Cozi vs Google Calendar for Families: The Complete Comparison

Two of the most popular family calendar options are Cozi and Google Calendar.

But which one is actually better for your family in 2026?

Spoiler: Neither is perfect. And there's a third option that might beat both.

Let's break it down.

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Quick Comparison

Feature	Cozi	Google Calendar
Price	Free (30-day limit) / $40/year (Gold) / $60/year (Max)	Free
Family color-coding	✅ Built-in	⚠️ Manual workaround
Shopping lists	✅	❌
Photo-to-calendar	❌	❌
Google sync	Read-only	Native
Design	Dated	Clean
Best for	Families wanting all-in-one	Google ecosystem users

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Cozi: The Family Calendar Pioneer

Cozi has been around since 2005 and has over 20 million users. It was one of the first apps designed specifically for family coordination.

What Cozi Does Well

Color-Coded Family Members Each family member gets their own color. At a glance, you see whose event is whose. This is Cozi's signature feature.

Shopping Lists Shared grocery lists that the whole family can edit. Check off items as you shop.

Weekly Email Digest Get a summary of the upcoming week's events every Sunday. Useful for staying on top of things.

Recipe Storage Save and organize family recipes. Not a calendar feature, but some families use it.

Cozi's Problems in 2026

The 30-Day Limit In May 2024, Cozi restricted free users to only 30 days of calendar access. Want to see your schedule next month? Pay $40/year for Gold, or $60/year for Max with AI features.

This frustrated millions of families who'd used Cozi free for years. Trustpilot reviews dropped to 2.1 stars with words like "scam" and "hostage."

Read-Only Google Sync Cozi syncs to Google Calendar, but only one direction. You can see Cozi events in Google, but not Google events in Cozi. This creates a fragmented experience.

No Innovation Cozi's interface looks like 2015. There's no AI, no photo extraction, no modern conveniences. It works, but it hasn't evolved.

Dated Design The app feels old. Younger parents especially notice this.

Cozi Pricing

• Free: 30-day calendar limit (essentially a trial now)
• Cozi Gold: $40/year for full access
• Cozi Max: $60/year with AI Meal Planner and limited photo-to-calendar (email-forward only)

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Google Calendar: The Free Powerhouse

Google Calendar is reliable, free, and works everywhere. But was it designed for families? No.

What Google Calendar Does Well

Completely Free No limits. No premium tier required for basic family sharing. Zero cost.

Reliability Google Calendar rarely goes down. Sync is fast and consistent.

Cross-Platform Works on iPhone, Android, web browsers, and integrates with tons of apps.

Integration Works seamlessly with Gmail, Google Meet, and other Google services.

Google Calendar's Problems for Families

Not Designed for Families There's no "family member" concept. No built-in color-coding by person. You have to create workarounds (like separate calendars for each person).

Complex Sharing Sharing a calendar requires email invitations, permission settings, and Google accounts for everyone. Not intuitive for non-technical family members.

No Shopping Lists Want a shared grocery list? Use a separate app.

No Photo Extraction Got a school calendar PDF? Type every event manually.

No Family-Specific Features No weekly digest, no family-oriented interface, no features designed for the chaos of family life.

Google Calendar Pricing

• Free: Everything is free

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Head-to-Head Comparison

For Color-Coded Family Schedules

Winner: Cozi

Cozi's color-coding is built-in and automatic. Google Calendar requires creating separate calendars and manually assigning colors—more work.

For Price

Winner: Google Calendar

Google is completely free. Cozi's useful features now require $40/year (Gold) or $60/year (Max with AI).

For Google Integration

Winner: Google Calendar

Obviously. But Cozi's read-only sync is frustrating if you use both.

For Shopping Lists

Winner: Cozi

Google Calendar has no shopping list feature. Cozi does.

For Getting School Calendars Into Your Phone

Winner: Neither

Both require typing every event manually. A 40-event school calendar takes 2+ hours either way.

For Modern Features

Winner: Neither

Neither has AI, photo extraction, or modern conveniences. Both feel dated for 2026.

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The Third Option: Calendara

What if there was an app that had family features like Cozi, modern capabilities neither has, AND synced properly with Google Calendar?

That's Calendara.

Calendara vs Cozi vs Google Calendar

Feature	Calendara	Cozi	Google Calendar
Photo-to-calendar AI	✅	⚠️ Email-only (Max, $60/yr)	❌
Family color-coding	✅	✅	⚠️ Manual
Shopping lists	Coming soon	✅	❌
Google sync	Two-way	Read-only	Native
Free tier limits	Generous	30 days	None
Price	$2.99/month	$40/year (Gold) / $60/year (Max)	Free
Modern design	✅	❌	✅

Why Busy Parents Prefer Calendara

AI Photo Extraction The #1 reason parents switch. Snap a photo of any school calendar, and events appear automatically. What takes 2 hours manually takes 2 minutes.

Two-Way Google Sync Unlike Cozi's read-only sync, Calendara syncs both directions. See family events in Google Calendar. See work events in Calendara. Everything in one place.

No Bait-and-Switch Transparent pricing from day one. No 30-day limit. No "we'll take away features after you depend on us."

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Which Should You Choose?

Choose Cozi If:

• You've used it for years and it works for your family
• Shopping lists are essential (Calendara's are coming soon)
• You don't mind paying $40/year (Gold) or $60/year (Max with AI)
• You don't deal with many paper schedules

Choose Google Calendar If:

• Your whole family uses Google already
• You want completely free
• You're comfortable with the setup complexity
• You don't need family-specific features

Choose Calendara If:

• You're drowning in school flyers and paper schedules
• You want modern AI features
• You need proper two-way Google sync
• You're leaving Cozi because of the 30-day limit
• You want a family calendar designed for 2026

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The Real Question: What's Your Pain Point?

"I need shopping lists with my calendar" → Cozi (for now) or Google Calendar + separate list app

"I need completely free" → Google Calendar

"I'm tired of typing school calendars" → Calendara (AI extraction saves hours)

"I'm frustrated with Cozi's new limits" → Calendara (best Cozi alternative)

"I need it to work with my work Google Calendar" → Calendara (two-way sync) or Google Calendar natively

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The Bottom Line

Cozi was great for families—until the 30-day limit. Now it's $40-60/year for features that feel dated.

Google Calendar is free and reliable, but it wasn't designed for families and it shows.

Calendara is the modern option: AI photo extraction, two-way Google sync, color-coded family members, and pricing that's fair.

If you're choosing between Cozi and Google Calendar, ask yourself: "What's my biggest calendar problem?"

If it's getting events into your calendar (school flyers, sports schedules, activity calendars), neither Cozi nor Google Calendar solves that. Calendara does.

Related Guides

• Best Cozi Alternative 2026 — Why families are leaving Cozi and the best replacements
• Cozi Pricing 2026: Is Gold or Max Worth It? — Full breakdown of every Cozi tier and whether it's worth the cost
• Photo to Google Calendar — Turn any photo into Google Calendar events with AI
• 7 Best Family Calendar Apps in 2026 — Every major family calendar app tested and ranked

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Still not sure which to pick? Email gustavo@usecalendara.com with your family's situation—I'll give you an honest recommendation.