Alternatives to Apple Calendar
Apple's built-in calendar
Apple Calendar ranks #6 of 8 in Calendar apps, with an Alt Score of 64. It is proprietary, free from Free and available on macOS, iOS and Web. 8 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Mac, iPhone, and iPad users who want a built-in way to track appointments, events, and reminders across Apple devices.
Apple Calendar lets you create and organize events across multiple calendars (personal, work, shared), with support for invitations, alerts, and recurring events. It syncs automatically via iCloud so events stay current across all your Apple devices, and it can display calendars from other accounts like Google or Exchange. Shared calendars let family or teams coordinate schedules together.
Add events manually or via invitations, assign them to specific calendars, and set alerts or repeat intervals; changes sync automatically through iCloud (or other configured accounts) to every signed-in device.
Where Apple Calendar stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave Apple Calendar
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
Sign in to add a reason — new reasons go through moderation before appearing.
Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the Calendar apps checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| Calendar apps checklist | Apple Calendar | Google Calendar | BusyCal | Fantastical | Amie | Morgen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Accounts supported (Google, CalDAV, Exchange) | ||||||
| Natural language event entry | ||||||
| Scheduling links built in | ||||||
| Tasks integration | ||||||
| Menu bar / widgets | ||||||
| Time zones handling | ||||||
| Offline | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| One-time purchase option | ||||||
| Team scheduling |
Every fact and feature listed for Apple Calendar is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-10
Calendar is one of the bundled built-in apps; it ships free with macOS/iOS and is not sold separately.
Your iMac comes with built-in apps that help you stay connected, empower you to create, provide hours of entertainment, and more.
https://support.apple.com/guide/imac/welcome/mac -
License Proprietary verified 2026-07-10
Your use of Apple software or hardware products is based on the software license and other terms and conditions in effect for the product at the time of purchase.
https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/ -
Platforms macOS, iOS, Web verified 2026-07-10
iOS via the iPhone Calendar guide; Web via Calendar on iCloud.com.
Calendar User Guide for macOS Tahoe
https://support.apple.com/guide/calendar/welcome/mac -
Starts at Free verified 2026-07-10
Your iMac comes with built-in apps that help you stay connected, empower you to create, provide hours of entertainment, and more.
https://support.apple.com/guide/imac/welcome/mac -
Status active verified 2026-07-10
Calendar User Guide for macOS Tahoe
https://support.apple.com/guide/calendar/welcome/mac -
Accounts supported (Google, CalDAV, Exchange) Yes verified 2026-07-10
CalDAV via the 'Other CalDAV Account' option in the Calendar guide; Exchange via the Exchange-calendars guide page.
You can add Exchange, Google, Yahoo, and other internet accounts to your Mac to use them in Mac apps.
https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/add-an-internet-account-mh43559/mac -
Natural language event entry Yes verified 2026-07-10
Party Feb 6," "Soccer Game on Saturday from 11am-1pm," or "Vacation in Bahamas Mon-Fri.""
For example, enter
https://support.apple.com/guide/calendar/add-modify-or-delete-events-icalwr13-events/mac -
Tasks integration Yes verified 2026-07-10
You can view, create, edit, and complete scheduled reminders from the Reminders app right in Calendar.
https://support.apple.com/guide/calendar/use-reminders-icl873b9a527/mac -
Menu bar / widgets Yes verified 2026-07-10
You can add Calendar widgets to Notification Center or your Mac desktop.
https://support.apple.com/guide/calendar/icl0c43c9ee0/15.0/mac/15.0 -
Time zones handling Yes verified 2026-07-10
By default, calendar events are displayed in your computer's current time zone
https://support.apple.com/guide/calendar/use-different-time-zones-icl1035/mac -
Open source No verified 2026-07-10
Apple software ships under a proprietary licence agreement, not an OSI licence.
Your use of Apple software or hardware products is based on the software license and other terms and conditions in effect for the product at the time of purchase.
https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/ -
One-time purchase option No verified 2026-07-10
Bundled free with the OS, not sold as a separate one-time purchase.
Your iMac comes with built-in apps that help you stay connected, empower you to create, provide hours of entertainment, and more.
https://support.apple.com/guide/imac/welcome/mac -
Team scheduling Yes verified 2026-07-10
If you see Check Availability below the last invitee, you can click it to see when invitees are free or busy.
https://support.apple.com/guide/calendar/invite-people-to-events-icl1016/mac
FAQ
Yes. Google Calendar, Fantastical and Amie have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Proton Calendar — every license claim links its source.