The Timeful Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Timeful in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Timeful
The Insider’s Guide
Free, open-source group availability poll with calendar autofill
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among calendar and scheduling apps, read from Timeful’s own pages.
Made by Liu Laboratories LLC · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Timeful’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Timeful’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 57 of the 74 other calendar and scheduling apps we grade
Timeful, formerly called Schej, is a web-based availability poll for finding a time when a group can meet. An organizer creates an event and shares its link, and each respondent marks when they are free, by hand or by filling in from a connected calendar. In October 2026 the hosted service removed its ads and its Premium subscription, so every feature is now free. The code is published under the AGPL-3.0 license and can be self-hosted.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Timeful, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Apple Calendar is the fiddly bit, because you have to generate an app-specific password for it.
- 1
Best for a free group poll that fills in from your calendar
Timeful is a group availability poll that reads your calendar, so you don't fill in your free time square by square.
- 2
It is free
Timeful has no paid plan at all. Free for everyone since October 7, 2026: no ads, no cap on the number of events, and every feature that used to need Timeful Premium. Donations are optional.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Availability polls
Create an event with a range of dates and times, share the link, and see where everyone's availability overlaps. The home page says no login is required, and the FAQ puts no limit on respondents.
- 5
Calendar autofill
Respondents can fill in their availability from Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar or an ICS feed URL. Other people see only the availability entered, not the calendar events.
- 6
Available and if-needed times
A respondent can mark a slot as available or as possible only if needed, and the results can show when a chosen subset of the group is free.
- 7
A 3.0 GPA, above 57 of 74
That is against the other calendar and scheduling apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Timeful is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Timeful at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Liu Laboratories LLC
- Category
- Calendar & Scheduling
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for a free group poll that fills in from your calendar
Timeful is a group availability poll that reads your calendar, so you don't fill in your free time square by square. Since October 7, 2026 it's free, with the ads and Premium gone. But it's a web page and nothing more: no phone app, no booking links, reminders need an account, availability groups read Google Calendar only, and Apple Calendar needs an app-specific password.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free for everyone since 7 October 2026, in a category where paid tools start around $6 a month. The Premium subscription was withdrawn and the ads removed, so every feature costs nothing. Donations are optional. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The product is free: no cap on the number of events, no cap on respondents, no ads, and everything that used to sit behind the paywall is open to all. The code is AGPL-3.0, so you can host it yourself as well. |
| Features | C | Polls that fill in from Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar or an ICS feed, slots marked as only-if-needed, time zone conversion and organizer reminders. It does the group-poll job completely, and that job is a small one: no booking pages, no calendar, and availability groups read from Google Calendar only. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, but the home page says no login is required: guests open the link and drag over the times they're free, with nothing to set up. Apple Calendar is the fiddly bit, because you have to generate an app-specific password for it. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A web browser and nothing else: the site links to no desktop or mobile apps. The only connections are the three calendars it reads your free time from, with no outbound integrations, though there's a plugin API and a Docker Compose self-hosting guide. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Timeful is for
- Fits if your group needs to settle on a time without anyone making an account
- Works for people who'd rather fill in their free time from a calendar than by hand
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a booking page for clients, as this only polls a group for a time
- Not for you if you want a phone app, because it runs in a browser only
- Too light for anyone who needs reminders without signing in, since those need an account
- Tight if your team's calendars aren't Google, as availability groups read Google Calendar only
- Watch out: connecting Apple Calendar means making an app-specific password for your Apple ID
Good to know
Good for
- Groups choosing a meeting time without anyone creating an account
- Respondents who want to fill in availability from their own calendar
- Organizations that want to self-host an open-source scheduling poll
Worth knowing
- It runs in a web browser only; the site links to no desktop or mobile apps.
- Email notifications, reminders and showing responses only to the event creator all require signing in.
- Connecting Apple Calendar means generating an app-specific password for your Apple ID and entering it in Timeful.
- Availability groups, which track members' weekly availability, read it from Google Calendar only.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Timeful is free to use.
The Premium subscription was withdrawn and the ads removed, so every feature costs nothing.
Free
$0
Unlimited events and every feature, with no ads. The former Timeful Premium subscription has been withdrawn.
The free plan
Free for everyone since October 7, 2026: no ads, no cap on the number of events, and every feature that used to need Timeful Premium. Donations are optional.
