Fantastical vs Pocket Informant

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

Pocket Informant

• People who want calendar, tasks, projects and notes in a single app
• Task management in the GTD or Franklin Covey style
• Users who move between iPhone, Android, Mac and a web browser

Fantastical

• No Android app or web version is listed; it runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro.
• 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.

Pocket Informant

• The free version is a calendar only. Tasks, projects, contacts, sync services and customization need the subscription.
• The Mac app is a separate $49.99 purchase, and the web app works through an Informant Sync account.
• There is no Windows app. Windows is covered by a $29.99 Outlook add-in that also needs an Informant Sync subscription.
• Trial length is stated differently by source: 14 days on the vendor's site and 7 days on the App Store listing.

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.

Pocket Informant

Calendar and tasks in one view

Day, stacked-week and month views show events and tasks together. The month view prints each event's name and time in small text instead of a dot.

Projects and task modes

Tasks can be grouped into projects with sub-tasks and checklists, and the task system can be set to Simple, GTD or Franklin Covey style.

Works with existing calendars

Reads the device's native calendars and reminders, so iCloud, Exchange, Microsoft 365 and Google accounts appear without a new account. Direct Google and Toodledo sync needs the subscription.

Natural-language entry

Type or speak a phrase such as a task with a day and time and the entry is filled in. Templates and triggers create frequently used events and tasks.

TravelAssist and geofences

Trips set the time zone for events created during travel, and geofenced locations can filter the calendar or task list and raise arrival and departure alerts.

Informant Sync

A paid sync service that keeps iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac and the web app in step, and connects to Outlook on Windows through a separate add-in.

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.

Pocket Informant

• Free$0

  Basic calendar on iOS and Android. Tasks, projects, contacts, sync services and customization are not included.

• Premium Month$3.99

  per month

  Full feature access billed monthly through the App Store. The account reverts to the free version when the subscription ends.

• Premium 3 month$9.99

  per 3 months

  The same full feature access billed every 90 days, as listed on the US App Store.

• Premium Yearly$29.99

  per year

  All calendar views, tasks, projects, contacts, email integration, weather and Informant Sync on iOS and Android.

• Informant for macOS$49.99

  one-time purchase

  The Mac app, bought separately with a 30-day free trial. Syncing Informant-only data may also need a sync subscription.

• Informant Sync for Outlook$29.99

  one-time purchase

  Outlook add-in for Windows PCs that syncs calendars, tasks and notes. It requires an active Informant Sync subscription.

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.

Pocket Informant

• Annual discount

  About 37% less on the yearly subscription

  The subscription is $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year. Twelve monthly payments come to $47.88, so the yearly option costs about 37% less.