Countdown Timer - Free Online Countdown to Any Date

How to use this tool

Set your target date. Pick a date and time in the Target date & time field, or choose a quick preset such as New Year, +24 hours, or +1 week.
Add an optional label. Type a name for your event (e.g., "New Year", "Vacation", "Launch day") in the Label field.
Watch the live countdown. Days, hours, minutes, and seconds update automatically every second.
Save or share. Click "Save to list" to keep the countdown in this browser, or "Copy shareable link" to share its absolute target instant with someone else.

What is a countdown timer?

A countdown timer compares a target date and time with the current clock, then displays the remaining days, hours, minutes, and seconds. This page updates in your browser. The date and time fields use your device’s local time zone, and the target can be in the future or past.

Popular uses for countdown timers

Holidays and celebrations: count down to Christmas, New Year’s, a birthday, or an anniversary.
Product launches and events: build anticipation for a launch day, conference, or concert.
Deadlines and exams: stay aware of how much time remains before an important due date.
Travel: count down to departure day for a vacation or trip.
Sports events: keep track of the days until the big game or race day.

How to share a countdown

Enter a target date and optional label, then click Copy shareable link. The link stores the selected local date as an absolute UTC instant, such as ?to=2026-12-31T07%3A00%3A00.000Z&label=New+Year. Each person sees that instant converted to their local time, so the remaining countdown stays consistent across time zones. Older links without an offset still open as local wall-clock times.

Quick presets and the weeks breakdown

Presets set a nearby date without requiring manual entry: New Year selects the next January 1 at local midnight, while the other buttons add 24 hours, one week, 30 days, or 100 days. The countdown splits the absolute time difference into whole days, hours, minutes, and seconds. For longer waits it also groups the whole-day portion into weeks and remaining days. For example, 17 full days appears as 2 weeks and 3 days, with the hours and minutes shown separately. The display recalculates from the target instant, so returning to the page after a break does not rely on a timer that kept running in the background.

Does the countdown work when the tab is closed?

The live display requires an open browser tab, but the countdown itself is date-based rather than timer-based. When you reopen the page, it recalculates the correct remaining time from your target date. A background tab pauses its one-second display updates and recalculates when you return.

Countdown vs. timer: what’s the difference?

A countdown to a date compares the current time with a calendar event, such as December 31 at midnight. A duration timer counts down from a fixed interval, such as ten minutes. Use the Pomodoro Timer for fixed-duration focus sessions and breaks.

Notifications and alerts

This countdown does not request notification permission and does not send an alert when it reaches zero. Keep the page open to watch it change to “Now!” and then show elapsed time. For an alarm at the end of a fixed-duration work session, use the Pomodoro Timer.

Time zone awareness

The date and time you choose are interpreted in your device’s local time zone. When you share the countdown, the link preserves that exact instant as UTC; a recipient in another zone sees the converted local target and the same amount of time remaining. If you are counting down to midnight in another city, first convert that city’s midnight to your local date and time. Daylight-saving changes are handled by the browser’s time-zone rules.

Saved countdowns and privacy

Saving a countdown keeps its label and target on this device in the browser’s local storage. The list is limited to ten entries, and removing an entry deletes it from that local list. Shared links contain only the selected target instant and label; they do not include your saved list. The countdown is calculated in the browser and does not need an account.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is the countdown timer?

The display updates each second while the page is visible and uses your browser's system clock. It recalculates when you return to a hidden tab. Accuracy depends on your device clock, and the display rounds down to whole seconds rather than showing sub-second precision.

Does the timer keep running when I close the tab?

No - the JavaScript timer only runs while the page is open. However, because the countdown is calculated from your target date each second, reopening the page will always show the correct remaining time.

Can I share a countdown with someone?

Yes. Click "Copy shareable link" to copy a URL with the target as an absolute UTC instant and the optional label. Each viewer sees the target in their own time zone, with the same time remaining. Older links without an offset continue to load as local wall-clock times.

What happens when the countdown reaches zero?

The display switches to "elapsed" mode, showing how long ago the event passed (e.g., "3 hours ago").

How many countdowns can I save?

You can save up to 10 countdowns in your browser's local storage. They persist until you clear your browser data. Clicking any saved countdown loads it into the main display.

Does the countdown send a notification at zero?

No. This tool does not request notification permission or send alerts. Keep the page open to see when the countdown reaches zero. For an alert during a fixed-duration focus session, use the Pomodoro Timer.