Best Countdown Timer Apps for Shopify (2025)

Countdown timers create urgency, when they're real. The right timer app can boost conversions on flash sales, product launches, and limited-time offers. The wrong one (fake timers that reset) destroys customer trust.

This guide compares the best countdown timer apps for Shopify, covering sale timers, cart reservation timers, and shipping deadline timers.

Quick Comparison

| App | Best For | Price | Rating | Key Feature | |-----|----------|-------|--------|-------------| | Hextom Ultimate Sales Boost | Sitewide sales | Free-$29.99/mo | 4.8/5 | Multiple timer placements | | Essential Countdown Timer Bar | Announcement bar | Free-$9.99/mo | 4.9/5 | Clean, minimal design | | Countdown Timer Bar by Revy | Simple timers | Free | 4.8/5 | Completely free | | Reservit | Cart reservation | $49-$149/mo | 5.0/5 | Real inventory holds | | Sales Countdown Timer | Product page urgency | Free-$8.99/mo | 4.7/5 | Per-product timers | | JEPTO Countdown Timer | Flexible placement | Free-$14.99/mo | 4.6/5 | Custom CSS support |

Types of Countdown Timers

Before choosing an app, understand what you're trying to achieve.

Sale Countdown Timers

Show when a sale or promotion ends.

Use case: "Black Friday sale ends in 2 days, 14 hours, 32 minutes"

What they do:

• Display countdown to specific date/time
• Can appear on announcement bar, product pages, cart

What they don't do:

• Actually change anything when timer hits zero
• Hold inventory or enforce the deadline (that's manual)

Cart Reservation Timers

Hold actual inventory while customers shop.

Use case: "Your items are reserved for 15:00 minutes"

What they do:

• Reserve inventory when added to cart
• Release inventory if customer doesn't complete purchase
• Create real urgency because items actually become unavailable

What they don't do:

• Just display a timer (they change inventory behavior)

Shipping Deadline Timers

Show cutoff for delivery by a certain date.

Use case: "Order in the next 3:45:00 for delivery by Friday"

What they do:

• Calculate time until shipping cutoff
• Update based on current time and delivery estimates

What they don't do:

• Guarantee delivery (that depends on your fulfillment)

Best Sale Countdown Timer Apps

1. Hextom Ultimate Sales Boost

Best for: Stores running frequent promotions

Price: Free plan available, $9.99-$29.99/mo for premium

Rating: 4.8/5 (5,000+ reviews)

Key features:

• Countdown timers on product pages, cart, and checkout
• Low stock warnings
• Get-it-by shipping dates
• Trust badges
• Inventory scarcity ("Only 3 left!")

Pros:

• All-in-one urgency toolkit
• Easy to set up
• Multiple timer styles
• Works on any theme

Cons:

• Can slow site slightly if using many features
• Some features only on premium plans
• Timer styling options somewhat limited

Best for: Stores that want a complete urgency toolkit, not just timers.

2. Essential Countdown Timer Bar

Best for: Clean, minimal announcement bar timers

Price: Free plan available, $9.99/mo for premium

Rating: 4.9/5 (2,000+ reviews)

Key features:

• Announcement bar countdown
• Multiple bar styles
• Mobile-optimized
• Schedule bars in advance
• Page targeting (show on specific pages)

Pros:

• Very clean design
• Minimal performance impact
• Easy scheduling
• Great mobile experience

Cons:

• Only announcement bar (no product page timers)
• Limited customization on free plan

Best for: Stores that want a professional, unobtrusive timer bar.

3. Countdown Timer Bar by Revy

Best for: Budget-conscious stores

Price: Free

Rating: 4.8/5 (1,500+ reviews)

Key features:

• Fully functional countdown bar
• Customizable colors and text
• Mobile responsive
• Recurring timer option

Pros:

• Completely free
• No branding
• Works well
• Lightweight

Cons:

• Limited styling options
• No advanced features (scheduling, targeting)
• Support is basic

Best for: Stores that need a simple, free countdown bar.

