The best countdown app for Android in 2026 is Countdown Days & Notification by MaslonLabs: three widget sizes, custom reminders and a free tier with 4 events. If you count working days, DaysCounter is the ad-free pick, and Samsung phones also have a built-in Countdown widget in the Calendar app.
Waiting for a wedding, a trip or just the weekend hits differently when the exact number of days sits on your home screen. We compared four countdown widget apps for Android using their Google Play listings (checked on October 7, 2026): rating, downloads, ads, free tier and what each app actually offers. Countdown Days & Notification is created by MaslonLabs, the publisher of this site.
Best Countdown Widget Apps for Android at a Glance
| App | Best for | Google Play rating | Downloads | Ads / purchases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countdown Days & Notification (by MaslonLabs) Get it on Google Play | Best overall: 3 widget sizes, custom reminders, photo cards | No rating yet | New release | Ads and in-app purchases |
| DaysCounter: Countdown Widget (SHBT) | Working days, ad-free | No rating yet | 500+ | No ads (listing says 100% free) |
| Day Counter. Count Up & Down (BITSENS) | Count up and count down | 4.2 (1.36K reviews) | 100K+ | Ads and in-app purchases |
| Countdown Days with Widgets (ByteHug Technologies) | Ready-made holiday counters | 4.5 (473 reviews) | 10K+ | Ads and in-app purchases |
Ratings, downloads and pricing come from each app’s Google Play page on October 7, 2026 and change over time.
Got a date worth counting down to?
Try Countdown Days by MaslonLabs →What to Look for in a Countdown Widget App
- A widget that is actually the point. Not a single plain size bolted on to a bigger app.
- Multiple events at once. A birthday, a trip and a deadline should not fight for the same widget.
- Reminders beyond the widget itself. A notification the day before matters as much as the number on your home screen.
- A reasonable free tier. Enough events and widgets to use before you hit a paywall.
- Reliable daily refresh. A countdown stuck on the wrong number defeats the purpose. If that happens, see our guide on how to add a countdown widget on Android.
1. Countdown Days & Notification by MaslonLabs — Best Overall
Countdown Days & Notification is created by MaslonLabs and was built around the widget, which most countdown apps treat as secondary. According to its Google Play listing it offers countdown cards with an emoji for each event, home screen widgets in 3 sizes, and custom reminders (daily, weekly, monthly, or a set number of days before the event).
- Free tier: up to 4 active events, up to 2 reminders per event, home screen widgets and the card designs.
- Premium unlocks: unlimited events, up to 10 reminders per event, custom photos as card backgrounds, recurring events, custom notification titles and no ads.
- Watch out for: it contains ads and in-app purchases, and it is a new app without public ratings yet. Photo backgrounds and recurring events are Premium features.
Full breakdown on our Countdown Days app page, or get it directly on Google Play.
2. DaysCounter: Countdown Widget by SHBT — Best for Working Days
DaysCounter by SHBT is the ad-free option. Its listing describes it as 100% free with no ads, and its standout feature is a net working days filter that excludes weekends, public holidays and school breaks, which is useful if you are counting down a work deadline rather than a birthday. It also offers unlimited countdowns, repeating events, home screen widgets and reminders, and the developer declares on Google Play that no data is collected or shared.
- Best for: work deadlines, school terms and anyone who wants no ads.
- Watch out for: it is a small listing (500+ downloads) with no public rating yet.
3. Day Counter. Count Up & Down by BITSENS — Best for Counting Up and Down
Day Counter by BITSENS is the most downloaded of the four apps in this list: 100K+ downloads and a 4.2 rating from about 1,360 reviews. It covers both directions, counting down to a future date and counting up from a past one, so it works equally well for anniversaries, habits and streaks. It has widgets, reminders and custom notifications.
- Best for: people who want a count-up mode alongside the countdown.
- Watch out for: it contains ads and in-app purchases. Some reviewers say the widgets are too big and that unlocking extras is expensive.
4. Countdown Days with Widgets by ByteHug Technologies — Best for Holiday Counters
Countdown Days with Widgets by ByteHug Technologies has 10K+ downloads and a 4.5 rating from 473 reviews. It comes with built-in categories for holidays and celebrations, including Christmas, New Year, Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, Diwali, Ramadan and Hanukkah, plus widgets with different styles and backgrounds. The listing says it can count down or count up.
- Best for: ready-made holiday and celebration counters.
- Watch out for: it contains ads and in-app purchases, and one reviewer notes that the seasonal dates follow the US calendar.
Countdown Days with Widgets on Google Play.
Also Consider: The Built-In Samsung Calendar Countdown Widget
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you may not need an app at all. The Samsung Calendar app includes a Countdown widget that counts down to an event from your calendar. Read does Samsung have a countdown widget? for the steps. An app is the better choice when you want countdowns that are not tied to calendar events, more control over how each one looks, or reminders for specific dates.
Which Countdown App for Android Should You Download?
- You want 3 widget sizes, custom reminders and photo cards: Countdown Days & Notification by MaslonLabs.
- You count working days or want no ads: DaysCounter.
- You want to count up as well as down: Day Counter by BITSENS.
- You want ready-made holiday counters: Countdown Days with Widgets.
- You have a Samsung phone and your dates are in your calendar: the built-in Samsung Calendar widget.
Ready to see the days count down?
Get Countdown Days by MaslonLabs →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best countdown app for Android?
Countdown Days & Notification by MaslonLabs is our top pick, with three widget sizes, custom reminders and a free tier of 4 events. DaysCounter is the ad-free alternative with a working days filter, and Day Counter by BITSENS adds a count-up mode.
Which is the best countdown widget for Android?
For a home screen widget, Countdown Days & Notification offers 3 widget sizes with countdown cards. Samsung phones also have a built-in Countdown widget in the Samsung Calendar app.
Does Samsung have a built-in countdown widget?
Yes. The Samsung Calendar app includes a Countdown widget. You add it from the home screen Widgets panel and choose the calendar event to count down to.
Can I have more than one countdown widget on my home screen?
Yes. Most countdown apps let you add several widgets, each showing a different event. Free tiers often limit the number of events, for example the free tier of Countdown Days & Notification includes up to 4 active events.
Do countdown widgets work on both Samsung and Pixel phones?
Yes. The widget works the same way everywhere; only the menu you use to add it to your home screen looks slightly different between Samsung’s One UI and Pixel’s stock Android picker. For the exact steps, see our step-by-step guide to adding a countdown widget.
Do countdown widget apps drain battery?
A well-built countdown widget uses minimal battery, since it only needs to refresh once a day.
Are these countdown widget apps free?
All four are free to download. DaysCounter lists itself as 100% free with no ads. The other three contain ads and in-app purchases, and the MaslonLabs app unlocks unlimited events and removes ads with Premium.
Can I set reminders in addition to the widget itself?
Yes. Countdown Days & Notification, DaysCounter and Day Counter all list reminders or custom notifications, so you get a notification as well as the number on your home screen.
