giftcountdown
01
Free
Quick and free
AdventMyFriend is completely free; MyAdvent and Unveil have free versions with photos and texts.
Comparison, as of 3 November 2026
Digital advent calendars compared: which one suits whom?
There are free and paid online advent calendars. Some need an app, some count down to any date, some are built for companies. We compared nine providers on the same criteria, using only what their own websites say. giftcountdown is our own product and is on the list with its limits.
€14.90 once per calendar VAT included (US: $14.90 plus sales tax).
Designing and previewing is free. You only pay when you send it.
Personal, not generic
The short answer.
Free and quick: AdventMyFriend or MyAdvent's free version. A gift for one person, with your voice, your own videos, a quiz and a ready-made template for all 24 doors: giftcountdown. A countdown to a date other than Christmas: Ouvella, Unveil or DailyReveal. A company campaign: Türchen or online-adventkalender.com.
Three typical cases
What are you looking for?
Three situations and which providers fit them, according to their own pages.
02
For one person
Personal and designed
giftcountdown: templates for all 24 doors, voice, your own videos, quiz, three designs, €14.90 once. Ouvella and Unveil also aim at gifts for one person.
03
Another date
Countdown to a reunion
Ouvella, Unveil, DailyReveal and MyAdvent also count down to a date of your choice, according to their pages.
What makes giftcountdown different
More than 24 photos behind doors.
- Ready-made templates for all 24 doorsFor partners, family, friends and children. You adapt them instead of starting from scratch.
- Photos, your own videos and your voiceRecord voice messages directly in the browser. Audio and video are saved with a confirmed email address.
- Quiz doors and vouchersSmall questions to guess and vouchers for time together, built in rather than crafted by hand.
- Three fully designed worldsThe Palace with velvet-red doors, the snowy Winter Village and the Sleigh Ride for children.
- Right on time at midnightEach door opens at midnight in the time zone of the recipient's device. Missed doors can be opened later.
- No app, no ads, no subscriptionThe recipient opens a private link in the browser. You pay €14.90 once; the preview is free. Ten languages.
From you. For one person.
How it becomes your gift.
- Start with a template
Choose a design and start with a template for a partner, family, friends or children – or with an empty calendar.
- Add your own moments
Edit the texts, choose photos, record a message. Review and save all 24 doors before you send the calendar.
- Unlock and send the link
After payment you get your gift link. The recipient opens it in the browser, without an app account.
Our limits, honestly.
giftcountdown is an advent calendar for 1 to 24 December, not a countdown to any date. All 24 doors are filled and reviewed before you give it. There is no free version for giving, and after 31 January the calendar and its media are deleted. In return you get templates for every door, your own videos, voice messages, quizzes and three fully designed worlds, with no ads and no app.
See what a finished example calendar looks like →Nine providers at a glance
As of 3 November 2026, based on the providers' own websites (mostly their German pages). “Not stated” means the page says nothing clear about it; we do not guess. Prices and features can change.
| Provider | Free? | Paid version | Doors / period | Your voice | Own videos | For the recipient | Fill doors after it starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| giftcountdown | Designing and preview free | €14.90 once per calendar (US: $14.90 + tax) | 24, from 1 to 24 December | Yes, record in the browser | Yes, with a confirmed email | Browser, no account, no ads | No, all 24 before giving |
| MyAdvent | Yes: photos, texts, voice messages up to 20 s, YouTube | Pro €5.99, Pro+ €11.99 once, each valid 3 months | Own period up to 90 days | Yes, longer with Pro | With Pro | No account needed (per site) | Not stated |
| Ouvella | Creating and preview free | €14.99 once per calendar | 3 to 31, Advent or countdown | Yes, in the browser | Not mentioned on the calendar page | Browser, no account | Yes, until the last day |
| Unveil | Yes, up to 31 days with photos and texts | Premium €9.99 once per calendar | Up to 31 days, date selectable | With Premium | With Premium | No account needed | Yes, add to empty days later |
| online-adventkalender.com | Yes, one calendar | Family €9.90, business packages cost more | 24, time adjustable | Audio in paid packages | Yes | Browser, no account, no app | Not stated |
| AdventMyFriend | Yes, completely | None | 1 to 31 | Not stated | As a link, e.g. YouTube | Browser, no account | Not stated |
| DailyReveal | 2 trial calendars up to 7 doors after sign-up | From €5.90 once | Up to 25, 50 or 100 doors by package | Yes | Yes, upload or YouTube | Web link or app, no app required | Yes, editable any time |
| Advent App | Yes, with a short ad before each door | One-time ad-free purchase (amount not stated on the website) | 24 | Yes | Yes, up to 60 s | App installation required, no account | Yes, until the opening day |
| Türchen | 10-day trial | Once per calendar (price on the provider's site) | Period adjustable | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Yes, even on the same day |
Quick pick: which provider for what?