4. Sales Countdown Timer by Conversion Bear

Best for: Product page urgency

Price: Free plan available, $8.99/mo for premium

Rating: 4.7/5 (1,200+ reviews)

Key features:

• Per-product countdown timers
• Automatic scheduling
• Multiple timer designs
• Works with Shopify discount codes

Pros:

• Timers directly on product pages
• Multiple design options
• Easy product-level control

Cons:

• Premium needed for best features
• Can conflict with some themes
• Less focus on site-wide announcements

Best for: Stores with product-specific sales or flash deals.

5. JEPTO Countdown Timer

Best for: Custom styling needs

Price: Free plan available, $14.99/mo for premium

Rating: 4.6/5 (800+ reviews)

Key features:

• Multiple timer positions
• Custom CSS support
• GEO-targeting
• A/B testing

Pros:

• Highly customizable
• Advanced targeting options
• Good for developers

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve
• Free plan is limited
• Overkill for simple needs

Best for: Stores with specific design requirements or developer resources.

Best Cart Reservation Timer App

Reservit

Best for: Limited inventory and flash sales

Price: $49-$149/mo

Rating: 5.0/5 (new app)

Key features:

• Real inventory reservation when items added to cart
• Countdown timer showing reservation time
• Inventory releases back to stock when timer expires
• Prevents overselling during high-demand events

Why it's different:

Most countdown timer apps are cosmetic, they show a timer, but nothing actually happens when it hits zero. Reservit actually holds inventory, creating real urgency because items genuinely become unavailable.

Pros:

• Creates genuine urgency (not fake)
• Prevents overselling
• Improves customer experience (no checkout stockouts)
• 15-25% conversion improvement for limited inventory

Cons:

• Higher price point
• Only useful for limited inventory scenarios
• Requires inventory management integration

Best for: Stores with limited inventory, flash sales, product drops, or high-demand items where stockouts during checkout are a problem.

Choosing the Right Timer App

For Sitewide Sales (Black Friday, promotions)

Recommendation: Essential Countdown Timer Bar or Hextom

• Show countdown in announcement bar
• Apply site-wide visibility
• Timer creates awareness of the deadline

For Product-Specific Sales

Recommendation: Sales Countdown Timer or Hextom

• Timer on specific product pages
• Can set different end times per product
• Works with Shopify's discount system

For Flash Sales with Limited Inventory

Recommendation: Reservit + Sale Timer App

• Reservit for actual inventory protection
• Sale timer for visible countdown
• Combination creates both urgency and fairness

For Shipping Deadlines

Recommendation: Hextom Ultimate Sales Boost

• Built-in "get it by" date calculator
• Updates automatically based on time
• Shows on product and cart pages

For Free/Budget Options

Recommendation: Countdown Timer Bar by Revy

• Free and functional
• No branding
• Good enough for basic needs

Timer Best Practices

Do: Use Real Deadlines

Timers that count down to actual events (sale ends, shipping cutoff, inventory release) build trust because customers can verify them.

Don't: Use Fake Timers That Reset

Timers that reset when refreshed or restart when hitting zero actively harm your business. Customers notice and lose trust. In some jurisdictions (EU, UK), fake urgency messaging is illegal.

Do: Match Timer to Urgency Level

• Low urgency (weeklong sale): Announcement bar is sufficient
• Medium urgency (24-hour flash sale): Product page + announcement bar
• High urgency (limited inventory): Cart reservation timer

Don't: Overdo It

Multiple timers on every page creates timer blindness. Choose one or two strategic placements. Less is more.

Do: Test Performance Impact

Timer apps load JavaScript. Too many apps = slower site. Test your site speed before and after installing.

Don't: Create False Scarcity

"Only 2 left!" when you have 200 in stock is deceptive. Use real inventory counts or don't show them at all.