This is the simplest hit counter I could imagine (well, almost). Every time a 
page is requested, it adds one to the count. The display is not an image, just 
text. There is no javascript to hit some third-party server, no tracking, no 
distinction among pages: just an old-fashioned site counter CGI, implemented in 
WordPress. The plugin stores its count in its own MySQL table.
Once the plugin is installed (described below), you can display the count by 
putting code like this somewhere on your page:
<pre><code><?= simplehitcounter_hit(); ?>
</code></pre>
That will both increment the counter and display its value. There is no method 
for getting the value without incrementing it. I suppose I could write such a 
thing if anyone likes.
There is a minor race condition. First the plugin updates the database by one 
(atomically), then it queries for the current count. Therefore in heavy traffic 
it is possible for two updates to happen before either select. In that case, 
the counter will correctly increment, but the number displayed may be the same 
for each user, representing the total page hits. As far as I can tell, this 
race condition is inevitable without locking the table. It seems trivial 
enough, though I guess you should be warned if you run a contest to give away a 
free car to the 1,000,000th user.
By default the plugin keeps its data in a table called <code>wp_simplehitcounter_hits</code>. 
You can change this by editing the <code>simplehitcounter.php</code> file.

Simple Hit Counter

Prints a count of the number of hits your blog has received, tracked in the 
database.

Activity Track

Uji Countdown lets you display eye-catching countdowns anywhere on your site. Drop the block or shortcode into a post, page, widget, or template and fine-tune every detail—colours, labels, animation, server vs. visitor time and more.
<h3>Key features</h3>
<ul>
<li>Block Editor support – create and preview timers visually. </li>
<li>Recurring & repeat timers – perfect for evergreen offers. </li>
<li>Unlimited styles with colour & size controls. </li>
<li>Switch between server time or visitor time. </li>
<li>Translate date labels and numeric separators. </li>
<li>Optional redirect or hide when the timer expires. </li>
<li>Widget area & shortcode support. </li>
<li>Multi-language date formats. </li>
<li>Pro only: responsive layouts, multiple timers per page, circular timer add-on.</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://wpmanage.com/project/ujicountdown/" rel="nofollow ugc">Demo site</a>
<h3>Support</h3>
Need help? Email info@wpmanage.com or open a topic on the support forum.

Uji Countdown

A fully-customizable HTML5 countdown timer with Block Editor support.

Simple Hit Counter vs Uji Countdown