Countdown · Weather · Plan Mode
A Countdowns (Apalon) alternative
without ads, trackers, or accounts.
Countdowns by Apalon is a well-known iPhone countdown app, and its free tier carries banner ads, interstitials, and third-party SDKs. Soon. does the same core job (countdowns with photo backgrounds, widgets, and themes) and adds a free checklist and timeline for each kind of event, StandBy widgets, and count-ups. It has no ads on any tier and needs no account.
How does Soon. compare to Countdowns by Apalon?
Both apps count down. They differ in how each one is paid for: ads and subscriptions in one, a Premium purchase with no ads in the other.
Ads & tracking SDKs
Soon.: No ads on any tier, no tracking, and no third-party SDKs of any kind.
Countdowns (Apalon): Banner and interstitial ads on the free tier. Standard advertising and analytics SDKs are typical for the publisher.
Countdowns (Apalon): Banner and interstitial ads on the free tier. Standard advertising and analytics SDKs are typical for the publisher.
Account requirement
Soon.: No account at all. Your moments live on your iPhone and, with iCloud sync on, in your own private iCloud, which also carries them to a new iPhone.
Countdowns (Apalon): Optional account for cross-device sync.
Countdowns (Apalon): Optional account for cross-device sync.
A plan for the day (Plan mode)
Soon.: Free. A suggested starter checklist and milestone timeline for trips, weddings, birthdays, exams, work, holidays, health, a baby, concerts, and sport. Premium adds plan reminders and a week-by-week Baby plan.
Countdowns (Apalon): Generic countdown events; no event-type checklist templates.
Countdowns (Apalon): Generic countdown events; no event-type checklist templates.
Weather for the day
Soon.: The Apple Weather forecast for the place you add to a moment, once the date is within 7 days (Premium).
Countdowns (Apalon): No weather integration.
Countdowns (Apalon): No weather integration.
Widgets
Soon.: 26 widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy. With Premium, the Final Countdown runs on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island in the last 24 hours.
Countdowns (Apalon): Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets; StandBy not advertised.
Countdowns (Apalon): Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets; StandBy not advertised.
One-time purchase
Soon.: $12.99 once for Lifetime, alongside monthly and yearly plans. Family Sharing on all three.
Countdowns (Apalon): Subscription-only Premium typical for the publisher.
Countdowns (Apalon): Subscription-only Premium typical for the publisher.
Who should pick Soon. vs Countdowns by Apalon?
Pick Soon. if…
- You won't put up with ads in a utility app you open every day
- You don't want analytics or advertising SDKs in a countdown app
- You want a checklist for the day and StandBy widgets alongside the countdown
- You prefer a one-time purchase to an open-ended subscription
- You want to count up from a past date as well as down to a future one
Stick with Countdowns (Apalon) if…
- You use a lot of Countdowns' theme library and don't want to migrate
- You need your countdowns on devices other than an iPhone (Soon. is iPhone only)
- You're fine with ads as the price of the free tier
About Soon.
Questions
FAQ
What is the best Countdowns (Apalon) alternative for iPhone without ads?
Soon. is a direct alternative to Countdowns by Apalon if you want no ads. Both turn dates into countdowns. Soon. has no ads on any tier, no tracking or third-party SDKs, and no account, and it adds a free Plan mode that suggests a checklist and timeline for the kind of event, plus StandBy widgets, which the Apalon app's listing does not advertise.
Why is Countdowns by Apalon ad-supported?
Apalon is a large mobile-app publisher whose business model on most consumer apps relies on a combination of ad inventory and subscription unlocks. That is a legitimate business choice, and it means the free tier of Countdowns includes banner and interstitial ads, and the app loads third-party advertising and analytics SDKs. Soon. is made by Lagerland Apps, a one-person independent studio, and carries no advertising, analytics, or other third-party SDKs.
Does Soon. have widgets like Countdowns by Apalon?
Yes, and in more places. Soon. has 26 widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy, from a single day count to a ring, a timeline, and a full-year view, plus a Control Center control on iOS 18. Free widgets show your pinned moment; Premium lets you choose any moment for each widget. Countdowns by Apalon ships Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets; StandBy support is not advertised on its App Store listing.
How much does Soon. cost compared to Countdowns?
Soon. is free for up to 5 moments, with Plan mode, widgets showing your pinned moment, 3 themes, calendar import, Memories, and iCloud sync, and it shows no ads. Premium is $1.99/month or $9.99/year, each with a 7-day free trial, or $12.99 once for Lifetime, with Family Sharing on all three. Countdowns by Apalon is free with ads, with a Premium subscription that removes ads and unlocks additional features.
Does Soon. count down to multiple events like Countdowns?
Yes. The free version holds up to 5 moments at once; Premium is unlimited. Each moment can have its own photo, theme, and plan, and with Premium its own place for the weather forecast, daily notes, and reminders. No ads sit between your moments.
Try it
Open Soon.
The same countdowns, with no ads on any tier.
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