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Time management has always been a major concern for many people – be it in their personal life or work life. Trying to manage all your work, staying on top of things, ensuring that you are collaborating with the right people at the right time or even something as basic as organizing your to-do list can have a great impact on your efficiency. So, how can you manage all of this in one place? The ideal option is to get your hands on a robust calendar app. Calendars are not just tools to remind you about the day and date. Today, there are considered as one of the most important productivity tools that can boost up your efficiency as well as make your life easier.
In this blog, we have listed down the top five calendar apps that you can use in 2024 to increase your productivity and efficiency.
Table of Contents
Calendar Apps at a Glance
| Software Name | Best For | Pricing | URL |
| Microsoft Outlook Calendar | Microsoft users | Included with subscription of Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Outlook Calendar |
| Google Calendar | Ideal for personal as well as professional use | Free for personal use whereas a Google Workspace subscription is required for premium plans | Google Calendar |
| Apple Calendar | Apple users | Free for Apple users | Apple Calendar |
| Fantastical | Easy-to-use with extensive features | 14-day free trial post which the premium plan starts at $5/month | Fantastical |
| Calendar | Scheduling features | Free plan and paid plans starting from $10/month | Calendar |
Microsoft Outlook Calendar
Microsoft Outlook calendar is one of the best calendar apps available in the market today. Available as part of the Microsoft 365 subscriptions, the calendar is fully integrated with your Outlook email, contacts, etc. This calendar app is known for its ease of use, thus, making it a popular choice, especially in the business world. With this calendar app, you can set up your meetings efficiently just by clicking on a time slot in the calendar, creating your meeting request, and adding the people you want to invite. The calendar will also show you the availability of the each of the participants for the time slot your choose.
Key Features
- Ability to view additional calendar views. You can merge the schedules of all the members into one unified calendar.
- You can grant calendar access via Delegate Access to someone else to manage it on your behalf.
- You can compare between different calendars, for example, you can avoid meeting clashes by comparing your business and personal calendars, calendars of other invitees, etc.
- Ability to set up recurring events.
- You can send your calendar via email while maintaining control on how much information is shared.
Pricing
- You can check out the free pan which is a basic version with some core features, such as setting up of appointments, reminders, limited calendar sharing, etc.
- The paid plan starts from $6.99/month and is available as part of the Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Download Links
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Access to advanced features like multi-calendar viewing and group scheduling. | There is no dedicated web app for Microsoft Outlook Calendar. It is accessible only through the desktop app and Outlook.com. |
| Integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft Office programs. | To benefit from all the advanced features, you will need a Microsoft 365 subscription. |
| Ability to color coordinate your meetings, tasks, projects, etc. | The free plan offers only limited calendar sharing options when compared to the paid plans. |
Google Calendar
If you are looking for an easy-to-use simple calendar for everyday use, then Google Calendar is your best bet. It is also a valuable asset for professionals as they can easily integrate the calendar with their Gmail, Google Drive, Sites, Meet, and Contacts, thus saving time and improving efficiency. This calendar app offers a wide range of features which makes it ideal for personal as well as business use. Whether you wish to switch from the default week view to daily/monthly view, invite other contacts, add events, or schedule conferences, all these tasks can be easily performed with just a few clicks.
Key Features
- Schedule one-time event or recurring events and easily invite attendees by adding their emails in the invite list.
- You can set up multiple calendar views to avoid mixing up of your business and personal events.
- Set detailed reminders for your tasks or appointments.
- Clean and intuitive user interface.
- Seamless integration with most of the other calendar services.
Pricing
- Google Calendar is available for free with every Google Account.
- For advanced features, you may have to subscribe to Google Workspace which has different paid subscription plans.
Download Links
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| You can use Google Calendar on any device with your Google account. | While working with multiple calendars, the mobile app’s UI is a bit confusing. |
| Direct integration with Google Meet makes it easier to organize meetings and boost collaboration. | Integration with non-Google video conferring platforms is lacking. |
| Schedule time slots and also receive alerts before the start of an event. | Cannot be used if you do not have a Google Account. |
Apple Calendar
If you own an iPhone or a Mac, you must be familiar with the Apple Calendar also known as iCal. The look and feel of the Apple Calendar are similar to all the other Apple products which means it is clean and easy to use. It offers several key features which makes it the ideal calendar app for Apple users. Whether you wish to create an event, customize events, schedule appointments, or import calendars from other platforms, you can do all this and more using the Apple Calendar. One of its key USPs is the ability to color code your different calendars so that you can easily identify between your work and personal calendars.
