Google Calendar vs Howbout
We give Google Calendar a 3.6 GPA and Howbout a 3.4, out of 4.0. Google Calendar grades higher on platforms. Howbout grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Google Calendar
Online calendar from Google, free with a personal account
Howbout
Shared calendar app that shows when friends and family are free
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoogle CalendarExcellent | 3.4GPAHowboutVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe paid version only comes inside Google Workspace, from $7 a user a month on a 1-year commitment. That's about typical, and Gmail, Drive and Meet come with it. But Starter adds nothing to the calendar itself. More booking pages and payments wait for Standard at $14. | BHowbout+ is $39.99 a year, or from $3.99 a month on the US App Store, about typical for a calendar app. It buys themes, 30+ event colours, more widgets, Multi-add and Scan-to-plan. Nice extras, and they cover one account only. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree with a personal Google Account on web, Android and iPhone, with one appointment booking page thrown in. Most people will never pay. Extra booking pages, payments and automatic email reminders are the paid bits. | AFree with no limit on friends or groups: the shared calendar, availability, plans with chat, polls, bucket lists and calendar sync. Most people will never need Howbout+. |
| Features | AShared, colour-coded calendars you can view together, a booking page, Google Meet links and files on events, and Google Tasks next to them. Workspace plans add Gemini scheduling from Gmail and Time Insights, though Time Insights only shows on a computer. | ASee who's free, busy or a maybe on any date, turn a slot into a plan with its own chat, run polls and keep a bucket list for ideas with no date yet. Each plan can be shown to all friends, Close Friends only or no one. It covers group planning fully. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from about 132,000 App Store ratings. If you have a Google Account there's nothing to set up. On Workspace plans, an event spotted in an email can be added with one click. | A4.8 from about 51,000 App Store ratings. Tap a date to start a plan, and everyone can see who's coming. You do need a phone number to create an account. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Android and iPhone, tied into Gmail, Google Meet, Google Tasks and Stripe for paid bookings. No desktop app is listed, so on a computer it lives in a browser tab. | CiPhone and Android only. Google Calendar connects directly, and Apple Calendar or Outlook come in through your phone's own calendar app. No web or desktop version is listed. |
| Best for | a free calendar for anyone with a Google Account | finding a date when all your friends are free |
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: Google Calendar and Howbout. How we grade
Where they differ
- Google Calendar starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter). Howbout starts at $3.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (Howbout+, US App Store).
- Only Google Calendar lists a web app.
- Google Calendar also covers tasks and booking links.
- Howbout also covers surveys.
At a glance
| Google Calendar | Howbout | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter) | $3.99 per month, or $39.99 per year (Howbout+, US App Store) |
| Free plan | Free with a personal Google Account on web, Android and iOS, including one appointment booking page. Extra booking pages, payments and automatic email reminders need a paid plan. | Free on iPhone and Android with no limit on friends or groups: shared calendar, availability, plans with chat, polls and synced calendars. Howbout+ adds customization and planning extras. |
| Free trial | 14-day Google Workspace trial for new customers, limited to 10 users; billing details required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Howbout Ltd | |
| Price read from | knowledge.workspace.google.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Google Calendar
- Anyone who already has a Google Account and wants a free calendar
- Organizations standardizing on Google Workspace for mail, files and meetings
- Taking bookings through a single free appointment page
Howbout
- Friend groups looking for a date when everyone is free
- Couples, roommates and families who plan from their phones
- People who want each plan to carry its own chat and details
- Shift workers and students adding routines to many days (Multi-add needs Howbout+)
Worth knowing
Google Calendar
- The paid version is only sold as part of Google Workspace, which also includes Gmail, Drive and Meet.
- Personal accounts and Business Starter get one booking page; extra schedules, payments and reminders need Business Standard or higher, or an eligible Google One plan.
- Time Insights and working hours and location are limited to work or school accounts, and Time Insights can only be viewed on a computer.
- No desktop app is listed; Google offers it on the web and as Android and iOS apps.
