Apple Calendar vs Calendars by Readdle
We give Apple Calendar and Calendars by Readdle the same GPA: 3.4 out of 4.0. Apple Calendar grades higher on the free plan. Calendars by Readdle grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Calendars by Readdle
Calendar and task planner for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch
How we grade them
| 3.4GPAApple CalendarVery good | 3.4GPACalendars by ReaddleVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThere's nothing to buy. Every feature is free, including several accounts in one view and typed-in events on a Mac. Calendars by Readdle keeps both of those for its $19.99 a year plan. | APRO is $19.99 a year or $3.99 a month on the US App Store, well under what paid calendar apps usually charge. One subscription covers Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Readdle also announced a Lifetime option at $59.99. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free. The US App Store shows no in-app purchases, so there's no paid tier holding anything back. You do need an Apple device, or an Apple Account for the iCloud.com version. | BThere's a free plan, but it's a basic calendar with one alert per event. Tasks, more than one account, recurring events and plain-language input are all PRO. The 7-day PRO trial charges you when it ends unless you cancel. |
| Features | BSeveral accounts in one view, leave-now alerts based on traffic, shared calendars, reminders next to events and typed-in events on a Mac. But we found no booking links or meeting polls in Apple's guide, which Fantastical has. | AGoogle, iCloud, Outlook and Exchange in one view, tasks from Apple Reminders or Google Tasks beside your events, and typing like "Coffee with Alex next Tuesday at 9 am". PRO also books Google Workspace meeting rooms, and there's a habit tracker. |
| Ease of use | A4.9 from about 1.5 million App Store ratings. It's already on your iPhone, iPad and Mac, so there's nothing to install and not much to learn. A few long-time users do find the newer layout cluttered. | A4.7 from about 122,000 App Store ratings. Type an event in plain words and it fills in the date and time, then move things around by drag and drop. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, plus iCloud.com on a computer or tablet. That's the whole list. No Android app is listed, the website won't work in a phone browser, and Windows means syncing to Outlook through iCloud for Windows. | CiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision, and it connects Google, Outlook and Exchange accounts. But the apps are all Apple. No Windows, Android or web version is listed. |
| Best for | a free calendar across your Apple devices | events and tasks in one planner on Apple devices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apple Calendar and Calendars by Readdle. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Calendar is free. Calendars by Readdle starts at $19.99 per year, or $3.99 per month (US App Store in-app purchases).
- Only Apple Calendar lists a web app.
- Calendars by Readdle also covers habit tracking.
At a glance
| Apple Calendar | Calendars by Readdle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $19.99 per year, or $3.99 per month (US App Store in-app purchases) |
| Free plan | The whole app is free: the US App Store lists Calendar as Free with no in-app purchases shown. Syncing iCloud calendars needs an Apple Account. | a basic calendar with one alert per event. Tasks, multiple accounts, recurring events, natural language input and weather are part of Calendars PRO. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Calendars PRO; the subscription is charged when the trial ends unless canceled |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple Inc. | Readdle Limited |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Calendars by Readdle
- People on iPhone, iPad and Mac who want events and tasks in one planner
- Google Workspace users who book rooms and check coworkers' schedules
- Anyone who prefers typing events in plain language
Worth knowing
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.
Calendars by Readdle
- Apple devices only: the App Store listing covers iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision. No Windows, Android or web version is listed.
- The free plan is a basic calendar; tasks, multiple accounts, recurring events, natural language input and weather need Calendars PRO.
- Free users get one alert per event, while PRO allows up to five.
- There is no Mac-only purchase: PRO is a single cross-platform subscription, and Readdle says its price varies by region and local taxes.
Key features
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.
Calendars by Readdle
- Several calendar accounts in one view
- Connect Google, iCloud, Outlook and Exchange calendars, color-code them and hide the ones you do not need. Adding more than one account is a PRO feature.
- Tasks next to events
- Tasks sync through Apple Reminders or Google Tasks and appear in the planner with due dates and repeats. Events and tasks can be rescheduled by drag and drop.
- Natural language input
- Type a title such as "Coffee with Alex next Tuesday at 9 am" and the app fills in the date and time. It works in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian, on PRO.
- Video call links
- Join Zoom, Google Meet or GoToMeeting calls directly from the event, and invite attendees from inside the app.
- Google Workspace rooms and coworkers
- With a Google Workspace account, PRO subscribers can book meeting rooms from an event and view coworkers' schedules next to their own.
- Habit tracker and reflections
- Build routines with a habit tracker, log mood, stress and energy in Personal Reflections, and follow a built-in productivity course.
Plans
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.
Calendars by Readdle
Free$0
A basic calendar with one alert per event; the planner features listed under PRO are not included.
Calendars PRO (Monthly)$3.99
per month, US App Store in-app purchase
Tasks, multiple accounts, recurring events, natural language input, up to five alerts, weather and use across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
Calendars PRO (Yearly)$19.99
per year, US App Store in-app purchase
The same PRO features billed yearly. The US App Store lists one-year items at both $19.99 and $21.99; Readdle's own site cites $19.99.
Ways to pay less
Apple Calendar
No public discounts listed.
Calendars by Readdle
- Annual discount
Yearly PRO costs less than 12 months of monthly
The US App Store lists Calendars PRO at $3.99 for one month and $19.99 for one year, so a year bought monthly would come to $47.88.
- Lifetime license
One-time Lifetime purchase
Readdle announced a Lifetime option in June 2024 at $59.99 in the US, with Family Sharing support. Some major future updates may cost extra.
- Education
Educational discount with a school email
Readdle's Calendars page lets students and educators verify an educational email address to receive a discount link. The size of the discount is not stated.