Key Features
- Create events easily using the Quick Event feature. You can also add notes, attachments, or links within the event.
- Manually share your Apple Calendar’s URL to sync with Outlook.
- Integration with Apple Maps which offers location-based alerts making it easier to go for events keeping the traffic conditions in mind.
- Customization features.
- Check Availability feature allows you to check the availability of all the participants for a specific time slot.
Pricing
Apple Calendar is a free app which comes pre-installed on Apple devices.
Download Links
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Clean user interface making it easier for users to use and manage the app. | The app is limited only to Apple users. |
| Seamless integration with other Apple products as well as other calendar programs. | Customization features are limited. |
| It is a completely free calendar app. | Compared to some of the other top calendar apps, the Apple Calendar lacks sufficient features.. |
Fantastical
Next on our list of top five calendar apps to use in 2024 is Fantastical. This calendar is known for its excellent design, and it offers everything you would want in a robust calendar app. This calendar app is limited to Apple devices and super helpful for users to organize events, set up recurring events, view availability of participants, etc. Fantastical offers amazing connectivity to other apps like Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, UberConference, Jitsi Meet, etc. Another key USP of this calendar app is that it prioritizes privacy and tries to retain as much personal information as possible on your device.
Key Features
- When multiple participants are involved, you can use the multiple event time proposal feature to know the availability of all the participants. This helps in reducing the scheduling process.
- Fantastical supports most of the conference calls apps and you can join them through just one click.
- Fantastical offers different templates invites which can be customized as per your needs to schedule your events and appointments.
- You can directly add documents and photos from Fantastical to your iCloud, Google or Exchange events.
- You can use features like Fantastical DayTicker and Calendar views to get a quick summary of your calendar.
Pricing
- Fantastical’s premium version is available for free for 14 days.
- The paid plans start from $4.75 per month, billed annually.
Download Links
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| The design of the app is very eye-catching and easy to use. | Fantastical is available for use only on Apple devices. |
| Fantastical’s natural language processing is one of its key USPs. | For a personal calendar, the app is slightly expensive when compared to the other calendar apps. |
| Seamless integration with several third-party apps. | Many of the features are available in the premium paid versions only. |
Calendar
Calendar is a web app with a modern design and well-equipped with collaboration tools. When you sign up for this calendar app, you will get a public profile and your personal link. You can share this public link with others who in turn can use the link to schedule appointments with you. Although this scheduling option is available in some other apps as well; however, Calendar’s version is easier to use. This is a great calendar app for businesses to boost their productivity and efficiency. You can also take advantage of the various customization features that the app offers.
Key Features
- Personal scheduling link that makes it quicker for to schedule meetings.
- Calendar analytics tool that helps you to track how you are spending time and how to improve your efficiency.
- Automated email reminders to ensure that everybody confirms their availability.
- AI-powered optimization and seamless integrations with third-party apps.
- Offers unified calendar viewing.
Pricing
- Calendar offers a free Basic plan with limited features.
- For advanced features, you can opt for their paid plans which start from $10 per month per user, billed annually.
Download Links
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Equipped with AI features that help in streamlining the scheduling process. | Free plan has limited features and functionalities. |
| Seamless integration with popular third-party apps like Zoom. | Based on the features and functionalities offered, the app is more suitable for use by businesses and not for individuals. |
| Personalized scheduling link for easy identification of availability. | The paid plans are too expensive, especially for individual use. |
FAQs
What makes Google Calendar stand out among other calendar apps?
Google Calendar is widely praised for its seamless integration with other Google services like Gmail and Google Meet, easy sharing options, and its user-friendly interface. It’s also available on multiple platforms, ensuring accessibility from any device.
How does Microsoft Outlook Calendar integrate with other Microsoft services?
Microsoft Outlook Calendar integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft Office products like Word, Excel, and Teams. This integration allows users to easily schedule meetings, attach documents, and sync tasks across all Microsoft services, making it ideal for professional use.
Can Apple Calendar be used on non-Apple devices?
While Apple Calendar is optimized for use on Apple devices, it can also be accessed on non-Apple devices through iCloud. Users can view and edit their calendars via a web browser, ensuring cross-platform accessibility.
How does Any.do integrate task management with its calendar features?
Any.do combines calendar and task management functionalities in one app, allowing users to seamlessly manage their schedules and to-do lists. It features drag-and-drop task assignments, reminders, and collaboration tools, making it a comprehensive productivity app.
