7 Best Calendar Apps for Mac & Windows in 2024

Are you looking for What is the best macOS calendar app & for Windows? Get the best macOS calendar apps Fantastical 2, BusyCal.

Scheduling meetings and prioritizing your work are not easy tasks. So, on the one hand, you are tired of using the default calendar apps on your Mac and may be looking to update one; on the other hand, you are also tight on budget and wish to not spend too much on a digital calendar. But you can reduce your load using an excellent calendar application that reduces the pain and frustration of scheduling meetings and functions.

We have compiled 7 of the best calendar apps for your Mac, keeping in mind the user interface and practical features to use and save time.

What Does A Calendar Application Exactly Do?

The Calendar Application allows you to view, edit, and create your Calendar. The application will help you store your appointments, meetings, and tasks from multiple calendars into a single file that you can view at any time.

You can also set reminders for events in the future. Calendar applications are a great way to centralize your productivity and digitally organize your events.

It helps you manage your hours by using a method called time blocking to spend more time on deep work and less on management.

It is also a must-have tool for anyone who collects or performs most of their tasks on a laptop. The only goal is to find a calendar app that is easy to use and keeps you more organized.

Top Calendar Apps for Mac & Windows

Also Read – Best calendar app for iPhone

#1. Google Calendar for Mac: A Free best macOS calendar app

I mostly use Google calendar for Mac cause of to sync schedules with my family. Google Calendar is a great way to keep track of all the critical dates in your life— birthdays, anniversaries, meetings, or any special event you want to remember.

It’s easy to use because it has a straightforward interface, making it easy for anyone who wants to set up an appointment or event quickly. And if you need help setting up meetings or events, Google will walk you through the process step-by-step.

This is available on Ios and Android web, and it is the default calendar experience for many people. 

Google Calendar provides the following features:

  1. Save time and use the shortcuts and fundamental features that Google Calendar has. Simply press the (?), and it will open up a cheat sheet with all available shortcut keys. 
  2. Create an event directly from your email. While continuing to any email thread, if you need to discuss something over a call or meeting, the quickest way to do this is by simply clicking on the ellipses up on top on the right side and selecting “Create an Event”; it will pull in all the details from your email thread.
  3. Add Google calendar to your Mac Dock by simply dragging it and getting quick access to it.
  4.  Suppose you are sharing your Calendar with others. Maybe you are working on a project that needs multiple inspections and visibility over your tasks and events. In the setting, you can add people you would like to share your work with.

#2. Fantastical –

Fantastical Calendar is a calendar app for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It features an elegant interface that allows you to view your schedule in many ways.

I love two important features in Fantastical calendar app for macOS – one is Calendar sets and the second is the ability to propose meeting times that are sent out to individuals or groups of users to get consensus.

You can switch between days, weeks, months, and years, which are ordinary things you expect from a calendar app. Fantastical Calendar syncs with iCloud, so all your events are available across your devices.

You can also create recurring events and set reminders for them. Incredible Calendar supports calendars such as Google Calendar, Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), iCalendar, vCard, and more. Compared to Apple’s default calendar app, Fantastical has a much more pleasing user interface and contrasting color.

The app has three different themes: standard, light, and dark. It also gives you many customization options for what events you want to show up on the calendar view.

Fantastical is the best calendar app you will ever use. Do not believe us. Just check out its features:

#1. Using its natural language input, you need to type to add an event along with the specifications such as date, time, and location, and it will automatically put them in the correct place.

#2. You can easily incorporate a conference call into your daily routine and join using any app, such as Zoom or Google Meet. It also allows you to share the details of the meeting with others working with you.

#3. When using this application on Mac, you can actually hit a keyboard shortcut CTRL+SPACE BAR, and it will open up a mini-view of the application, and you can immediately start typing.

#4. You can also check the weather on this application. In the free version, this application will give you the weather forecast for the next three days.

If you stay out to perform most of your work, then the right weather can be an essential factor. Using this weather report feature, you can plan your day and tasks accordingly.

#5. The app also lets you customize the widget according to your needs and choices.

#6. And the best part is that this application is easily accessible through all your Apple devices, such as Macbooks, iPads, iPhones, and Apple Watches. So you can add or edit an event from any nearby device.

#3. Busy Cal

If you are looking for a power-packed calendar application with the experience of a Mac, then Busycal is the one for you.

Its user interface is straightforward; add the tasks you want to do in the day (or week) and then set a time for each. When it’s time to start doing something, Busy Cal will notify you by sending an email or SMS message with the title of the task and its assigned time.

It is Mac OS’s most powerful, flexible, and reliable Calendar. The application comes with time-saving features and is also compatible with all the cloud-leading services, such as iCloud and Google Exchange. 

