Juggling modern life with kids isn't easy for me (or anyone). School, basketball practice, swimming lessons, doctor's appointments—it can all get overwhelming!
If my family members and I know our way around a smartphone (and who doesn't these days?), a shared calendar app can drastically change our family life for the better.
So, read on to learn about the best shared calendar apps for families.
A quick look at the best shared calendar apps for families
What is a family calendar app?
A family calendar app is a digital tool designed to help families like mine organize, manage and share our schedules in one accessible location. It makes it easy for us to coordinate appointments, morning routines, activities, events and tasks.
Family calendar apps include shared calendar functionality, reminders, task assignments and chores, and sometimes even shopping lists and meal planning functions.
By centralizing my family's commitments in one place, an app reduces scheduling conflicts and helps all of us stay on the same page regarding activities and responsibilities.
Why use a shared calendar app for the entire family?
There are lots of benefits of using shared calendar apps for the whole family. Here are just a few of them:
- You experience smoother and potentially more harmonious family dynamics since everyone’s schedules and tasks are much easier to organize and keep track of.
- Knowing who needs to be where and when minimizes last-minute scrambles and stress.
- Everyone stays updated on family events and appointments, helping to avoid misunderstandings and double bookings.
- Because everyone’s time is used more efficiently, each family member can experience more balance in their personal, work, and family commitments.
- Assigning specific tasks and chores to each family member improves everyone’s sense of responsibility, fairness, and order.
- More visibility into everyone’s availability makes planning family events, vacations, and activities simpler to arrange.
In short, these handy apps can make your family life run a whole lot smoother!
What makes the best digital calendar app for families?
When evaluating the various shared calendar apps for families, I considered the following key criteria:
Shared access
In my family with growing children, keeping everyone on the same page regarding events and appointments can be a logistical nightmare. After all, who's not familiar with missed activities and double bookings?
Shared access to family calendar apps takes care of this problem. It allows all my family members to view and update the calendar from their own devices so that everyone, regardless of where they are or what device they're using, has real-time access to the family schedule.
Color coding
With multiple schedules to manage, it can be challenging for me to quickly see who has what coming up in a busy family calendar.
Color coding solves this problem by assigning a unique color to each family member. That way, it's easy for me to see everyone's commitments at a glance.
Reminders and alerts
Forgetting important dates such as doctors' appointments, school events or family gatherings can lead to stress and disappointment. Calendar apps take care of this issue by automatically sending me notifications and alerts for upcoming events, appointments and tasks.
Syncing capabilities
I often use multiple apps and platforms to manage my personal and professional lives - but a lack of integration between these tools can lead to scheduling frustrations.
Syncing capabilities in a family calendar app make it easy for the family calendar to integrate with other calendar apps and digital platforms that my individual family members may be using. As a result, everyone can manage their schedules without having to switch between multiple apps.
Task and chore scheduling
Whose turn is it to do the dishes or put out the garbage?
Daily chores and responsibilities often act as bones of contention in families.
To help combat this problem, shared family calendars usually include the ability for me to assign tasks and chores - and even track their completion. With these features, I can distribute chores more fairly among my family members.
Privacy and security
With increasing concerns over digital privacy and security, sharing sensitive information like schedules and appointments online can be worrying.
Privacy and security features in family calendar apps tackle this issue through controls that dictate who can view and edit calendar entries.
6 best shared calendar apps for families
Here are my six handpicked calendar apps for families. I've included the pros, cons and pricing of each to show the range of options available today.
1. Cozi Family Organizer
Cozi is designed to keep your family's schedule and everyday life organized. It's a robust app that includes a family calendar, grocery lists, to-do lists, meal plans, and even a family journal where you can share photos and notes.
Cozi has won the Mom’s Choice Award, the Best Parenting App Award, and other accolades.
Key features
- Color-coding for individual family member schedules
- Real-time updates
- Shopping and to-do lists that can be accessed and updated by anyone in the family
- A meal planner
- A family journal
What I liked
- Free version is very functional
- Accessible across various devices
- Equipped with a premade list library
- Facilitates email reminders for events
What I disliked
- Ads in the app
Cozy pricing
- Free
2. FamilyWall
FamilyWall acts as a private social network for your family. It offers a shared calendar, lists, a locator service, and a messaging system to keep everyone connected and organized.
Key features
- A secure and private space for family communication
- Lets families share photos and important documents
- Scheduling events with reminders
- Location sharing for safety
What I liked
- Comprehensive features for family management
- Strong focus on privacy and security
What I disliked
- Can be more expensive than other options for full functionality
- May have more features than some families need
FamilyWall pricing:
- Standard account is free
- Premium is $4.99 per month ($44.99 billed annually)
3. OurCal
OurCal is a shared family calendar app that distinguishes itself by its strong emphasis on privacy and security.
Key features
- App versions for families, couples, and groups
- Each group has its own separate chat channel
- Includes reminders and new message notifications
What I liked
- Everything is protected with certified end-to-end encryption
What I disliked
- It’s a simple calendar app without additional functionality
OurCal pricing
- Free
4. Calroo Family Calendar
Calroo is designed to make family scheduling effortless, with features that allow parents to assign tasks, set reminders, and share schedules and lists to reduce communication mishaps and lower stress.
