Best Shared Family Calendar Apps in 2026: A Complete Comparison

If you're the one who keeps track of soccer practice, dentist appointments, school events, and work meetings for your entire family, you know the struggle. Managing multiple schedules across different calendars is exhausting—and missing even one event can throw everything off.

A shared family calendar app solves this by putting everyone's schedules in one place. But with dozens of options available, which one is actually worth your time?

We tested the most popular family calendar apps to help you find the right fit. Here's what we discovered.

What to Look for in a Shared Family Calendar App

Before diving into our recommendations, here's what actually matters when choosing a family calendar:

Color-coded calendars — You should instantly see whose event is whose. Most families assign each person a color (blue for Dad, pink for Mom, green for the kids).

Easy sharing — Adding family members should take seconds, not minutes of troubleshooting.

Cross-platform sync — Your calendar needs to work on iPhone, Android, and web. Most families have a mix of devices.

Google Calendar integration — If you already use Google Calendar for work, you don't want to manage two separate systems.

Real-time updates — When someone adds an event, everyone should see it immediately.

Low friction for input — The faster you can add events, the more likely you'll actually use the app.

The 7 Best Shared Family Calendar Apps

1. Calendara — Best for Busy Parents Who Hate Typing

Price: $2.99/month | Platforms: Web, iOS (coming soon)

Calendara takes a completely different approach to family calendars. Instead of typing every event manually, you simply snap a photo of a school flyer, sports schedule, or any document with dates—and the AI extracts all the events automatically.

What we love:

• Photo-to-calendar extraction saves hours of manual entry
• Two-way Google Calendar sync (not just read-only)
• Modern, clean interface
• No ads, ever
• 90%+ extraction accuracy

What could be better:

• iOS app still in development
• Family sharing features coming soon

Best for: Parents drowning in school flyers and sports schedules who want to stop typing events one by one.

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2. Cozi — Most Popular (But Showing Its Age)

Price: Free (limited) / $40/year (Gold) / $60/year (Max) | Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

Cozi has been the go-to family calendar for over a decade, with 20+ million users. It offers color-coded calendars, shopping lists, and a daily agenda email.

What we love:

• Color-coded family members
• Shopping list feature
• Weekly email digest
• Recipe box

What could be better:

• Free tier now limited to 30-day calendar access (as of May 2024)
• Interface feels dated
• Read-only calendar sync with Google
• Limited AI features (Cozi Max $60/year has AI Meal Planner and email-forward photo extraction only)

Best for: Families who've used Cozi for years and don't mind the subscription.

Note: Many users are leaving Cozi after the May 2024 paywall change. If you're looking for a Cozi alternative, keep reading.

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3. TimeTree — Best Free Option (With Ads)

Price: Free (ads) / $4.49/month | Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

TimeTree is popular internationally with 60 million users. Its standout feature is the ability to chat within events—great for coordinating logistics.

What we love:

• Completely free core features
• Event chat/comments
• Can add people who don't have the app
• Recently added OCR event scanning

What could be better:

• Ads can be intrusive on free tier
• Syncing issues reported by some users
• No shopping list feature

Best for: Families who want a free option and don't mind ads.

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4. FamilyWall — Best for Location Tracking

Price: Free / $4.99/month | Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

FamilyWall goes beyond calendars with location tracking, a family locator, and even health records storage.

What we love:

• Location sharing and check-ins
• End-to-end encryption
• Comprehensive family hub

What could be better:

• Can feel overwhelming with so many features
• Calendar sync requires premium
• Steeper learning curve

Best for: Families who want an all-in-one family hub with location features.

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5. Google Calendar — Best if You're Already in the Google Ecosystem

Price: Free | Platforms: iOS, Android, Web

If everyone in your family uses Gmail, Google Calendar's sharing features might be all you need.

What we love:

• Completely free
• Works seamlessly with Gmail
• Powerful scheduling features
• Family group calendars

What could be better:

• No family-specific features (shopping lists, etc.)
• Not designed for family coordination
• Sharing setup can be confusing

Best for: Tech-savvy families already using Google Workspace.

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6. Apple Calendar — Best for iPhone-Only Families

Price: Free | Platforms: iOS, Mac, iCloud web

If your entire family uses iPhones and Macs, Apple's built-in calendar with Family Sharing might work.

What we love:

• Built into every Apple device
• Family Sharing integration
• Clean interface

What could be better:

• Only works well if everyone has Apple devices
• Limited features compared to dedicated family apps
• No shopping lists or family-specific tools

Best for: Apple-only households.

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7. Cupla — Best for Couples

Price: Free / $4.99/month | Platforms: iOS, Android

Cupla is designed specifically for couples, not larger families. It includes relationship features alongside the calendar.

What we love:

• Beautiful couples-focused design
• Date planning features
• 75% of users report reduced relationship stress

What could be better:

• Not designed for families with kids
• Limited to two people

Best for: Couples without kids who want a shared calendar.

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Quick Comparison Table

App	Price	Photo Import	Google Sync	Shopping List	Best For
Calendara	$2.99/mo	✅ AI-powered	✅ Two-way	Coming soon	Busy parents
Cozi	Free/$40yr(Gold)/$60yr(Max)	⚠️ Email-only (Max)	⚠️ Read-only	✅	Longtime users
TimeTree	Free/$4.49mo	⚠️ Basic OCR	✅	❌	Budget-conscious
FamilyWall	Free/$4.99mo	❌	⚠️ Premium	✅	Location tracking
Google Cal	Free	❌	✅ Native	❌	Google users
Apple Cal	Free	❌	⚠️ Limited	❌	Apple families
Cupla	Free/$4.99mo	❌	✅	❌	Couples

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How to Choose the Right Family Calendar App

Choose Calendara if: You're tired of manually typing events from school flyers and sports schedules. The AI photo extraction is a game-changer for busy parents.

Choose Cozi if: You've been using it for years and don't mind paying $40/year (Gold) or $60/year (Max with AI features) for full calendar access.

Choose TimeTree if: You want a free option and don't mind ads. The event chat feature is unique.

Choose FamilyWall if: You want location tracking and an all-in-one family hub.

Choose Google Calendar if: Your whole family is already in the Google ecosystem and you just need basic sharing.

Choose Apple Calendar if: Everyone in your family has Apple devices and you want something simple.

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The Bottom Line

The best shared family calendar app depends on your family's specific needs. But here's what we've learned from testing them all:

The biggest pain point isn't the calendar itself—it's getting events INTO the calendar. Most parents spend hours every month typing in school events, sports schedules, and activity dates from flyers, emails, and PDFs.

That's why we built Calendara differently. Instead of making you type everything, you just snap a photo. The AI handles the rest.

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Related Guides

• Best Cozi Alternative 2026
• How to Share a Family Calendar
• Family Calendar App Comparison

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Last updated: January 2026