BusyCal displays your calendar in days, weeks, months, years, and list views. One thing that makes this application quite unique is the ability to customize these views more precisely to meet your needs.

For example, the list view option available gives you a run down of everything you have coming up for the month. That makes it easier to find certain upcoming events rather than shifting from days to the actual event you are looking for.

Don’t Miss – Best iPhone Calendar App

Features of Busy Cal:

  1. Busy Cal supports quick entries that you can use to create access and To-Dos using natural language. The preview of the event details will be displayed as you type, and it will recognize the date, time, location, and more.
  2. The info panel is one of Busy Cal’s most popular features as it allows editing dates and events with speed, precision, and a clean and modern look.
  3. It has improved control for selecting dates, adding locations, attendees, etc.
  4. Next up, this app has a feature called “integrated to-dos,” which integrates your to-do list into your Calendar and syncs it with Apple’s reminder apps using iCloud.
  5. Busy Cal’s new and updated version supports travel time, which is also a widely requested feature. Travel Time lets you block out time easily and automatically calculate your travel duration by integrating location services and Apple Maps. You can also choose to leave as the traffic conditions change.

#4. Microsoft Outlook Calendar:

The beauty of Mac applications is that they tend to focus on one thing at a time. That is why it has different applications for email, to-do lists, notes, and calendars.

In contrast, Microsoft provides users a complete package of all the features in a single application. This application performs all of the functions of a digital calendar.

The Outlook calendar is a Microsoft Outlook feature that allows you to create and manage daily appointments.

It also allows sharing calendars with other users and viewing and editing all the events in one place. In addition, you can add new works or modify existing ones by using this tool.

To create an appointment, select New from the File menu, then choose New Event from the submenu that appears. This will show you a window where you can enter details like time, date, and location for your event.

You can also choose whether it should be recurring or not, in case you want the event to happen again. 

The Outlook calendar allows you to view your appointments and events on your desktop or mobile device, such as the iPhone, iPad, Android phones, or tablets. You can also share it with friends and family via email, Facebook, and Twitter.

With this app, you can easily organize all your important dates into one place so that it becomes easy to keep track of everything that needs to be done. If you are already a paying office user, you should check out Outlook.

The Features of Outlook Calendar:

  1. Pick up your appointment date and decide when you want to organize the conference, such as in 10 days or two weeks. You may use Natural Language to set the meeting in Outlook. Write it down, and it will automatically fix the date for you so that you do not have to put it manually. 
  2. The date navigator features allow you to view your Calendar in whatever way you want. There are different predefined views, such as the particular day view, the work week view, the month view, and the scheduled day. You can also view the events of multiple weeks at one time by selecting both from the left side of your screen.
  3. You can reply to an email thread from a meeting, and Outlook will preserve all the context from that particular email thread. Use the shortcut key CTRL+R to respond.
  4. You can easily see multiple time zones on the outlook calendar. If your coworkers or boss live in a different time zone, you will require this feature to work at the correct time.
    • Go to the left side of your screen where you see the time and right-click on it. Then you will get a brand new window where you can change the time zone according to your needs. This feature allows you to set up three time zones.
  5. In the bottom left corner, you will get the option to “open in a new window.” you can open up a new window for your Calendar to look at your Calendar alongside your email. You can jump over to a new tab of your email by leaving the Calendar open only.

#5. Calendar 366 II

Versatility, minimalism, easy access, and a unique interface are the terms that define Calendar 366 II. It is the type of application that you can easily access correctly from your menu bar.

In addition, it does all the work that your typical Calendar is supposed to perform—adding events, scheduling meetings, reminders of the events, birthdays, and many more.

Create a new event on your Calendar by clicking on the plus icon at the top right corner of the screen. Add a new event by simply tapping on it from any date and time in your calendar list, which will be created automatically. Using this feature, you can also create multiple events for different dates at one time. 

The fantastic features that you will get in this app:

  1. If you are already a regular Mac user, then a pre-requisites setup is available for all macOS-supported calendar services such as iCloud, Google, Exchange, Outlook, and CalDAV.
  2. This app allows you to create, add, copy, and move scheduled events and appointments by using drag and drop options.
  3. You can even transform the orientation of the views accordingly, either the landscape one or the portrait one.
  4. Set up the Auto Start and Auto-open features according to your preferences after getting familiar with the user interface.
  • Instacal: If you are looking for an instant on-the-go application that is quickly available on your menu bar, then Instacal is the one for you. A quick and convenient app that can be easily opened anytime by using the configurable keyboard options on your Mac.

Features of Insacal:

  1. The application is displayed on the right-hand side of your desktop in the menu bar or the dock so that you can quickly access it whenever you need it.
  2. It comes with unique touch bar support along with global customizable keyboard shortcuts.
  3. Instacal uses the auto-update feature in the background to ensure that your events, dates, and reminders are up to date.
  4. The multiple account system allows you to sync your other digital planners and organize accounts such as Office 365, Outlook, and Apple Calendar.

