Apple Calendar vs Fantastical

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

Fantastical

• People with Google, iCloud and Microsoft calendars who want them in one app
• Adding events quickly by typing a sentence
• Households sharing one subscription across up to 5 members

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.

Fantastical

• No web version, and the Googlebook app launched in October 2026 does not run on Android phones or tablets; Flexibits says Android support is coming in 2027.
• The free version allows 1 invitee per event, 1 calendar set and a 3-day weather forecast.
• Apple Watch support, push sync, travel time, templates and conference-call detection all need Flexibits Premium.
• Single sign-on and Openings with multiple hosts are limited to the Team plan.

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.

Fantastical

Natural-language event entry

Create events and tasks by typing a plain-language sentence instead of filling in a form field by field.

Day, week, month, quarter and year views

Full-screen views at every scale plus the DayTicker strip, all included in the free version.

Tasks next to events

Tasks from iCloud Reminders, Todoist and Google Tasks appear alongside calendar events on both free and paid tiers.

Openings and Proposals

Premium adds Openings, which let others book a slot from your availability, and Proposals, which poll invitees on meeting times.

Conference call detection

Premium detects Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex links in events and adds a single-click Join button.

Calendar sets

Group calendars into sets. Free allows 1 set; Premium allows unlimited sets, syncs them and can switch sets automatically by time or location.

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.

Fantastical

• Free$0

  Basic calendar and tasks with full-screen views; 1 calendar set, 1 invitee per event and a 3-day forecast.

• Individual$4.75

  per month, billed annually ($6.99 billed monthly)

  All Premium features for one person, including Openings, Proposals, call detection and Apple Watch support.

• Family$7.50

  per month, billed annually ($10.49 billed monthly)

  Flexibits Premium shared by up to 5 family members.

• Team$4.75

  per user / month, billed annually ($6.99 billed monthly)

  Premium for each member, plus single sign-on, team roles and Openings with multiple hosts.

Apple Calendar

No public discounts listed.

Fantastical

• Annual discount

  About 32% less with yearly billing

  Flexibits' pricing page lists the Individual plan at $4.75 a month billed annually, against $6.99 billed monthly, which works out about 32% lower.

• Education

  Educational and military discount

  Flexibits says it offers an educational or military discount on request. Contact the company with proof of your institution, student status or military service.

• Other savings

  Family plan for up to 5 members

  The Family plan shares Flexibits Premium among up to 5 members at a reduced price compared with separate Individual subscriptions.