6 Best Countdown and Reminder Apps for iPhone (2026)

If you want to count down to a holiday, a wedding, an exam or a product launch on your iPhone, iOS doesn't have a dedicated app that counts the days to a date. The Clock app's Timer works for short countdowns of minutes or hours. Calendar and Reminders can alert you before an event. For a running count of days on your Home Screen or Lock Screen, you need a third-party countdown app.

This guide covers six countdown apps from Apple's App Store. It explains what each one does, which features it lists, and how it is sold. Countdown Star, Pretty Progress and Countdowns: Widgets & Timer are free to download with in-app purchases. Exact prices vary by country and change often, so check the App Store listing before you buy.

Countdown App vs Reminder App: What's the Difference?

A countdown app shows how much time is left until a date, usually in days, weeks or months, and often counts up after the date has passed. A reminder app, such as Apple's Reminders, sends you an alert at a set time but doesn't show the time remaining. Many countdown apps also send notifications, so one app can often do both jobs.

1. Countdown Star

Countdown Star, from developer Joseph Merrill, is one of the most widely rated countdown apps on the US App Store, with more than 200,000 ratings. Version 3 was a complete rewrite that added iCloud sync, Home Screen widgets and animations when a countdown reaches zero.

Key features listed on the App Store:

• iCloud sync for events and wallpapers across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
• Small, Medium and Large Home Screen widgets
• An Apple Watch app for viewing events on your wrist
• Repeating events that move to the next year automatically, which suits birthdays and holidays
• Count up from past dates such as anniversaries or your birthday
• More than 15 built-in wallpapers, or your own photos
• A separate time zone for each event
• Sorting by date, title or custom order, plus search
• Favourite events that send a notification when they reach zero
• Celebration animations: Confetti, Fireworks, Balloons, Stars or Lasers

Pricing: Countdown Star comes in two versions. One is free with ads and has an optional Remove Ads purchase. The other is a paid version without ads. On the US App Store, both the Remove Ads purchase and the ad-free version were listed at $1.99 at publication.

Requirements: iOS 17.0 or later on iPhone and watchOS 10.0 or later on Apple Watch.

2. Countdown – Pretty Progress

Pretty Progress, from keinois OU, is built around widgets. It is the best choice in this list if you already keep events in Apple Calendar or Reminders, because it can sync and import them instead of making you type them in again.

Key features listed on the App Store:

• Syncs and imports Apple Calendar events and Reminders
• Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, StandBy mode support, and display on Mac
• Counts up or down to a date, or runs as a timer
• Recurring events that count the days on a regular cycle
• Shows percentage complete, time left or time since, in years, months, weeks, days or a mix of these
• Time zone support for events, added in a 2025 update

Pricing: Free to download, with in-app purchases.

3. Countdowns: Widgets & Timer

Countdowns, sold by Shayes Apps LLC, is a good fit for people who use several Apple devices. Its listing describes colourful widgets on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with your countdowns also available on Apple Watch.

Key features listed on the App Store:

• Count down to a future event or count up from a past one
• Widgets on iPhone, iPad and Mac
• Countdowns on Apple Watch
• Suitable for birthdays, trips, weddings and product launches

The developer's listing also mentions Siri & Shortcuts integration, plus an optional monthly, annual or one-time in-app purchase that unlocks extras such as a compact display mode for seeing more timers at once. Check the current listing for upgrade pricing.

4. Countdown Widget Plus

Countdown Widget Plus, by Matteo Fabris, focuses on attractive Home Screen widgets that are quick to set up. It's a good choice if you mainly want one or two countdowns on your Home Screen.

Key features listed on the App Store:

• Countdown widgets for the Home Screen
• Custom backgrounds using colours, gradients or photos from your library
• More than 10 templates, plus ready-made countdown ideas for popular events
• Recurring events for birthdays, holidays and anniversaries
• Notifications before important dates

Pricing: Check the App Store listing for current pricing.

5. Countdown Widget & Countdown

This app from Gulooloo Tech covers both countdowns and reminders. It offers decorative event backgrounds and lets you adjust how often you get reminders.

