5 Best Calendar Apps 2021 Find the Ideal One for You
Schedules are an essential part of our daily lives. With so many tasks to organize, you’ll want one of the best calendar apps on your side. At the same time, you might not want to commit to a service before you know if it’ll be right for you.
Fortunately, each app is a little different, offering a unique set of features and advantages. By comparing each option carefully, you can sort through the top competitors and choose a calendar solution that will work with your lifestyle or business workflow.
In this article, we’ll cover a few functions that you may want to consider when choosing a calendar solution. Then, we’ll share our picks for the five best calendar apps for 2021 and beyond. Let’s dive right in!
What to look for in the best calendar apps
Traditional paper calendars tend to be straightforward: you get a layout of days or weeks, and maybe a few spaces to write some notes in. However, digital calendars have much more potential. Before you go looking for one, you’ll want to know exactly what you need.
Here are some important features to consider when choosing a calendar app:
- Flexible views – you might prefer a day-to-day view to focus on, but a larger monthly calendar to help you prepare for upcoming events. If you, you’ll want your chosen app to let you switch timelines.
- Event/calendar sharing – you might not be the only one who needs to know your schedule. This can make sharing your events essential. If you work with a team, syncing abilities can be especially helpful.
- Integrations – if you want to connect your calendar with other services, we also suggest taking a look at what programs each app will integrate with. This is a simple step that can take the guesswork out of collaborating with others, and ensure that your new tool will fit into your existing workflow.
- App availability for different devices/systems – make sure the calendar app is available on all of the devices where you’ll need to access it. Some of the tools on this list only work in the Apple ecosystem, so you’ll want to skip those if you’re using Android or Windows.
With those issues in mind, let’s get to the apps!
Best calendar apps for 2021
Without further ado, here are our favorite candidates for the best calendar apps in 2021 and beyond.
1. Google Calendar
As you might expect, Google Calendar is included in Google’s extensive toolkit. That means it integrates well with countless apps, and seamlessly with other Google products like Gmail or Google Workspace. It’s also an easy way to gather all of your information in one place.
Google Calendar has all the simple but effective power that you probably expect from a Google product.
Features:
- Create multiple color-coded calendars from a single account
- Use an advanced search function to navigate your calendar
- Collaborate with coworkers if you’re using Google Workspace
Another bonus for Google Calendar is its cross-device capabilities. You can access it on any Android or iOS platform. There’s also a desktop option, meaning you don’t have to worry about what devices you or your colleagues are using.
We recommend Google Calendar for anyone who uses Google products frequently. The automatic integration makes getting started ultra-easy. You’ll also have a lot less work to do on the back end since you won’t have to manually add Gmail events.
Google Calendar is also one of the best calendar apps for third-party integrations. Therefore, you might want to consider it if you use tools such as Trello or Zapier frequently.
Pricing: Free. There are no premium options locking off specific features.
2. Timepage
You probably spend a lot of time on your calendar app. As such, you might want your schedule to be stylish. Timepage, a program from the Moleskin company, strives to meet this need.
Timepage may be the best calendar app if you’re seeking a streamlined, modern option. The aesthetics are also highly customizable. Therefore, it’s easy to make the schedule feel more like your own or modify it to match your business’s branding.
Features:
- A choice of 19 professional themes and five different accent colors
- The option to enable smart alerts for real-time events such as weather
- A unique heatmap function that helps you see the busiest times in your schedule
While these features are appealing, they’re unfortunately limited to certain Apple products. You can only use Timepage if you’re an iPhone, iPad, and/or Apple Watch owner. If you work with people who don’t own any of these devices, this might present an issue.
There’s also no desktop version, though the developer does have plans to add one. With that being said, you can still sync your Timepage calendar to desktop solutions like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Exchange.
Nevertheless, Timepage is still a smart choice if you’re an Apple user who cares about aesthetics. This can be especially true if you spend a lot of time organizing your calendar, or if you need it to look attractive for clients.
Pricing: As for pricing plans, all billing is handled by Apple. Plans start at $1.99 per month. You can also pay $11.99 per year. However, keep in mind that each device app is a different membership. If you want to use Timepage across all three, you’ll have to pay $19.99 per year.
3. Fantastical
Fantastical is an app that marries design with top performance. Lightning-quick load times make navigating through the interface a breeze. This applies even if you used any of the 14 dynamic widgets designed to upgrade its functionality.
These widgets enable you to personalize your calendar in various ways – and leave out any features you don’t need.
Features:
- Add file and photo attachments to your events
- Turn your more frequent tasks into templates, to streamline your calendar use
- Add and join conference calls directly from the app
Fantastical is another Apple-only option. It’s limited to Mac computers, iPads, iPhones, and Apple Watches. However, adding calendar accounts from other providers is simple. This flexibility makes Fantastical one of the best calendar apps in this category.
We suggest that you look into Fantastical if you have a need for speed. Minimum loading times mean you’re unlikely to feel slowed down by your calendar. It also works on a freemium scale, so it’s perfect if you want the option to upgrade without the pressure to commit.
Pricing: Fantastical comes in a free version with limited features. However, it also offers pricing plans. You can pay $3.33 per month for a single plan, or $5.42 per month for up to five users. If you want to use it in a professional capacity, you’ll need to contact the company directly.
4. TimeTree
TimeTree is dedicated to keeping your work and personal calendars from interfering. Once you sign up, you’ll be provided with a clean, minimalist layout.
The emphasis here is less on flashy features and more on communication. However, that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of functionality. You can think of TimeTree as more of a paper calendar base with an upgrade: it primarily helps you schedule events and take down memos.
Features:
- A built-in way to add memos to your and your colleague’s calendars
- Optional inclusion of public calendars to help you keep track of holidays
- A unique timeline feed layout to help you scroll through your schedule
TimeTree is very flexible when it comes to devices. You can use it on iOS, Android, and a variety of tablets. Additionally, the web-based version means that any kind of computer can work with TimeTree.
In particular, TimeTree is useful for small groups. This applies whether you’re organizing a hectic family schedule or running a successful small business.
Sharing your to-do lists can help keep your entire inner circle in the loop without a lot of fuss. TimeTree is also compatible with nearly every device, so you won’t have to worry if your group has different technical preferences.
Pricing: 100% free.
5. My Study Life
While My Study Life is designed for those working in the education industry, its powerful features make it one of the best calendar apps for any kind of user. My Study Life enables you to store notes, track projects, and securely store your data.
Features:
- Reminders for upcoming tasks or events
- The choice between academic and traditional timetables to best fit your needs
- Cloud data storage to provide offline working capabilities
My Study Life is another flexible option. You can use it regardless of your operating system: Android, iOS, or any type of desktop computer.
As you might expect, My Study Life is a strong choice for students. You can sync your assignments with scheduled events such as tests. Moreover, the same features also make this calendar app a smart choice for educators or anyone working in that field.
We also highly recommend checking My Study Life out if you’re a freelance worker. The calendar has been designed for students who often have multiple unrelated assignments. As such, My Study Life is an effective way to handle the similar structure of variable client work.
Pricing: 100% free. There’s no cost to use it and no premium options available. All you have to do is sign up.
Get started with your calendar today
Modern life tends to leave us with packed schedules. That makes an efficient calendar a potential lifesaver. Fortunately, understanding the nuances between the top competitors can help you equip yourself for scheduling success.
In this article, we covered five of the best calendar apps for 2021. While each is a strong option, we recommend that most users start with Fantastical if you’re in the Apple ecosystem. The program is well-designed and comes with lots of widgets for optimal customization. If you’re not in the Apple ecosystem, My Study Life is a close second choice.
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