#7. Informant: Informant for Mac

If you are strict with deadlines and want to get more done in less time, you should go for this app. This application helps you track your time and plan and organize scheduled events and meetings.

It is based on “time-boxing,” where you set aside a specific amount of time each day to work on your tasks and then use that time to complete them. 

Features of an Informant: 

  1. Informant’s user interface shows you the view of your Calendar and tasks together so that you have a vivid idea of what you need to do and when you need to do it.
  2. With the search field option available on the top right, you can search for tasks and events, and it will open up a separate tab for each event so that you can easily edit and work on them individually.
  3. The intelligent filter tool lets you create your filter for an important task, which is similar to how the Apple mail filter works. You will be given a choice to create a filter for any specific project by putting in statues or anything specifically important.
  4. You can even choose from multiple customizable themes available on the application and make the necessary edits according to your choice. 

CONCLUSION:

Picking up a great calendar app and sticking to it can be a life-changer for you. You rely on organizing everything in your daily plan. So that you can automate your tasks, work smarter, and get more done. You must pick up the best tool that fits all of your needs.

What Calendar is best for a Mac?

Answer:- The default Apple calendar for Mac is itself loaded with many features as it is Apple’s product. But still, if you want to explore more attributes, you can go for multiple calendar applications available online.

Fantastical is one of the most recommended and widely used calendar applications. Incredible is a calendar application that lets you schedule appointments, events, and reminders. It’s compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Mac OS X.

The app also syncs your calendars across all your devices, so you can see what’s going on at any time. 

Does the Mac have a calendar widget?

Answer:- Yes, Mac has a calendar widget that is also customizable, allowing the user to make the necessary changes based on their needs. While using the calendar widget, you can easily add it to the notification center on your Mac, allowing you to track all of your upcoming events and meetings directly from your Mac desktop.

You can also see the summary of your upcoming events by simply choosing from the Up Next Widget, which is available in three different sizes.

Is there a desktop calendar for Macs?

Answer:- There are several desktop calendar apps for Mac, but the best one is probably iCal. It’s free, and it works very well. There are also other good ones, such as Google Calendar or Outlook. You can even use iCloud to sync your calendars across multiple devices if you have an iPhone or iPad with iOS 8 installed (or later).

Why is Fantastical better than the Apple calendar?

Answer:- Although both applications are best and loaded with features, another user prefers Fantastical because of the great experience it delivers in its new update. The interface is super convenient to use; you can see the whole month at a glance.

You can set your colors for days and weeks to make everything easier to read! It also has many features that other calendars don’t have, like reminders for events or appointments.

Is Apple or Google Calendar better?

The answer to this query is not an ordinary one. Apple and Google offer great calendar apps for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Android. But which one is better? Which one will suit your needs best?

Which app you should use relies on what you want from it. If you wish to keep track of your appointments and events in an easy-to-use interface, then Apple’s Calendar app will be perfect. Its crystal clear design makes it easy to navigate around, and its features are intuitive enough that even beginners can easily use them.

On the other hand, you have Google Calendar, which is a free service that allows users to create and view calendars. It also lets you share your Calendar with others and keep track of events in one place. Google Calendar also can sync with your Gmail account so that all of your affairs are synced across devices. 

Should you use the Apple Calendar?

The answer to this question is a big yes. It would help if you used the Apple calendar. If you use Mac, then it is suggested that you familiarise yourself with Apple Calendar first.

The app syncs with iCloud, allowing you to access your calendars from other devices. You can also view your events in the Today view or add new ones by tapping the plus icon at the very bottom of the screen.

Apple Calendar supports iCalendar format files, so you can import them into your Calendar using iTunes or email them to yourself using Mail Drop.

Is there an app that combines all my calendars?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Every application on the market has features and benefits; you need to pick one according to your preferences and needs.

Best Family Organizer Calendar Apps

Here are mind-blowing shared family organizer calendar apps that you can download to use as a busy family.

  • OurHome, Picniic, Google Calendar, Evernote, Trello, Cozi, Busy Kid, and Greenlight.

Top Best Student Planner apps for Students

here are calendar apps for students that all college and university students can utilize as planner apps on Apple Mac and Windows computers.

  • Todoist, Microsoft To Do, Calendly, iStudiez Pro, myHomework, and Power Planner.

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Karly Wood

Karly Wood, a Wellington-based journalist, excels in covering Apple and tech trends. With a diverse background in public safety, government, and education reporting, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, offering readers a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. Contact Her Team:- [email protected] [OR] [email protected]

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