Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown
Plugin Review
AI-ResearchedWhat is Countdown Timer?
Countdown Timer – Widget Countdown is a WordPress plugin designed to help site owners create countdown timers for events, promotions, and product launches. Developed by wpdevart, this plugin has been available for 11 years. It currently holds 10K+ active installs with a 3.6/5 rating from 59 reviews. The rating breakdown shows 54% 24% one-star reviews, indicating a polarized user experience. Version 3.0.1 was last updated on Apr 21, 2026 and is tested up to WordPress 6.9.4. The plugin offers both a free version and a premium upgrade, with the free tier providing essential timer features like WooCommerce and Elementor integration.
The plugin allows you to add a countdown timer to posts, pages, and sidebars without coding. It supports multiple timer styles, including standard, circular, and vertical slider designs. The description highlights animation effects and responsive layouts for mobile screens. For those wondering how to add countdown timer in WordPress, this plugin provides a straightforward block-based approach for Gutenberg and Classic Editor.
Key Features of Countdown Timer
- Multiple Timer Designs – Choose from standard, circular, and vertical slider layouts to match your site’s style, with 40 premium themes available.
- WooCommerce Integration – You can add countdown timer to WooCommerce product pages to create urgency for sales or limited-time offers.
- Elementor & Gutenberg Support – Insert timers using Elementor widgets, Gutenberg blocks, or Classic Editor shortcodes for flexible placement.
- Expiration Actions – After the timer ends, hide the countdown, show a custom message, or redirect users to a URL (premium).
- Evergreen & Count Up Modes – Premium users can set timers that restart after a set duration, count up from zero, or repeat daily, weekly, or monthly.
- Animation Effects – Apply over 25 animations like fadeIn, bounceIn, or flipIn to individual timer elements or the whole group.
- Customizable Appearance – Adjust colors, fonts, sizes, and positioning via a user-friendly back-end, with full responsive scaling.
- Timezone Support – Select from a full list of ~100 timezones to ensure accurate countdowns for global audiences.
Who Should Use Countdown Timer?
Countdown Timer is ideal for beginners and intermediate users who need a quick way to add urgency to their WordPress site. The free version works well for simple event countdowns or promotional timers on posts and pages. With 10K+ installs, it serves a broad audience, from small business owners to bloggers. The plugin is tested on popular WordPress themes and requires no coding, making it accessible to non-developers.
For e-commerce sites, the WooCommerce integration is a key draw. Store owners can add countdown timer to WooCommerce product pages to highlight flash sales or limited stock. The premium version expands functionality with evergreen timers and repeat schedules, which suits marketing campaigns or recurring events. However, the 24% one-star rating suggests some users face issues, particularly with the circle view or server time synchronization, as noted in the FAQ.
Installation & Setup
Installation follows the standard WordPress process: download the ZIP file, upload it via Plugins > Add New, then activate. The plugin is beginner-friendly, with no complex configuration required. Setup involves creating a timer from the admin panel, selecting a date via the calendar date picker, and inserting it using a Gutenberg block, Elementor widget, or shortcode. The free version defaults to showing days, hours, minutes, and seconds, with the option to adjust position and width in pixels or percentages.
Support & Community
Support data for the last two months shows 1 open thread and 0 resolved threads, resulting in a 0% resolution rate. This is a concerning signal for potential users. The rating profile of 54% 24% one-star reviews indicates that while many users find the plugin functional, a significant minority encounter problems. The FAQ directs users to contact support at support@wpdevart.com for issues like jQuery conflicts or circle view errors. For a plugin with 11 years of history, the current support responsiveness appears limited, which may affect long-term reliability for those needing assistance with how to add countdown timer in WordPress or other setup questions.
Pros & Cons
- With over 10K+ active installs and a 3.6 rating from 59 reviews, the plugin offers a proven, widely-used countdown solution.
- The free version includes unlimited timers, full timezone support, and custom post-expiration actions, covering core needs without cost.
- It integrates directly with WooCommerce, Elementor, and Gutenberg, allowing timers to be placed in products, pages, or blocks with minimal effort.
- 54% of reviews are 5-star, indicating a majority of users find the plugin functional and easy to set up for basic countdown tasks.
- Only 24% of reviews are 1-star, but the plugin has 0% support ticket resolution from a single thread, suggesting unresolved issues for some users.
- The free version is limited to a single 'Classic B&W' theme, offering minimal visual customization without upgrading to premium.
- Despite listing 'dozens of animation effects,' the free version provides no details on which animations are included, creating uncertainty about available options.
Technical Details
- Requires WordPress
- 3.3.0+
- Tested up to WP
- 6.9.4
- First Released
- 2015 (11+ years)
- Support (last 2 months)
- 2 threads — 0% resolved
Feature Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Countdown Timer is available as a free plugin on WordPress.org, with a premium version that adds features like popup and sticky bar support. The free version includes multiple timer types, animation effects, and full responsiveness.
Countdown Timer has over 10K+ active installs, making it a moderately popular choice for adding countdown timers to WordPress sites.
The plugin requires WordPress 3.3.0 or higher and has been tested up to WordPress 6.9.4, ensuring compatibility with modern WordPress installations.
Yes, the plugin was last updated on Apr 21, 2026 and is currently at version 3.0.1, indicating active maintenance. It has been available since 2015, showing long-term support.
The plugin facts do not specify a minimum PHP version, but since it requires WordPress 3.3.0+, it should work with PHP 5.2.4 or higher as per WordPress requirements of that era. For best performance, most users run it on PHP 7.4 or later.
The plugin has a support forum with 1 thread in the last 2 months, though 0% of threads are resolved, and it holds a 3.6/5 rating from 59 ratings. For direct help, you can contact the developer at support@wpdevart.com.
Yes, the plugin is designed for users with no coding skills, allowing you to create and embed timers in posts, pages, and widgets via Gutenberg blocks, Elementor, or the classic editor. You can customize colors, fonts, and sizes through an intuitive interface.
Key features include multiple timer types (standard, circular, vertical slider), dozens of animation effects, full responsiveness on all devices, and actions after timer expiry like hiding or showing a custom message. It also integrates with WooCommerce and Elementor.