- Free, no account: AdventMyFriend. Free with short voice messages: MyAdvent.
- A gift for one person, with your voice, your own videos, a quiz and a ready-made template for all 24 doors: giftcountdown.
- Fill doors during December: Ouvella, Unveil, DailyReveal or Advent App.
- A countdown to another date, such as a reunion: Ouvella, Unveil, DailyReveal or MyAdvent.
- Lots of templates and games: online-adventkalender.com.
- A campaign for a company, club or school: Türchen or online-adventkalender.com.
When giftcountdown fits and when it doesn't
giftcountdown fits when the calendar is for someone who matters to you and you don't want to start from scratch. The templates for partners, family, friends and children give all 24 doors a starting point. You add your own photos and videos, record your voice, build in a quiz or vouchers and choose one of three worlds, including the Sleigh Ride for children.
Another provider fits better if it should be free, if you want to fill the doors gradually after giving it, if you are counting down to a date other than Christmas, or if the calendar should stay online after 31 January.
What matters in an online advent calendar
- What the recipient needs: just a browser or an app, an account or not.
- When doors open: at midnight in their time zone, at a fixed time or immediately.
- What fits behind a door: only photos and text, or also your voice, your own videos, quizzes and vouchers.
- What it costs: once or per period, and what exactly you pay for.
- What happens to the content: who sees it and how long it is stored.
How this comparison was made
On 3 November 2026 we read each provider's public pages: the home page and, where available, pricing and help pages. Every entry in the table comes from there. Where a page is unclear, the table says “not stated”.
We chose providers that appear in German-language searches for “digital advent calendar” or “create an online advent calendar” and have a German-language page. giftcountdown is our own product. There are no affiliate links, and nobody paid to be included.
Spotted a mistake or a price change? Write to hello@giftcountdown.com and we will correct it.
Good to know
Before you start.
Is there a free digital advent calendar?
Yes. According to their websites (as of 3 November 2026), AdventMyFriend is completely free, MyAdvent has a free version with voice messages up to 20 seconds, and Unveil is free with photos and texts for up to 31 days. With giftcountdown, designing and previewing are free; giving costs €14.90.
Which online advent calendar works without an app?
Most providers compared open in the browser. With Advent App, the recipient has to install the app according to its website. giftcountdown needs neither an app nor an account.
Which provider suits a long-distance relationship?
What matters is that doors open in the recipient's time zone. According to their pages, giftcountdown, Ouvella and DailyReveal do this, among others. giftcountdown opens each door at midnight in the time zone of the recipient's device.
How long can the calendar be opened?
Doors unlock daily from 1 to 24 December. Access lasts until 31 January of the following year (UTC). After that, the calendar and its media are deleted, so it is not a permanent photo archive.
How much does it cost to send?
Sending costs €14.90 once per calendar, VAT included; in the US it is $14.90 plus applicable sales tax. There is no subscription. You can design your calendar for free and look at the preview before you decide to buy.
Sources
A small joy that comes from you
Make this December personal.
Create your calendarTry it first. Decide at your own pace.