BusyCal vs Itsycal
We give BusyCal a 3.2 GPA and Itsycal a 3.0, out of 4.0. BusyCal grades higher on features and platforms. Itsycal grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
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
How we grade them
| 3.2GPABusyCalVery good | 3.0GPAItsycalVery 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. | AIt costs nothing. The whole app is a free download, the code is on GitHub under the MIT license, and the developer takes donations only if you feel like giving. |
| 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. | AThe product is free, full stop. There's no paid version holding anything back and no trial clock. Donations through Ko-fi, PayPal and Cash App are optional. |
| 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. | BFor a menu bar calendar it's complete: a month grid, an agenda, a Join button 15 minutes before a meeting, and Vim-style keys to get around. But you can create and delete events, not edit them, and only the Gregorian calendar is supported. |
| 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. | BDownload it and it shows whatever calendars you've already set up in the Mac Calendar app, so there's nothing to connect. It isn't on the App Store, so there's no rating on record, and that keeps it at a B. |
| 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. | DMac only. The current download needs macOS 11 or later, and there's no iPhone, Windows or web version. It does open Zoom and Teams links in their apps, and it can hand off to Fantastical or BusyCal. |
| Best for | Mac users who like to fiddle with every view | a free month view in your Mac's menu bar |
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 Itsycal. 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. Itsycal is free.
- Only BusyCal lists an iOS app.
- BusyCal can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Itsycal is open source, according to its own site.
- BusyCal also covers tasks and natural-language input.
At a glance
| BusyCal | Itsycal | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $49.99 one-time for Mac, or $39.99 per year on the Mac App Store; iOS app $9.99 | Free |
| 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. | The whole app is free, and the code is open source under the MIT license. The developer says his apps are free and takes optional donations through Ko-fi, PayPal and Cash App. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of the full Mac app, from the direct download or the Mac App Store | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Beehive Innovations FZE | Mowglii |
| Price read from | busymac.com | mowglii.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
Itsycal
- Mac users who want a quick month view without opening a calendar app
- People who navigate by keyboard and like Vim-style keys
- Anyone looking for a free, open-source menu bar calendar
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.
Itsycal
- Mac only, and it depends on the Mac Calendar app: it shows only calendars already set up there.
- Events can be created and deleted but not edited; the project's README says editing is not supported.
- Only the Gregorian calendar is supported, and delegate calendars cannot be shown directly.
- The current download needs macOS 11 or later (macOS 27 has its own build); older versions cover earlier systems.
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.
Itsycal
- Month calendar with agenda
- A compact month grid opens from the menu bar with an agenda of events below it. It can show up to two months at a time, ISO week numbers and three text sizes.
- Events from the Mac Calendar app
- Displays events from whichever calendars you tick among those set up in the Mac Calendar app. New events can be created and existing ones deleted from Itsycal.
- Join virtual meetings
- A meeting icon in the agenda turns into a Join button 15 minutes before the start. Zoom and Teams links open in their apps, and Command-J joins the first active meeting.
- Keyboard navigation with Vim motions
- Arrow keys or H, J, K and L move by day, week, month and year, with an optional repeat count. Other keys pin the window, toggle week numbers and jump to a given date.
- Menu bar clock replacement
- The menu bar item can show the day, month and weekday, plus text built from a date and time pattern in the system clock's font, with or without the icon.
- URL scheme and global shortcut
- A configurable keyboard shortcut opens Itsycal from anywhere, and the itsycal://date/ URL scheme opens it at today or at a specific date.
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.
Itsycal
Itsycal$0
The complete app as a direct download for macOS 11 or later, with a separate build for macOS 27. Donations are optional.
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.
Itsycal
No public discounts listed.