Key features
- Task and event delegation
- Reminders
- Shared calendar and lists
- Family members can request swaps or changes to tasks and events
- Hopping kangaroos make task completion fun for the kids (and the kids at heart)
What I liked
- Streamlines family communication and scheduling
- Easy to assign and track family tasks
What I disliked
- The interface may not be as polished as that of other apps
- Some users report bugs and glitches
Calroo Pricing
- Free
5. FabFam
FabFam is an all-in-one family organizer app that serves as a central hub for family activities and tasks. It includes a shared family calendar with reminders, shopping and other lists, events, and a meal-planning tool.
Key features
- Sharing options via email, text, messaging, or other apps
- A place to store membership and loyalty cards so the whole family can use them
- A recipes-storing space.
What I liked
- Unlimited smart lists
- One-off and repeating to-do lists
What I disliked
- May offer more features than the typical family needs
FabFam pricing
- Free
6. FamCal (Family Shared Calendar)
FamCal is a popular calendar app designed specifically for family use, with features that facilitate shared schedules, to-do lists, notes, and reminders to keep family members completely synchronized. There’s no website, but you’ll find it in app stores.
Key features
- Color-coded entries for each family member
- Shared to-do lists and notes
- Event reminders
- The ability to send messages and emails within the app
What I liked
- Very family-focused
- Easy to use for all ages
- Great for keeping everyone's schedules aligned
What I disliked
- Some complaints about the app's performance and reliability
FamCal pricing
- Free (but there are in-app purchases available)
Each of these apps has unique features and capabilities. So, consider the specific needs of your family, such as the importance of task planning versus calendar sharing and the suitability for younger versus older children, to find the best fit.
Bonus: 4 effective work + family calendar combos
In addition to calendar apps specifically designed for families, there are tools that you can use as both a work and family calendar app.
With this kind of app performing double duty, you won’t have to juggle one calendar for managing family affairs and another for productivity at work.
Here are some suggestions for multi-purpose calendar apps:
1. Motion
Motion’s versatile productivity tool includes a sophisticated, AI-driven calendar app that intelligently and proactively combines all of your tasks, to-do lists, and events and activities into one smart calendar that moves with you and adjusts as needed.
Key features
- Prioritizes tasks and adds them to your calendar on the right day and time so that you don’t have to do so manually
- Sends alerts when you overcommit
- Includes task and project management tools
What I liked
- Uses state-of-the-art task management technology
- Easily adaptable to both work and family schedules
- Strong focus on increased productivity, which can save valuable time each day
What I disliked
- Since it’s part of a larger set of tools, it costs more than a simple family calendar app
Motion Pricing
- Free 7-day trial
- Families: $12/user/mo (billed annually), or $20 billed monthly
- Individual: $19/user/mo (billed annually), or $34 billed monthly
- Pricing includes access to all tools in the suite, including the Motion Calendar, Task Manager, and Project Manager
2. Google Calendar
Google Calendar offers a simple way to manage both personal and family schedules. By creating a separate calendar for family events and sharing it with all family members, everyone can add and view appointments, events, and reminders.
Key features
- Integration with Gmail for automatic event creation from emails
- Customizable notifications
- Color-coded events
- Shareable with family members
What I liked
- Highly accessible and integrates with other Google services
- Includes a well-functioning notification system
- Can be used for a wide range of scheduling needs
What I disliked
- Lacks specific family-oriented features, like chore tracking
- Introduces some privacy concerns because of Google's data policies
Google Calendar pricing
- Freely accessible with a Google account
3. Any.do
Any.do is a task and calendar app that's adaptable for personal or family use. It integrates tasks, events, and reminders in one place for a seamless way to plan your family’s day, week, and beyond.
Key features
- Task management with an integrated calendar
- Voice entry
- Daily planner features
- Cross-platform syncing and collaboration tools
What I liked
- Sleek design
- Integrates well with other calendars and services
- Versatile for both personal and family use
What I disliked
- Essential features are locked behind a paywall
- Task focus might dilute the calendar functionality for some users
Any.do pricing
- “Forever free” personal plan
- Feature-rich Premium plan for $5/month (billed annually)
4. TimeTree
TimeTree keeps everyone in the loop regarding shared and personal schedules. This makes it useful for not just families but also groups of friends and work teams. Its interface encourages collaboration and sharing.
Key features
- Shared calendars for different purposes
- Notes that are attachable to calendar dates
- Multiple calendar views
- Event-planning features
What I liked
- User-friendly
- Allows for integration of both personal and shared family schedules
- Supports chat for each event
What I disliked
- Can get cluttered with too many events
- Some users find the interface unintuitive
TimeTree pricing
- Free version available
- Ad-free Premium version for $4.49/month ($44.99 when billed annually)
These work and family calendar combo apps may just be the thing to keep everyone and everything on track.
Still looking for the best shared calendar app for families?
Shared calendar apps can transform how your family functions amid the busyness of life. They improve organization, save time, and keep tasks and chores running smoothly.
But managing two calendars — one for your family and one for work — can be counterproductive.
If you’re looking for calendar and planning software that can seamlessly integrate both tasks, take a look at Motion’s intelligent, AI-driven calendar that can function as the family’s own digital assistant — always on call whether your family members are at home, at school, or at work.
