Calendara vs Cozi: Which Family Calendar App Should You Choose in 2026?

If you're reading this, you're probably one of two people:

1. A long-time Cozi user frustrated by recent changes
2. Someone researching family calendar apps and wondering which is better

Either way, you're in the right place. We're going to give you an honest, detailed comparison of Calendara and Cozi—including why so many families are looking for Cozi alternatives right now.

The Elephant in the Room: What Happened to Cozi?

In May 2024, Cozi made a change that upset millions of users. They restricted free accounts to only 30 days of calendar access.

That means if you've been using Cozi for free (like most of their 20+ million users), you can no longer:

• View events more than 30 days in the future
• See your past calendar history
• Add events beyond the 30-day window

Unless you pay $40/year for Cozi Gold, or $60/year for Cozi Max with AI features.

The backlash was immediate. Cozi's Trustpilot rating dropped to 2.1 out of 5 stars, with reviews calling it "scammy" and "blackmail."

This is why you're seeing so many people searching for "Cozi alternative" right now.

Quick Comparison: Calendara vs Cozi

Feature	Calendara	Cozi
Price	$2.99/month	Free (30-day limit) or $40/year (Gold) / $60/year (Max)
AI Photo Extraction	✅ Yes (core feature)	⚠️ Email-forward only (Cozi Max, $60/year)
Google Calendar Sync	✅ Two-way	⚠️ Read-only
Color-Coded Family	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Shopping Lists	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ads	❌ Never	✅ Yes (free tier)
Calendar History	✅ Unlimited	⚠️ 30 days (free)
Interface	Modern	Dated

Where Calendara Wins

1. AI-Powered Photo Extraction

This is Calendara's superpower. Instead of typing every event manually, you snap a photo of:

• School flyers and newsletters
• Sports team schedules
• Activity calendars
• Conference agendas
• Any document with dates

The AI extracts all the events automatically—with 90%+ accuracy. What used to take 30 minutes of typing now takes 30 seconds.

Cozi recently added "AI Event Import" in their Cozi Max tier, but it requires you to forward emails to a special address. It's clunky compared to just pointing your camera at a flyer.

2. Two-Way Google Calendar Sync

Calendara syncs both ways with Google Calendar. Add an event in Calendara, it appears in Google. Add an event in Google, it appears in Calendara.

Cozi only offers read-only integration with Google Calendar. You can see your Google events in Cozi, but you can't edit them or have Cozi events appear in Google.

For families where one parent uses Google Calendar for work, this is a dealbreaker.

3. No 30-Day Limit or Paywall Surprises

Calendara has straightforward pricing: $2.99/month for full access. No sudden restrictions, no features held hostage.

We believe in building trust with our users, not leveraging their data against them.

4. Modern Interface

Let's be honest: Cozi's interface hasn't changed much since 2010. Multiple user reviews describe it as looking "a decade old" and "cluttered."

Calendara was built in 2024 with modern design principles. It's clean, fast, and actually pleasant to use.

5. No Ads, Ever

Cozi's free tier shows ads. Calendara has no ads on any tier. We make money from subscriptions, not your attention.

Where Cozi Wins (For Now)

1. Larger User Base

Cozi has 20+ million users and has been around since 2005. If you're already using it and your family is set up, there's switching cost to consider.

2. Weekly Email Digest

Cozi sends a "Cozi Today" email each morning with your family's schedule. Some families love this feature.

Pricing Comparison

Plan	Calendara	Cozi
Free	Trial available	30-day calendar limit, ads
Paid	$2.99/month ($36/year)	$40/year (Gold) / $60/year (Max)
Per Month	$2.99	~$3.33 (Gold) / ~$5 (Max)

The pricing is nearly identical. The difference is what you get:

Calendara $2.99/month:

• AI photo extraction (unlimited)
• Two-way Google Calendar sync
• Unlimited calendar history
• No ads
• All current features

Cozi Gold $40/year:

• Full calendar access (beyond 30 days)
• No ads
• Calendar search
• Birthday tracker
• Up to 3 reminders per event

Cozi Max $60/year:

• Everything in Gold
• AI Meal Planner
• Limited photo-to-calendar (email-forward only)

Who Should Choose Calendara?

Choose Calendara if you:

• Are drowning in school flyers, sports schedules, and paper calendars
• Hate typing events into your phone one by one
• Need two-way Google Calendar sync for work
• Want a modern app that doesn't look like it's from 2010
• Value transparent pricing without surprise paywalls
• Are leaving Cozi after the May 2024 changes

Who Should Choose Cozi?

Choose Cozi if you:

• Have been using Cozi for years and don't want to switch
• Love the morning email digest
• Don't mind paying $40/year (Gold) or $60/year (Max with AI) for full access
• Don't need to sync with Google Calendar bidirectionally

How to Switch from Cozi to Calendara

If you're ready to make the switch, here's how:

1. Sign up for Calendara at usecalendara.com
2. Connect your Google Calendar (if you have one)
3. Start adding events by snapping photos of your schedules
4. Invite family members to share calendars, lists, tasks, and recipes

We're working on a direct Cozi import feature to make switching even easier.

The Bottom Line

Both Calendara and Cozi are solid family calendar apps. But they're designed for different eras.

Cozi was built when the main problem was "how do I share a calendar with my family?" They solved that well.

Calendara was built for a different problem: "how do I stop spending hours typing events from all these flyers and schedules?"

If you're still manually entering every school event, sports practice, and activity date, you're doing it the hard way. Calendara's AI photo extraction changes that.

And if you're frustrated with Cozi's recent paywall? You're not alone. Many families are making the switch.

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Related Guides

• Best Cozi Alternative 2026
• Best Shared Family Calendar Apps
• Cozi vs Google Calendar for Families

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Last updated: January 2026