Countdown · Weather · Plan Mode
A Days Matter alternative
for events worth planning for.
Days Matter is the largest cross-platform countdown app on the App Store. It does dates, themes, and Lock Screen widgets well. Soon. is built for the kind of countdown where the date isn't enough — a trip, a wedding, a pregnancy, a moving day — where the countdown wants a photo background, real weather at the destination, an event-aware checklist, and widgets on every screen including StandBy. No ads, no account, no tracking.
How does Soon. compare to Days Matter?
Both count down days. The difference is what each app adds around the number — and what each ships in the free tier.
Event-type-aware checklists (Plan Mode)
Soon.: Built-in templates for Trip, Wedding, Birthday, Pregnancy, Graduation, Move, Concert — each task anchored to a T-minus offset (T-30, T-14, T-3) and scheduled backward from the date.
Days Matter: Generic countdown events — no event-type templates.
Days Matter: Generic countdown events — no event-type templates.
Destination weather
Soon.: Apple WeatherKit forecast at the destination as the date approaches (Premium). Only the coarse destination is shared with WeatherKit.
Days Matter: No weather integration.
Days Matter: No weather integration.
Widgets
Soon.: Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy in every iOS size — small, medium, large, ring, minimal, timeline.
Days Matter: Home Screen + Lock Screen widgets; StandBy not advertised on the current listing.
Days Matter: Home Screen + Lock Screen widgets; StandBy not advertised on the current listing.
Ads & account
Soon.: Zero ads on any tier. No account required ever. No third-party SDKs.
Days Matter: Banner ads on free tier. Optional account for cross-device sync.
Days Matter: Banner ads on free tier. Optional account for cross-device sync.
Data storage
Soon.: On-device only. Events are included in your standard iPhone iCloud Backup, so a phone swap restores everything.
Days Matter: Optional account-based cloud sync — your countdowns can live on a server tied to a login.
Days Matter: Optional account-based cloud sync — your countdowns can live on a server tied to a login.
Price
Soon.: Free forever with 5 events. Premium €2.99/mo or €19.99/yr or €39.99 lifetime (7-day trial).
Days Matter: Free with ads. Premium subscription removes ads and unlocks features (typical pricing in the category).
Days Matter: Free with ads. Premium subscription removes ads and unlocks features (typical pricing in the category).
Who should pick Soon. vs Days Matter?
Pick Soon. if…
- Your countdowns are real planning exercises — trips, weddings, pregnancies, moves
- You want a checklist next to the countdown, tailored to the event type
- You want destination weather on the widget as the date approaches
- You want StandBy widgets, not just Lock Screen
- You refuse ads in apps you use daily
- You don't want a countdown account tied to a server
Stick with Days Matter if…
- You need explicit cross-device sync via an account (iOS + Android, multiple iPhones without backup restore)
- You're already happy with Days Matter's templates and visual themes
- You'd rather see banner ads than pay anything (the free tier of either app works, but they make different trade-offs)
About Soon.
Questions
FAQ
What is the best Days Matter alternative for iPhone without ads?
Soon. is the closest planner-grade alternative to Days Matter for iPhone. It has no ads on any tier, no third-party trackers, and no account requirement, where Days Matter's free tier carries banner ads. Soon. also adds event-type Plan Mode checklists, Apple WeatherKit destination forecasts, and StandBy widgets that Days Matter doesn't ship.
Does Soon. import countdowns from Days Matter?
Not directly — there's no automated Days Matter import. Soon. does, however, import any event from the iOS Calendar with one tap, and Days Matter optionally syncs events to iCloud Calendar, so a working path is: export your Days Matter events to iOS Calendar, then import each into Soon. You only need to do this once per countdown.
Does Soon. sync between iPhones the way Days Matter does?
Soon. is on-device only — events live on your iPhone, not on a server. The countdowns are included in your standard iPhone iCloud Backup, so setting up a new phone from that backup restores everything. Days Matter offers explicit cross-device cloud sync through an account; Soon. trades that for no-account privacy.
Is Soon. free like Days Matter?
Soon.'s free tier is free forever with 5 events, one pinned widget, three themes, iOS Calendar import, memories, and reflection mode — no ads, no upsell screens. Premium unlocks unlimited events, weather intelligence, daily notes, recurring events, and notifications: €2.99/month, €19.99/year, or €39.99 once for lifetime access with a 7-day free trial. Days Matter's free tier ships banner ads; Soon.'s does not.
Does Soon. have Lock Screen and StandBy widgets like Days Matter?
Soon. supports Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy widgets in every iOS size — small, medium, large, ring, minimal, and timeline. Days Matter ships Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets; StandBy support is not advertised on its current App Store listing.
Try it
Open Soon.
A planner-grade countdown for events worth planning for — no ads, no account, no tracking.