BusyCal vs Fantastical
We give BusyCal a 3.2 GPA and Fantastical a 3.0, out of 4.0. BusyCal grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BusyCal
Customizable calendar and task app for Mac and iPhone
Fantastical
Calendar and tasks app for Apple devices, Windows and Googlebook
How we grade them
| 3.2GPABusyCalVery good | 3.0GPAFantasticalVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$49.99 once for the Mac app on up to 5 of your Macs, with 18 months of updates, and it keeps working after that. That's under a year of a typical calendar subscription. Or it's $39.99 a year on the Mac App Store. The iPhone app is $9.99 extra. | B$4.75 a month on yearly billing, with booking links and meeting polls thrown in. Fair. But Google's and Apple's calendars are free, so you have to want the extras. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Mac App Store version has a Free Edition for essential calendaring, but the listing doesn't spell out which premium features it leaves out. You also get a 14-day trial of the full Mac app. | BFree with no end date: every view, typed-in events and your tasks. But it's 1 invitee per event and 1 calendar set, and the Apple Watch app needs Premium. |
| Features | ADay, week, month, year and list views you can reshape, typed entry like "Lunch with Joe next Tuesday at 12:30", tasks that carry forward until done, Calendar Sets, Smart Filters, travel time with leave-now alerts and a menu bar calendar. | ATyped-in events, calendar sets, booking links, meeting polls, a Join button for video calls and a 10-day forecast. About as much calendar as you can get. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no App Store rating on record, so a B is the most we'll give. Typing events in plain words helps a lot. Everything else being adjustable means there's plenty to set before it feels like yours. | BTyping an event in is as quick as it gets. Its guesses do catch people out now and then, and 4.2 from about 24,500 App Store ratings trails Google Calendar's 4.5. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, and nothing else. It does sync with iCloud, Google, Microsoft 365, Exchange and Fastmail, and pulls tasks from Apple Reminders, Todoist and Microsoft To Do. | CMac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, plus Googlebook since October. No Android phone app though (Flexibits says 2027), and no web version. |
| Best for | Mac users who like to fiddle with every view | juggling several calendars on a Mac and iPhone |
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: BusyCal and Fantastical. How we grade
Where they differ
- BusyCal starts at $49.99 one-time for Mac, or $39.99 per year on the Mac App Store; iOS app $9.99. Fantastical starts at $4.75 per month, billed annually ($6.99 billed monthly).
- Only Fantastical lists a Windows app.
- BusyCal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- BusyCal also covers menu bar app.
- Fantastical also covers templates and booking links.
At a glance
| BusyCal | Fantastical | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49.99 one-time for Mac, or $39.99 per year on the Mac App Store; iOS app $9.99 | $4.75 per month, billed annually ($6.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | The Mac App Store version has a Free Edition for non-subscribers that covers essential calendaring. The listing does not spell out which premium features it leaves out. | Add accounts, events and tasks, with day-to-year views and home screen widgets. Limited to 1 calendar set, 1 invitee per event and a 3-day weather forecast. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the full Mac app, from the direct download or the Mac App Store | 14-day free trial of Flexibits Premium |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Beehive Innovations FZE | Flexibits Inc. |
| Price read from | busymac.com | flexibits.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
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
Worth knowing
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.
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.
Key features
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.
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.
Plans
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.
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.
Ways to pay less
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.
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.
