or fewer, and apps whose listings add little beyond what's here.
- Sources: each app's own App Store page, including release notes, and Apple's lookup data. Countdown Star's recent changes are described from its own release notes. No paid placements, and no developer reviewed this page.
Which one should you pick?
- You want a few countdowns on the Lock Screen with Live Activities, free: Left.
- You want the closest big alternative with Watch and StandBy: Countdown by Find Appiness.
- You want Live Activities and a calendar view: ROOT38's Countdown.
- You want one Premium unlock: Countdown@.
- You want photo-led countdowns: Days.
- You want countdowns, days since and streaks together: DayCount.
- You want progress bars and Watch complications: Pretty Progress.
For more, see our countdown widgets guide and birthday countdown apps. To count down to a date right now, try the date countdown calculator.
See more examples on the Left countdown widget page.
Questions
What is the best alternative to Countdown Star?
Countdown by Find Appiness is the closest in size and adds Lock Screen and StandBy widgets with Premium. Left suits you if you want a few countdowns on the Lock Screen with free widgets and Live Activities. ROOT38's Countdown adds a calendar view with Premium.
Is Countdown Star free?
Yes, with ads. Its App Store page says it's available as a free version with ads and an optional Remove Ads purchase, and as a separate paid ad-free app.
Which countdown apps have Lock Screen widgets?
Left's Ahead widget works on the Lock Screen for free. Countdown by Find Appiness and ROOT38's Countdown list Lock Screen widgets with Premium, and Days, DayCount and Pretty Progress list them too.
Which countdown apps have Live Activities?
Left offers countdown Live Activities on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island for free. ROOT38's Countdown lists Live Activities with Premium, and Pretty Progress's listing announces Live Activities, with Dynamic Island support in its release notes.
Which Countdown Star alternatives work on Apple Watch?
Countdown by Find Appiness, Countdown@ and Days list Apple Watch, and Pretty Progress lists Watch complications. Left has an Apple Watch app with complications.
Start noticing what matters.
Download Left on your iPhone to see the time you have left, dates you are looking forward to, build the habits you want to keep, and become a better version of yourself.
Scan or search "Left" on the App Store.