Apple Calendar vs BusyCal

Apple Calendar

• People with an iPhone, iPad or Mac who want a calendar at no cost
• Seeing iCloud, Google and Exchange calendars side by side
• Families and friends sharing an iCloud calendar

BusyCal

• Mac users who want fine control over how their calendar looks
• People who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
• Anyone juggling iCloud, Google, Microsoft 365 and CalDAV accounts

Apple Calendar

• Apple's setup guide covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and iCloud.com, with Windows handled by syncing to Outlook through iCloud for Windows. No Android app is listed.
• Calendar on iCloud.com needs a tablet or computer; Apple's guide says it cannot be used from a phone browser.
• Editable sharing is limited to iCloud calendars and people with iCloud accounts. Everyone else can only view a public, read-only calendar.
• Time-to-leave alerts are not sent for destinations more than three hours away, and travel time does not update when an event's location changes.

BusyCal

• Mac and iOS only. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate $9.99 purchase and is not covered by the Mac license or subscription.
• A direct license includes 18 months of updates. The app keeps working after that, but newer versions need a paid renewal.
• The Mac App Store version is sold by subscription only ($4.99 a month or $39.99 a year); the one-time license is sold on BusyMac's own store.
• The App Store listing does not detail the Free Edition's limits, and BusyMac's licensing FAQ still says the App Store apps need an active subscription.

Apple Calendar

Several accounts in one calendar

Add iCloud, Google, Microsoft Exchange and other CalDAV accounts and see their events together in List, Day, Week or Month view, with a color for each calendar.

Natural-language event entry

On Mac, typing a phrase such as "Football Game on Saturday from 11 am - 1 pm" creates the event with its date and time filled in. Siri can add or change events by voice.

Travel time and time-to-leave alerts

Adding a location attaches a map and weather, and Calendar sends an alert when it is time to leave, based on traffic or transit conditions. Travel time can be added to the event's duration.

Shared and public calendars

Share an iCloud calendar with other iCloud users as view-only or editable, or turn on Public Calendar so anyone with the link can view and subscribe to it.

Reminders next to events

Scheduled reminders from the Reminders app appear on the calendar, where they can be created, edited and marked complete.

Invitations and video call links

Send and answer invitations through iCloud, Exchange and other accounts. Events can carry a video call link, a FaceTime call on Mac, attachments and notes.

BusyCal

Views you can reshape

Day, Week, Month, Year planner and List views, with control over weeks per month, days per week, fonts, colors and density, plus a sidebar or floating Info Panel.

Natural language quick entry

Type a phrase such as "Lunch with Joe next Tuesday at 12:30" to create an event or task, with a live preview of the title, time and location. Several languages are supported.

Tasks on the calendar

Tasks appear on their due dates and carry forward until completed, and a sidebar list sorts them by date, priority or tag. They sync with Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, Todoist and Microsoft To Do.

Smart Filters and Calendar Sets

Group calendars into sets for work, personal or family, and save combinations of searches, sets and view settings as Smart Filters you can switch between.

Travel time and time-to-leave alerts

Travel time to an event is calculated from your location or set by hand, and alerts adjust to traffic so you know when to leave.

Menu bar app

A menu bar calendar with a mini month, a heat map of availability, a scrolling event list and task entry. It keeps working when the main app is closed.

Apple Calendar

• Free$0

  Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac, plus Calendar on iCloud.com with an Apple Account.

BusyCal

• Free Edition$0

  Essential calendaring in the Mac App Store version, for people without a subscription.

• Mac App Store subscription$4.99

  per month, or $39.99 per year

  The full Mac app by subscription. One subscription covers a family's Macs through Family Sharing.

• BusyCal iOS$9.99

  one-time purchase on the App Store

  Universal app for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with Family Sharing. Not included with the Mac license or subscription.

• BusyCal for Mac license$49.99

  one-time purchase with 18 months of updates

  Perpetual license from BusyMac's store for one user on up to 5 personal Macs. Renewing for further updates is optional.

• BusyCal + BusyContacts$79.99

  one-time purchase

  Both Mac apps as a bundle, listed at 20% off the $99.99 combined price.

Apple Calendar

No public discounts listed.

BusyCal

• Education

  20% off for staff and students

  BusyMac's store offers a 20% discount to staff and students at educational institutions, requested by email.

• Other savings

  Volume discounts from 2 licenses

  Discounts apply automatically at checkout: 10% off 2 to 4 licenses, 20% off 5 to 9, 25% off 10 to 49, 30% off 50 to 99 and 35% off 100 or more.

• Other savings

  Discounted license renewals

  Renewing a license for another 18 months of updates is 20% to 40% off the original price. The licensing FAQ puts a renewal at $39.99.

• Other savings

  Bundle with BusyContacts for $79.99

  Buying BusyCal and BusyContacts together costs $79.99, which the store lists as 20% off the $99.99 combined price.