Read from timeful.app on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Free, open-source group availability poll with calendar autofill. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, calendar, surveys.
A web browser and nothing else: the site links to no desktop or mobile apps.
- Availability polls
- Create an event with a range of dates and times, share the link, and see where everyone's availability overlaps. The home page says no login is required, and the FAQ puts no limit on respondents.
- Calendar autofill
- Respondents can fill in their availability from Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar or an ICS feed URL. Other people see only the availability entered, not the calendar events.
- Available and if-needed times
- A respondent can mark a slot as available or as possible only if needed, and the results can show when a chosen subset of the group is free.
- Time zone conversion
- Times are converted to each viewer's local time zone, and a selector at the bottom of every poll lets a viewer switch zones by hand.
- Email notifications and reminders
- A signed-in organizer can be emailed on each response or after a set number of responses, and can send reminders on the day an event is created, one day later and three days later.
- Open source and self-hosting
- The code is on GitHub under the AGPL-3.0 license, with a deployment guide for Docker Compose and NixOS and a plugin API for reading and setting availability from a browser plugin.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Calendar
- Outlook
- Apple Calendar
Timeful is made by Liu Laboratories LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
57/74
Other calendar and scheduling apps it is graded above
Timeful's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 57 of the 74 other calendar and scheduling apps we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 56 of 74) and worst on features (C, above 3).
Timeful has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 75 calendar and scheduling apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Timeful’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 45 of 74
- AFree plan and trialAbove 56 of 74
- CFeaturesAbove 3 of 74
- BEase of useAbove 32 of 74
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 74
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 67 calendar and scheduling apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Timeful is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Timeful is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 57 of the 74 other calendar and scheduling apps we grade.
What you could make
- Calendar and surveys: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Timeful’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
When2meet, LettuceMeet, Crab Fit, Rallly and Doodle
The 5 tools Timeful is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
When2meet
Free
Free group availability survey for finding a time to meet.
- Timeful is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.0GPA
LettuceMeet
Free
Free availability poll for finding a time a group can meet.
- Timeful is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
Crab Fit
Free
Free, open-source availability heat map for group events.
- Only Crab Fit lists an Android app.
- Only Crab Fit lists a browser extension.
- Timeful also covers calendar.
- 2.6GPA
Rallly
Free plan · from $6/mo
Open-source meeting polls for finding a time that suits a group.
- Timeful also covers calendar and surveys.
- 2.2GPA
Doodle
Free plan · from $11/mo
Group polls, booking pages and sign-up sheets for scheduling.
- Timeful is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Timeful also covers calendar and surveys.
- Doodle also covers booking links and reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Timeful free?
Yes. Timeful is free to use.
How much does Timeful cost?
Timeful lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Timeful work on?
Timeful is available on Web.
Does Timeful have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Timeful is listed for Web.
Does Timeful have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Timeful is listed for Web.
Is Timeful open source?
Yes. Timeful is open source, according to its own site.
What does Timeful integrate with?
Timeful's listing names Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Timeful?
Timeful is made by Liu Laboratories LLC.
What are the alternatives to Timeful?
The closest alternatives to Timeful in our directory are When2meet, LettuceMeet, Crab Fit, Rallly and Doodle.
How does Timeful compare with other calendar and scheduling apps?
Timeful's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 57 of the 74 other calendar and scheduling apps we grade, and level with 8.
Is Timeful good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Timeful A for value for money. Timeful has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Timeful?
Timeful is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 57 of the 74 other calendar and scheduling apps we grade.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Timeful’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Timeful's own pages and its GitHub page on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-04-13.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Liu Laboratories LLC. Prices change, so check timeful.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Timeful, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/timeful
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Timeful: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/timeful
Know someone choosing between calendar and scheduling apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/timeful/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded calendar and scheduling apps after Timeful, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Calendar & Scheduling Insider's GuideEvery one of the 75 calendar and scheduling apps we grade, compared
- Notion Calendar Insider's GuideFree calendar app that connects to Notion databases3.6 GPA
- Google Calendar Insider's GuideOnline calendar from Google, free with a personal account3.4 GPA
- World Time Buddy Insider's GuideVisual time zone converter and world clock for planning calls3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Timeful’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Timeful is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Liu Laboratories LLC. Prices and plans change: check timeful.app before you buy.