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Fantastical vs BusyCal (best calendar apps for mac)

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Winner
user interface
syncing options
price
integrations
notifications
sharing options
customization
ease of use
mobile apps
support
FREE / PAID
Fantastical offers free basic version, Premium costs $4.99/month or $39.99/year
BusyCal is a one-time purchase of $49.99
Conclusion

Fantastical offers an intuitive interface and robust syncing options but comes with a high price tag 🤑🔄💻

BusyCal provides a wealth of features with an affordable one-time payment – great for those on a budget! 💰📆👍

Fantastical Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • Natural language parsing 👌

  • Flexible viewing options 👀

  • Excellent syncing options 🔄

  • Robust alerts system 🚨

  • Broad integration options ⛓

BusyCal Pros & Cons

Top Pros
  • Affordable pricing 💰

  • Useful weather integration 🌦

  • Flexible sharing options 👥

  • Convenient drag-and-drop feature 🖱

  • Built-in To-Do list and reminders 📋

  • Powerful search function 🔍

Top Cons
  • High price 💵

  • Limited features in the free version 🔒

  • No Windows support 🚫💻

  • Limited mobile app functionality 📱⛔

  • Less efficient for non-Apple users 🍏😕

  • Steep learning curve 📈

Top Cons
  • Outdated interface design 📟

  • No natural language input 🙅‍♂️🗣

  • Need manual configuration for iCloud syncing ⚙️🔄⛔

  • Limited mobile version 📱🚫

  • Lacks some integrations ✖️⛓

Other best calendar apps for mac

3

Apple Calendar, although basic, offers seamless integration with iOS and macOS at no extra cost 🍏🔄🆓

4

Microsoft Outlook Calendar impresses with its comprehensive features, but is best for those already in the Microsoft ecosystem 💼🤝💻

5

Google Calendar is a reliable free option, but may lack advanced features some users seek 🌐🆓⁉️

FAQ

Some of the top calendar apps for Mac include Fantastical, BusyCal, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Microsoft Outlook Calendar, and Any.do. Each of these apps offers unique features and capabilities, so the best one for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

Fantastical provides some unique features including a natural language parser for easy event entry, weather forecasts within the calendar, interactive notifications, and flexible viewing options. It also allows for seamless integration with other applications like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and more.

Yes, BusyCal can easily integrate with other apps and services. It can conveniently sync with Google Calendar, iCloud, and Exchange, among others. This makes it an ideal app for those who use different calendar services.

Fantastical is offered as a subscription-based service. The pricing starts at $3.33 per month for individuals and $6.66 per month for families. More details can be found on their website.

BusyCal costs $49.99 as a one-time purchase. More information can be found on their website.

Yes, both Fantastical and BusyCal offer free trials. Fantastical provides a 14-day free trial, while BusyCal offers a 30-day free trial.

Yes, in Fantastical, you can manage your reminders alongside your calendar events. You can even use natural language input to create new reminders.

Yes, BusyCal presents an integrated to-dos list. The tasks in this list integrate smoothly with the calendar, enabling users to easily track their tasks and deadlines.

Both Fantastical and BusyCal can be downloaded from either their respective websites or the Mac App Store.

Yes, Fantastical supports the creation of repeating or recurring events. This feature can be customized to repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or at any other regular intervals.

Yes, with BusyCal, you are able to use color-coding for your events. This can help organize your schedule and makes it easier to visually separate different types of events.

Fantastical supports multiple languages for its Natural Language Parsing feature, including English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Yes, BusyCal supports weather forecasting. It provides a 10-day weather forecast and can even display phases of the moon.

Yes, Fantastical offers syncing across multiple devices. This includes Mac computers, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.

Yes, BusyCal can sync with iOS devices allowing you to keep track of your events and tasks on the go.

Yes, Fantastical supports attachments. You can add attachments to your events from either your Mac or from iCloud Drive.

Yes, BusyCal provides smart filters that allow you to create customized calendar views using a combination of calendar sets, tags, and location.

Yes, Fantastical provides several options to personalize the appearance of the app. This includes light and dark modes, as well as several theme options.

Yes, with BusyCal, you can share calendars with others across the web using Google, Exchange, and CalDAV servers.

Yes, both Fantastical and BusyCal provide customer support through their websites. This includes FAQs, knowledgebases, and direct contact forms for further inquiries.

The best-rated calendar applications for Mac include BusyCal and the Fantastical app. Other popular options include Apple’s built-in Calendar app, Google Calendar, and Outlook.

Fantastical is acclaimed for its intuitive interface, natural language event creation, and robust feature set. It also allows seamless integration with other calendar services and provides an efficient reminder system.

BusyCal differentiates itself by offering advanced features like customizable views, integrated to-dos, and weather forecasts. Its flexibility and comprehensive features set it apart from many other Mac calendar apps.

The distinct feature of Fantastical is its natural language parsing ability. It understands and creates events when you input sentences like Lunch with Clara next Friday. Other premium features include time zone support, iCloud reminders, and a beautiful user interface.

BusyCal comes with an array of features, such as customizable calendar views, a built-in weather forecast, To-Do list management, and native Google and iCloud sync, among others.

Yes, Fantastical can be integrated with a wide array of other applications and services, including iCloud, Google Calendar, Outlook, Todoist, and more. This makes it a versatile tool for managing schedules and tasks.

Absolutely, BusyCal allows syncing with various accounts from Apple’s iCloud, Google Calendar, and Exchange, providing a unified view of all calendars.

Yes, besides Mac, Fantastical is also available on iOS and has a dedicated App for Apple Watch. The cross-platform availability ensures convenient access to your schedules from various devices.

BusyCal supports Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The application syncs across all these devices providing a seamless scheduling experience irrespective of the device used.

Fantastical has a freemium model. It offers a set of basic features for free, but premium features are only available in the paid version via a subscription-based model.

Yes, BusyCal is a paid app, it offers a free trial but after that, it becomes a paid service. However, once purchased, you can use it on all your devices without incurring additional costs.

Yes, you need to create a Fantastical account to use the app. Having an account allows the app to sync data across all your devices and ensures you have access to your information whenever required.

Customization is a key feature of BusyCal. You can choose from a variety of calendar views, including Day, Week, Month, Year, and List. You can also adjust the number of weeks shown in the Month view or the number of days in Week view.

You can add events in Fantastical by simply typing in natural language. For example, typing Meeting with John at 3 PM will create the event within the app. The feature saves time and makes event addition hassle-free.

In BusyCal, tasks can be managed using the To-Do list feature. You can create, edit, and delete tasks and also set due dates.

With Fantastical, there is no limit on the number of calendars you can track. You can add as many calendars as you want from various services, allowing for comprehensive schedule management.

Yes, BusyCal supports calendar sharing with others via iCloud, Google Calendar or other CalDAV Servers. This feature is handy for teamwork, family planning or coordinating with others.

Yes, Fantastical supports multiple languages including English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese, making it a globally accessible calendar app.

Yes, BusyCal provides customer support through their website. They offer detailed guides, FAQs, and an option to reach out if you’re facing severe issues or have specific queries.

Yes, you can use Fantastical without an internet connection. The app stores data locally on your device, so you can view and manage your calendar offline. Synchronization will occur once the device re-establishes an internet connection.