Compare Apple Calendar vs Fantastical
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Apple Calendar
Fantastical
Apple CalendarFantastical| Apple Calendar | Fantastical | |
|---|---|---|
| Links | ||
| Website | Visit | Visit |
| App Store | Install | Install |
| Google Play | Install | — |
| Main | ||
| Task management | ± | ± |
| Task lists | ± | + |
| Recurring tasks | ± | ± |
| Subtasks | — | ± |
| Subtasks recurring | ± | ± |
| Priorities | ± | ± |
| Habit tracking | − | − |
| Goals progress tracking | ± | − |
| Analytics / reporting | — | ± |
| Notes templates | − | ± |
| Integrated templates | — | + |
| Calendar view | + | + |
| Daily agenda view | + | + |
| Weekly view | + | + |
| Daily planning | + | — |
| Monthly planning | + | — |
| Time blocking | + | + |
| Planner & calendar segregation | − | + |
| Offline mode | ± | ± |
| Reminders | + | + |
| AI scheduling | − | − |
| Smart rescheduling | − | − |
| Notes | ± | ± |
| Templates | − | − |
| Collaboration | ± | ± |
| Custom sections | ± | — |
| Better for personal use | — | + |
| Better for team use | — | ± |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | − | + |
| Android | − | − |
| Web | ± | ± |
| MacOS | + | + |
| iOS | + | + |
| Desktop | + | + |
| Free version | + | ± |
| Sync across devices | + | + |
| Calendar sync | ||
| Calendar sync | + | + |
| Integrated calendar | + | + |
| Synchronize with Apple Calendar | + | + |
| Synchronize with Google Calendar | + | + |
| Synchronize with Microsoft Calendar | + | + |
| Outlook sync | ± | + |
| Interface | ||
| Themes / appearance presets | ± | + |
| Dark mode | — | + |
| Notification support | + | + |
| On-screen reminders | + | + |
| Repeated reminders | + | + |
| System / OS integration | — | + |
| Drag & drop | ± | ± |
| Visual planning | + | — |
| Special features | ||
| AI assistance / AI features | ± | − |
| Attachments & embedded media | ± | + |
| Stickers | − | ± |
| Interactive checklists / checklist support | — | + |
| Handwriting & stylus | ||
| Apple Pencil support | − | − |
| Handwriting / stylus support | − | − |
| Palm rejection | − | − |
| PDF annotation / markup | − | − |
| Handwriting to text conversion | − | − |
| Search in handwriting | − | − |
| Special features | ||
| Meeting notes workflow | ± | ± |
| Time tracking | — | ± |
| Pomodoro / focus | — | − |
| Binding task to geo | — | ± |
| Projects / folders | — | ± |
| Nested folders / depth | — | ± |
| Tags & filters | — | + |
| Search | — | + |
| Synchronize & backup | ||
| Cloud sync | + | + |
| Password-protected notes | — | − |
| iCloud / Google Drive sync | — | ± |
| Auto backup | + | ± |
| Notes / tasks sharing | ± | ± |
| Task sharing, delegation | — | ± |
| Collaboration / sharing (incl. team) | ± | ± |
| Shared lists | + | — |
| Sharing events | — | + |
| Export to PDF / other | — | ± |
| Slack / Zapier integrations | — | ± |
| Google Workspace support | — | ± |
| Profile | ||
| Calendars | + | + |
Apple Calendar
Pros
- Deep OS hooks: Lock Screen widgets, Siri phrases, Shortcuts, and Focus filters feel first-party
- Travel Time, weather in-line (where available), and maps hand-offs reduce context switching
- Family Sharing and shared albums-adjacent workflows pair naturally with household calendars
- Privacy posture favors on-device parsing where Apple markets it versus ad-supported rivals
- Time zone and invite handling stays predictable for pure Apple + iCloud stacks
Cons
- No native Apple Calendar on Windows or Android — those users need another client or web mail calendars
- Power features (parsing, scheduling links, travel rules) trail dedicated premium calendars on every platform
- Major redesigns ship on Apple’s OS cadence, not your team’s feature roadmap
- Corporate IT sometimes still mandates Outlook or Google Workspace clients instead
Popular comparisons
Fantastical
Pros
- Natural-language event entry still sets the bar many competitors chase
- Calendar sets and focus filters tame noisy multi-account weeks
- Deep hooks for Exchange, Google, Zoom, Webex, and similar meeting stacks
- Flexibits Scheduling cuts email ping-pong for external openings
- Cross-device polish spans Mac, iOS, watchOS, visionOS, and Windows for subscribers
Cons
- Premium power features sit behind Flexibits Premium rather than a single cheap unlock
- No Android app in Flexibits’ own platform list—Android-first users look elsewhere
- Team pricing and SSO land in mid-market territory versus free calendar defaults
- Cardhop bundling matters less if you only wanted a calendar replacement
- Windows parity arrived later; edge-case gaps still surface in forums