BusyCal vs Calendars by Readdle

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.