Howbout
- Phone apps only: the site and terms describe a mobile app for iPhone and Android, and the App Store listing is for iPhone only. No web or desktop version is listed.
- Howbout+ prices are not on the website. The US App Store lists monthly options at $3.99, $4.99 and $5.99 and an annual option at $39.99, and prices vary by country.
- Howbout+ is tied to one account, so its features are not shared with friends or groups.
- Creating an account requires a phone number, and the terms say the app is intended for people aged 13 and over.
Key features
Google Calendar
- Appointment booking pages
- Publish a page where others pick a time on your calendar. Eligible paid plans allow several schedules, Stripe payments, email verification and up to 20 co-hosts.
- Shared and layered calendars
- Create calendars shared with a team or a whole organization, and view several calendars together, color-coded by category.
- Scheduling from Gmail with Gemini
- On Workspace plans, Gemini in Gmail can suggest meeting times and add events detected in an email with one click.
- Google Meet and attachments
- Events can carry a Google Meet video link and attached files, so the call and its documents open from the invitation.
- Time Insights and working location
- Work and school accounts can see how much time goes to meetings and who they meet most, and can share working hours and location.
- Tasks on the calendar
- Items from Google Tasks appear on the calendar next to events.
Howbout
- Availability at a glance
- For any date, the app shows which friends are free, busy or maybe busy. A group's Availability view does the same for all members you are friends with, and tapping a date starts a plan.
- Plans with their own chat
- A plan holds the name, place and time, shows who is coming and sends reminders. Each plan has a chat for messages, photos, videos, GIFs and files such as tickets.
- Per-plan privacy
- Each plan can be visible to all friends, to Close Friends only (others see "Busy") or to no one. The same setting can be applied to a whole synced calendar or set as a default.
- Calendar sync and export
- Google Calendar connects directly, and other calendars such as Apple Calendar or Outlook come in through the phone's own calendar app. Howbout events can also be exported to the phone's calendar.
- Polls and bucket lists
- Polls can be created from any event, group or one-to-one chat. A bucket list saves ideas without a date and moves them to the calendar once a date is set.
- Home screen widgets
- Widgets on iOS and Android show upcoming plans, a week view with friends' events and countdowns to chosen events. The week view and unlimited countdowns are part of Howbout+.
Plans
Google Calendar
Personal Google Account$0
Calendar for personal use with a single appointment booking page and no premium booking features.
Business Starter$7
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)
Google Workspace with 30 GB pooled storage per user. Calendar is still limited to one booking page.
Business Standard$14
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)
2 TB pooled storage per user, plus premium appointment schedules: multiple booking pages, payments and reminders.
Business Plus$22
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)
5 TB pooled storage per user, with the same premium appointment schedule features as Business Standard.
EnterpriseCustom
For organizations beyond the 300-user limit of the Business editions; priced through Google sales.
Howbout
Howbout$0
Shared calendar, friend and group availability, plans with chat, polls, bucket lists and calendar sync, with unlimited friends and groups.
Howbout+ Monthly$3.99 to $5.99
per month; the App Store lists $3.99, $4.99 and $5.99
Calendar themes, 30+ event colors, unlimited color categories, the week view widget, unlimited countdown widgets, Multi-add and Scan-to-plan. Applies to one account only.
Howbout+ Annual$39.99
per year
The same Howbout+ features billed once a year through the App Store or Google Play.
Ways to pay less
Google Calendar
- Annual discount
Lower rate with a 1-year commitment
Business Starter costs $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan versus $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.
- Nonprofit
Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0
Verified nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0 per user, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.
- Education
Education Fundamentals at no charge
Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is available at no charge to qualifying institutions.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On 9 October 2026 Google's Workspace pricing page showed Starter at ₹270 per user a month to a reader in India. Google's help page gives the US rate for Business Starter as $7, or $8.40 without a 1-year commitment.
Howbout
- Annual discount
Annual Howbout+ costs less than twelve months
The US App Store lists Howbout+ Annual at $39.99 and Howbout+ Monthly from $3.99. Twelve months at $3.99 come to $47.88, so the annual option saves at least $7.89 a year.
