Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
Boost Your Sales with Sales Countdown Timer (when people see a count down timer, they rush to buy)
| Essential Countdown Timer Bar | Smart Announcement Bar | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | ||
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | images | images |
| Languages | ||
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| Developer | ||
| Listed |
The Smart Announcement Bar app creates a banner with offer announcements or sales details.
| Metric | Essential Countdown Timer Bar | Smart Announcement Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 5.0 ★ | — |
| Total reviews | 1.5k | 0 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan available | Free |
| Built for Shopify | ★ Yes | — |
| Pricing tiers | 4 tiers | — |
| Listed features | ★ 5 | 3 |
| Featured placements | 4 | — |
| Languages | 19 supported | 1 supported |
| Listed since | Feb 2022 | May 2020 |
Based on the data on this page, Essential Countdown Timer Bar is the stronger choice for most Shopify App Store merchants — 5.0★ vs Smart Announcement Bar's 0.0★ is a meaningful gap that usually reflects real product or support quality differences across the user base. Pricing entry tiers: Essential Countdown Timer Bar at Free plan available, Smart Announcement Bar at Free. Check each app's tier structure for the capacity limits you actually need before deciding — the headline number is the same shape, but the gating shape per tier (apps, orders, integrations) varies. Essential Countdown Timer Bar has the larger user base (1,509 reviews vs 0), which usually maps to broader integration coverage, faster bug-fix cadence, and a deeper bench of community workflow patterns. Smart Announcement Bar's smaller cohort can be an advantage for niche workflows where the bigger app has accumulated bloat. Recommended by store size: small/early-stage merchants who need fast install and low risk should default to Essential Countdown Timer Bar; mid-market and enterprise merchants with specific feature requirements should evaluate both — Smart Announcement Bar's 0-review base may include the workflow context that matches your specific use case better than Essential Countdown Timer Bar's broader-but-shallower coverage. This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical Shopify App Store listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: Essential Countdown Timer Bar audit • Smart Announcement Bar audit
| Last updated | — | — |
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| Keyword | Essential Countdown Timer Bar | Smart Announcement Bar |
|---|---|---|
| countdown timer bar | #1 | Not ranked |
| countdown timer | #1 | Not ranked |
| sales countdown timer | #2 | Not ranked |
Not featured in any section recently.
No tracked changes.
Both Essential Countdown Timer Bar and Smart Announcement Bar offer paid plans only. Essential Countdown Timer Bar starts at Free plan available; Smart Announcement Bar starts at Free. Compare the per-tier features in the Pricing section above before committing.
It depends on what you're optimizing for. Essential Countdown Timer Bar fits better if you prioritize rating consistency; Smart Announcement Bar is the call if you need the larger user base. Read both apps' detail pages on AppRanks for the full feature breakdown, install counts, and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the Shopify App Store marketplace. Essential Countdown Timer Bar has more onboarding documentation maturity (1,509 reviews vs 0), which usually translates to better-tested setup wizards and quicker time-to-value. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly — read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for merchant-reported install experience.
Essential Countdown Timer Bar typically suits early-stage and growth-mode stores based on its review-base composition (1,509 reviews). Smart Announcement Bar aligns more with early-stage and growth-mode stores (0 reviews). Larger review bases generally mean the app has been load-tested at scale — relevant if you're processing high order volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Migration support varies by app and category. Essential Countdown Timer Bar and Smart Announcement Bar both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from Smart Announcement Bar" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.
