A countdown timer for Windows — no download needed
Set any date and keep a live countdown on your Windows 10 or 11 PC. Pin it to the taskbar, snap it beside your work, or put it fullscreen on a second monitor. It runs in the browser, so there is no .exe to download, no admin rights to ask for, and nothing to keep updated.
Year-End Deadline
How to put a countdown on your Windows desktop
Setting up a countdown clock for your desktop on Windows 10 or 11 takes about a minute, with nothing to install.
Set your date
Pick the deadline, trip, or last day of work, choose a style, and copy your countdown link. No account needed.
Give it its own window
In Edge, open the ⋯ menu, go to Apps, and choose Install this site as an app. In Chrome, use Install page as app or Create shortcut with Open as window ticked. Either way you get a taskbar icon you can pin.
Snap it or go fullscreen
Press Windows key + Left or Right arrow to snap it to half the screen, drag it onto a second monitor, or use the fullscreen button to fill a whole display.
Is there a timer widget for Windows 10?
Not one that counts down to a date. Windows 10 has no desktop widgets — Microsoft retired desktop gadgets after Windows 7 — and the Widgets board in Windows 11 opens as a panel over your screen rather than staying on the desktop. The built-in Clock app has a timer, but it is made for hours and minutes, not the days left until a date.
The closest thing to a countdown desktop widget on Windows 10 or 11 is a small app window you never close. Install the countdown as an app from Edge or Chrome, shrink the window, and park it in a corner of the screen. It stays one click away on the taskbar, and it shows a live day count instead of a number you have to remember to update.
Build your Windows countdownDo you need a countdown app for Windows?
Whether you call it a countdown app for PC or a countdown application for Windows, most people want the same thing: a number on screen that ticks down while they work. A downloaded app is one way to get it. On a work PC that usually means an admin password, an IT ticket, or a blocked installer — and an .exe from an unfamiliar site is a risk on any computer.
A browser countdown skips all of that. It runs on any Windows PC that can open a website, it never needs updating, and the link you set up at your desk opens the same countdown on your phone or laptop.
- A project or contract deadline on a work PC's second monitor
- Days until retirement on the office desktop you are about to leave
- A sprint or launch date on a wall-mounted Windows display
- Exam day, kept in a small window beside your notes
- A vacation countdown pinned to the taskbar on the family PC
- A shared team deadline that opens from one link on every computer
Using a Mac instead?
Nothing here is Windows-only. The same countdown runs in Safari or Chrome on macOS, and the desktop countdown page covers keeping it in view on any computer — from a small window beside your work to fullscreen on an external display.
Countdown Timer for DesktopMore countdowns for your PC
Countdown templates for a Windows desktop
Styles that read well in a snapped window or across a whole second monitor, in dark mode or light.
Dark Taskbar
Matches Windows dark mode, so a snapped window blends in beside the taskbar.
Blue Desktop
Deep blue that sits comfortably next to a default Windows wallpaper.
Light Mode
A light theme for a bright office or a laptop screen in daylight.
Retirement Desk
Warm tones for the countdown that stays on a work PC the longest.
Launch Day
High-contrast green for a dev machine or a wall-mounted office display.
Windows countdown FAQ
Quick answers to the most common questions about countdowns on Windows 10 and 11.
Is there a free countdown timer for Windows?
Yes. This one runs in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox on Windows 10 and 11, costs nothing, and has no signup or trial. Set a date, open the link, and leave it running as long as you like.
Do I need to download a countdown app for Windows?
No. There is no .exe or installer, so there is nothing for antivirus or IT to block and no admin rights to ask for. If you want it to feel like an app, Edge and Chrome can open it in its own window with a taskbar icon — that is a browser feature, not a download.
Is there a timer widget for Windows 10?
Not one that counts down to a date. Windows 10 has no desktop widgets, and the timer in its Alarms & Clock app counts hours and minutes rather than the days until a date. A small pinned window showing your countdown is the practical equivalent: one click away on the taskbar, with a day count that stays live.
How do I add a countdown desktop widget on Windows 11?
The Windows 11 Widgets board opens as a panel over your screen rather than staying on the desktop. For a countdown that stays in view, install this page as an app from Edge or Chrome, then snap its window into a corner with Snap layouts (Windows key + Z) or drag it onto a second monitor.
Can I keep the countdown on top of other windows?
Windows does not let an ordinary window stay on top by itself. Snapping the countdown to one side of the screen keeps other windows from covering it. If you already use Microsoft PowerToys, its Always On Top tool (Windows key + Ctrl + T) pins any window above the rest.
Will the countdown work on a work or school PC?
Usually, yes. Nothing is installed, so it needs no admin rights — if the PC's browser can open websites, it can run the countdown. Some managed PCs block installing sites as apps; a pinned browser tab or a fullscreen window works just as well.
Can the countdown open automatically when my PC starts?
Yes. When you install it as an app in Edge, the confirmation screen offers to start it when you sign in. Otherwise, press Windows key + R, type shell:startup, and copy a shortcut to your countdown into the folder that opens.
Does the same countdown work on my PC and my phone?
Yes. Your countdown lives at its own link, so it opens the same way on a Windows PC, a Mac, a phone, or a tablet — useful when you share it with people who are not on Windows.