Nothing compares to a functional and feature rich calendar app to keep things organized. It’s the first thing I look at to see my schedule for the rest of the day. Every operating system comes with a default calendar app. But they are basic at best. Apple Calendar on macOS is one of those handy calendar apps. However, the Mac App Store and the web are full of feature-packed third-party calendar apps for Mac. Among them, we have selected the 5 best options.
1. Fantastic – Editor’s Choice
Fantastical conveniently tops the list with the best user experience for any calendar app for Mac. The animations are smooth and the whole experience is fast, fluid and responsive.
My favorite feature in Fantastical is the ability to quickly create an event from the + menu. Click the + in the menu bar and type “Marketing meeting at 2:00 pm”and it will create a schedule for you.
If you often need to create the same event for the near future, you can create a template from the added event. This allows you to compose an event with one click. Need to add a schedule from sports, TV, finance and more? Fantastical will help you on this front as well. Support for all popular third-party calendars has been added to the application.
In terms of pricing, Fantastical used to be a one-time deal, but the developers have recently switched to a subscription model.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $4.99)
2. Microsoft Outlook is the best for professionals
Microsoft Outlook, mostly known for its email functionality, hasn’t always had a full calendar add-on. In 2015, the software giant acquired the popular Sunrise Calendar app and improved the default calendar experience.
When it comes to creating an event, users have all sorts of options. You can create an event with location, Skype call, meeting notes, and more. Interesting calendars are my favorite addition to Outlook. Just like in Fantastical, you can import schedules of popular TV channels and sports such as baseball, tennis, football, cricket, basketball, etc. You need to add them using the Outlook for iOS app, and then it will appear in the Outlook app for Mac.
The new Outlook app for Mac is a treat. Those who have invested in the Microsoft ecosystem will appreciate the tight integration with Sticky Notes and the Microsoft To-Do service.
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $69.99)
3. BusyCal is a highly customizable app
BusyCal by SetApp is another great calendar app for Mac. Its main USP is that it offers the best customization options despite having an Apple Calendar-like user interface.
You can customize it to show only the information you need, including reminders, event details, or both. In addition, you can also change the application’s color scheme, fonts, add an additional time zone.
Another great feature that I love about BusyCal is the accessibility bar. Thanks to this, you can find the next available seat in your schedule, thus saving time. And if you want to quickly find an appointment, there’s a dedicated menu bar where you can sort events by day, week, month, or year.
You can choose between iCloud, Google, Yahoo, Fruux, Fastmail, Office 365, CalDAV, and Exchange to sync your data.
Or you can purchase it with Setapp, a monthly subscription that gives you access to other Setapp apps.
Price: Starting at $9.99 per month (subscription with Setapp) or $49.99 for a lifetime version with a 30-day free trial and 18 months of updates.
4. Calendar 366 II – Extension for Apple Calendar
This is designed to be an addition to the default Apple calendar, but can also completely replace it depending on your workflow. It’s pretty comprehensive and gives you the convenience of managing your dates using just this app; Easily view your appointments and add new ones. In addition, you can choose from different views such as yearly, monthly, weekly, schedule, current day, etc.
The best part is natural typing which makes data entry easier. For example, you can type: “Meeting tomorrow from 11:00 to 13:00″or “Date next Sunday at 18:00 – at a new Mexican place”, or, even simpler: “Time to read tomorrow.”Use this calendar in your own way and it will help you manage all life events.
You can also easily sync across devices via iCloud, customize the menu bar to suit your needs, and easily find what you need with Spotlight search.
Calendar 366 II fully supports English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Polish and Chinese.
Price: $14.99
5. Any.Do – great for integrating third party apps
Any.Do is first and foremost a task management app that offers a great addition to a calendar. I love the Any.Do aesthetic in the Mac app. You can change the theme and even choose one of the background wallpapers.
As with any decent calendar app, you can fill in the event details with relevant information like notes, URL, location, and more. The software simply shines with the integration of third-party applications. Any.Do supports over 1500+ (yes, you read that right) services, including powerful ones like Evernote, Trello, Slack, OneNote and more.
Zaps is an interesting addition. There are ready-made automation services that work with third-party applications and Any.Do. For example, you can directly integrate Evernote reminders into Any.Do. Careful, right? There are over 2000 built-in Zaps available for Any.Do.
Price: $2.99 per month (when billed annually for premium version)
Most Mac users stick with the stock Apple Calendar app. However, it is always advisable to check out competitors that offer more value for money. Review the list of apps above and let us know which app you ended up using in the comment section below.