Photo countdown widget apps for iPhone, compared (checked October 29, 2026)
All four apps put your own photo behind a countdown widget on iPhone. They differ in price, in what the free version includes, and in extras such as an Apple Watch app. Photo Countdown has nothing locked behind a purchase, Kounts and Daymark sell an upgrade, and Simple Count charges once for photo backgrounds.
How we checked
We make Photo Countdown, so we are not neutral. To keep this fair, we read each app's App Store listing, and the developer's website where there is one, on October 29, 2026. Prices are US prices and can change. When a listing doesn't mention a feature, the table says so. That doesn't mean the app lacks it.
Found a mistake? Email support@gwig.app and we'll fix it.
Side by side
| Feature | Photo Countdown | Kounts | Simple Count | Daymark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| App Store name and ID | Photo Countdown Widget (6751094714) | Kounts - Events Countdown App (6745823863) | Simple Countdown Widget App (6761277550) | Daymark: Date Countdown (6751110336) |
| Developer | gwig (we make it) | Daniel Caceiro Aversari | Caner Tasan | Aaron Rockett |
| Price | Free. Optional tips. | Free plan. Premium: $9.99 a year or $19.99 lifetime. | Free. Simple Count Pro: $4.99, one-time. No subscription. | Free. Pro: an annual subscription or a lifetime purchase. |
| Your own photo | Free, up to 10 per event | Free plan: 3 per event | Needs Simple Count Pro | Free |
| Limits on the free version | Nothing locked behind a purchase. No Premium. | 15 upcoming countdowns, 3 Milestones (count-ups), 3 photos per event | Unlimited countdowns. Photo backgrounds need Pro. | Pro adds unlimited events, widgets for any event, all widget sizes, repeating events and photo filters |
| Count the days since | Yes | Yes, with Milestones | Not mentioned in the listing | Not mentioned in the listing |
| Widgets | All free | All free | Photo backgrounds need Pro. Other limits are not mentioned in the listing. | Pro adds widgets for any event and all sizes |
| Ads | No ads | No ads | No ads | Not mentioned in the listing |
| Apple Watch app | No | Yes | Yes | Not mentioned in the listing |
| Live Activities | No | Yes | Yes | Not mentioned in the listing |
| Needs | iOS 17.6 or later | iOS 26 or later | iOS 17.6 or later | iOS 18 or later |
When to choose another app instead
Kounts
Choose Kounts if you want an Apple Watch app, Live Activities or Shared Spaces, and your iPhone runs iOS 26. Its free plan covers 15 upcoming countdowns with 3 photos each, and every widget is free. Premium costs $9.99 a year, or $19.99 as a lifetime purchase.
Simple Count
Choose Simple Count if you want iCloud sync, calendar import, an Apple Watch app or Live Activities. It has unlimited countdowns, no subscription and no ads. Photo backgrounds need Simple Count Pro, a one-time $4.99 purchase. Like Photo Countdown, it runs on iOS 17.6 or later.
Daymark
Choose Daymark if you want free photo backgrounds, and photo filters with Pro. It needs iOS 18 or later. Pro, as an annual subscription or a lifetime purchase, also adds unlimited events, widgets for any event, all widget sizes and repeating events.
Photo Countdown
Choose Photo Countdown if you want every feature without a purchase, up to 10 photos per event, and days-since counts that work the same way as countdowns. It runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17.6 or later.
What Photo Countdown doesn't have:
- an Apple Watch app;
- Live Activities;
- iCloud sync, so your events stay on the device where you add them;
- a count in hours: it counts in days, weeks, months or years.
Try Photo Countdown
Photo Countdown counts down to a date, or counts up the days since one, over your own photo. It has Home Screen widgets in several sizes, Lock Screen widgets, StandBy and the Up Next widget for your next few events. Your events and photos stay on your device; only anonymous usage counts are sent.
Free for iPhone and iPad with iOS 17.6 or later. No ads and no account. Nothing is locked behind a purchase: there is no Premium, and tips are optional.
Questions
Which photo countdown app is completely free?
Photo Countdown has no paid features: nothing is locked behind a purchase, and tips are optional. Kounts, Simple Count and Daymark are free to download and sell an upgrade: Kounts Premium, Simple Count Pro and Daymark Pro.
Which apps put my own photo on the widget for free?
Photo Countdown (up to 10 photos per event), Kounts (3 per event on the free plan) and Daymark. Simple Count needs Simple Count Pro for photo backgrounds.
Which apps work on an older iPhone?
Photo Countdown and Simple Count need iOS 17.6 or later. Daymark needs iOS 18 or later, and Kounts needs iOS 26 or later.
Which apps have an Apple Watch app or Live Activities?
Kounts and Simple Count have both. Photo Countdown has neither. Daymark's listing doesn't mention them.
Can these apps count the days since a date?
Photo Countdown can, with nothing to unlock. Kounts does it with Milestones, 3 of them on the free plan. Simple Count's and Daymark's listings don't mention it.
More Photo Countdown guides
- Days since counter: How to count the days since a date on iPhone, with a free calculator for days, weeks, months and years.
- Wedding countdown: A countdown to the wedding day in days, weeks or months, with your own photos, and how to count the days married afterwards.
- Birthday countdown: Birthday countdowns that start over every year, February 29 birthdays, and the next few birthdays in one widget.
- Christmas countdown: How many days until Christmas, counted live, and a Christmas countdown widget that repeats every year.
- Photo Countdown: every feature, screenshots and the full FAQ.