DayCount EUDayCount EU vs spreadsheets, the official calculator and other apps
Each option is good at something. This page says what, so you can pick the right tool. Last reviewed 28 Oct 2026.
A spreadsheet
Good at: total flexibility, costs nothing, and you own the file. Watch out for: rolling 180-day windows are easy to get subtly wrong, planning around future trips needs real formula work, and there is no built-in explanation of why a number is what it is.
The European Commission's calculator
Good at: it is the official tool, it is free and it works in a browser. Its manual states it is a support tool only, and that the border authorities decide. It has a control mode and a forecast mode, both based on your past entries and exits. Watch out for: it does not keep your trips, plan against bookings, record proof, or count tax days, and you must leave out stays covered by a long-stay visa or residence permit yourself. Our free web calculator gives the same answers on the Commission's own worked examples.
Other apps
Based on public store listings in October 2026 (check current details before you decide). There are many Schengen calculators, and tax-residence trackers are mostly separate apps. Several are polished and well liked: some offer widgets and an Apple Watch app, PDF reports or cloud sync, and at least one (Schengen Simple) also plans a maximum stay against all your future trips. Many are subscription-only.
Where DayCount EU is different
| Need | DayCount EU |
|---|---|
| Planning that respects booked trips | Yes. (Not unique: at least one other app does this too.) |
| Proof of exits and an EES dispute pack | Yes: encrypted evidence vault and a PDF pack. We did not find another app built around this. |
| Mixed-passport couples | Separate travellers, copying trips, and a labelled family-member count that never replaces the strict one. |
| Long-stay visa and permit periods | Recorded per country and excluded from your count. |
| Tax days with each country's own rules | UK midnight rule, Spain's sporadic absences, Portugal's 12-month test and the US substantial presence test, labelled "approximate" where not verified. |
| Privacy | All trip data and documents stay on your phone, encrypted. No account needed for the free app. |
| Pricing | Free with ads, or premium as a yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. |
Where it is not (yet) the best choice
- No home-screen widgets or watch app yet (planned).
- No cloud sync by design. Back up with CSV export.
- English only for now.
We have not tested competitors' apps ourselves and make no claims beyond what their public listings say. Planning aid, not legal or tax advice. Border authorities' records are authoritative.