Key features listed on the App Store:

• Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets in several styles and sizes
• Event background pictures sorted by category
• Adjustable reminder frequency and notification sound
• Template sharing, so you can send a countdown design to someone else

Pricing: Check the App Store listing for current pricing.

6. Countdown Time Days Until App

Countdown Time, from Sociosoftware LLC, is a straightforward option for tracking several events with daily reminders.

Key features listed on the App Store:

• Unlimited events
• A fully customisable widget
• Several themes and hundreds of HD backgrounds, or your own photos
• Daily notifications about your events and milestones
• Display modes and headings for each event
• Built-in event sharing

Pricing: Check the App Store listing for current pricing.

Comparison Table

Features to Look For

Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets

Widgets are the main reason to use a countdown app instead of a calendar entry. You can see the days remaining without opening anything. If you want the count on your Lock Screen, choose an app that lists Lock Screen widgets, such as Pretty Progress or Countdown Widget & Countdown.

Repeating events

For birthdays, anniversaries and yearly holidays, choose an app that moves the event to the next year automatically. Countdown Star, Pretty Progress and Countdown Widget Plus all list recurring events.

Sync across devices

If you use an iPad, Mac or Apple Watch as well as your iPhone, check that the app syncs. Countdown Star syncs through iCloud. Countdowns: Widgets & Timer and Pretty Progress also list support for Mac.

Notifications

A countdown is more useful when it also reminds you. Set alerts at intervals that suit the event, such as one month, one week and one day before. Countdown Widget & Countdown lets you change how often reminders arrive, and Countdown Star can notify you when a favourite event reaches zero.

Using Built-in iPhone Tools for Countdowns

If you only need something simple, try the built-in apps first:

• Clock app Timer: best for short countdowns of minutes or hours, such as cooking or study sessions.
• Calendar: add the event and set one or more alerts before it starts.
• Reminders: add a dated reminder for something you need to do before a deadline.

None of these shows a running count of days until a date. For that, you need one of the apps above.

Tips for Getting More From a Countdown App

• Put your most important countdown on the Lock Screen and less urgent ones on a Home Screen page.
• Use photos or colours that make each event easy to recognise at a glance.
• Clear out finished countdowns so your list and widgets show only what matters.
• If you already use Calendar for events, use an app that can import them, so you don't have to enter them twice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best countdown app for iPhone?

For most people, Countdown Star is a good place to start. It has a very large number of App Store ratings and offers iCloud sync, widgets in three sizes, an Apple Watch app and repeating events. It comes as a free version with ads or a paid ad-free version. If you want to pull events from Apple Calendar or Reminders and show them on the Lock Screen, try Pretty Progress.

Does the iPhone have a built-in countdown app?

No. iOS has no dedicated app that counts the days to a date. The Clock app's Timer counts down minutes and hours. Calendar and Reminders can send alerts before an event. To see days remaining on your Home Screen or Lock Screen, you need a third-party countdown app.

How do I set a countdown on an iPhone 15?

For a short countdown, use the Timer in the Clock app. For a countdown to a date, such as a holiday, install a countdown app such as Countdown Star or Pretty Progress, add your event, then add the app's widget to your Home Screen or Lock Screen. The steps are the same on other recent iPhones.

Can I show more than one countdown at a time?

Yes. Most of these apps let you track several events. Countdown Star and Countdown Time Days Until both say you can add as many events as you like. To see several at once, add a larger widget or more than one widget. Countdowns: Widgets & Timer lists a compact display mode, part of its optional upgrade, for seeing more timers at once.

Are countdown apps free?

Countdown Star, Pretty Progress and Countdowns: Widgets & Timer are free to download with in-app purchases, and Countdown Star also comes as a separate paid ad-free version. Free versions may include ads or limit some features. Prices vary by country, so check the App Store listing before upgrading.

Can a countdown app also remind me before the event?

Yes. Most countdown apps include notifications. Countdown Widget & Countdown lets you set how often reminders arrive. Countdown Time sends daily updates. Countdown Star can notify you when a favourite event reaches zero.