Fantastical has been the gold-standard calendar app for Apple users for years. With its beautiful design, powerful natural language event creation, excellent task integration with Todoist and Reminders, weather forecasts, and deep Apple ecosystem integration, it's easy to see why so many Mac and iOS users swear by it.
But the calendar app landscape has evolved significantly in the past few years, and Fantastical isn't the only game in town anymore.
Maybe you're frustrated that Fantastical is iOS and macOS only, leaving you stuck when you need to work on Windows or Android. Maybe the $4.75 monthly subscription feels steep for a calendar app when your needs are relatively basic. Perhaps you're excited about AI-powered scheduling features that Fantastical doesn't offer, or you need more robust task management integration than what Fantastical provides.
This guide covers the best Fantastical alternatives in 2026, focusing on apps that share its strengths - beautiful design, powerful features, and that feeling of having your schedule under control - while offering different approaches to calendar management and often supporting platforms Fantastical doesn't touch.
Why Consider Fantastical Alternatives?
Fantastical is objectively excellent at what it does, but there are completely valid reasons to explore other options. Let's talk through the common pain points.
Platform limitations are the biggest dealbreaker for many people. Fantastical is iOS, macOS, and Apple Watch only. If you work on Windows at the office, use an Android phone, or collaborate with people on different platforms, you hit a wall. The lack of web access also means you can't check your calendar from a borrowed computer or public terminal without installing software.
Pricing structure causes friction for some users. At $4.75 monthly (billed annually) or $56.99 per year, Fantastical is relatively affordable compared to premium productivity tools, but it's still a recurring cost for something that feels like basic functionality. Especially when competing apps offer comparable features free or cheaper, the subscription model is harder to justify.
AI features are mostly absent. Fantastical has smart parsing for natural language event creation, but newer calendar apps are implementing AI-powered scheduling suggestions, automatic meeting summaries, intelligent time zone handling, and smart scheduling links. If you're excited about what AI can do for calendar management, Fantastical's approach feels increasingly traditional.
Task management integration exists but feels somewhat bolted-on. You can view Todoist or Apple Reminders tasks in Fantastical, which is useful, but it's primarily a viewing integration rather than deep functionality. Apps that treat tasks and calendar as equally important parts of one system offer tighter integration.
Meeting scheduling requires third-party tools. Fantastical doesn't have built-in scheduling links like Calendly. You can use Openings to suggest available times, but for letting people book directly into your calendar, you need a separate tool. Competitors increasingly bundle this functionality.
Customization options are somewhat limited. Fantastical has a specific design language and workflow philosophy that works brilliantly for most people. But if you want extensive customization - different views, color schemes, layout options - you might hit its limits.
The free tier is quite restricted. You get basic calendar viewing, but most of Fantastical's power features (natural language parsing, templates, weather, interesting calendars) require the premium subscription. Some competitors offer more generous free tiers.
Collaboration features are minimal. Fantastical is designed for individual use with personal and work calendars. If you need shared team calendars, collaborative scheduling, or group coordination features, you'll need additional tools.
What Makes a Good Fantastical Alternative?
If you're considering alternatives to Fantastical, you probably want to maintain its strengths while addressing whatever limitation is pushing you away. Here's what to look for.
Natural language event creation should be comparable or better. This is one of Fantastical's signature features - typing "Lunch with Sarah tomorrow at 1pm" and having it parse correctly. Any serious alternative needs similarly intelligent event parsing, though the specific syntax will vary.
Design quality needs to match Fantastical's polish. The app looks beautiful and feels premium to use. Your alternative shouldn't feel like a visual or UX downgrade. Calendar apps live in your dock or home screen - you're opening them constantly - so the design quality genuinely matters.
Multiple calendar account support is essential. Fantastical handles Google Calendar, iCloud, Exchange, and others seamlessly. Your alternative needs comparable multi-account support without weird limitations or sync issues.
Cross-platform availability depends on your needs. If you're leaving Fantastical specifically because of platform limitations, obviously you need something that works on Windows, Android, web, or whatever platforms you actually use. If you're Apple-ecosystem-only, this matters less.
Viewing options should be comprehensive. Fantastical offers day, week, month, and year views with smooth transitions between them. Your alternative needs similarly flexible viewing with the ability to see your schedule at different time scales.
Task integration quality matters if you use tasks heavily. Fantastical's integration with Todoist and Reminders is useful but not transformative. If tasks are central to your workflow, you might want something with deeper task and calendar integration, or even task management built directly into the calendar app.
Meeting scheduling and coordination features separate modern calendar apps from traditional ones. Built-in scheduling links, group polling, and smart availability suggestions make calendar coordination dramatically easier. If this functionality matters to you, look for apps that build it in rather than requiring third-party integrations.
Pricing structure should align with your budget and usage. If you're balking at Fantastical's $5 monthly, make sure you're not jumping to something more expensive. Conversely, if you need enterprise features, be prepared to pay for them.
Morgen
Best All-Round Cross-Platform Alternative
Morgen is probably the closest spiritual successor to Fantastical, but with cross-platform support and deeper task management integration. It works on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and web, making it the obvious choice if platform limitations are driving you away from Fantastical.
The interface quality is genuinely good. It's not quite as polished as Fantastical - that's a high bar - but Morgen feels premium and thoughtfully designed. The daily, weekly, and monthly views are clean and information-dense without feeling cluttered.
Natural language event creation works well, though with slightly different syntax than Fantastical. You can type conversational phrases and Morgen parses dates, times, and event details. It's not identical to Fantastical's parser, so there's a small learning curve if you're switching.
Task integration is more sophisticated than Fantastical's. Morgen connects to Todoist, Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do, and Linear, pulling tasks directly into your calendar views. You can time-block tasks by dragging them onto your calendar, creating a unified view of scheduled events and planned work.
The Smart Frames feature uses AI to suggest optimal times for different types of work based on your patterns. If you typically do deep work in mornings and meetings in afternoons, Morgen learns this and can suggest scheduling accordingly. It's not full AI scheduling like Motion, but it's smarter than traditional calendar apps.
Meeting scheduling links are built in, similar to Calendly. You can create different types of availability (30-min calls, hour meetings, etc.) and share links for people to book time with you. This eliminates needing Calendly or similar tools as a separate subscription.
Calendar account support is comprehensive - Google Calendar, Outlook, iCloud, Exchange, CalDAV. Everything syncs bidirectionally and reliably.
Time zone handling is excellent, with smart displays for multiple time zones and automatic conversions. If you work across time zones frequently, Morgen makes this less painful.
Pricing is $12 monthly (or $108 annually), which is more expensive than Fantastical. There's a free tier that's fairly generous, covering basic calendar functionality with limited task integration and scheduling links.
The downsides are that it's more complex than Fantastical - there are more features and configuration options, which can feel overwhelming if you want something simple. Mobile apps are solid but not quite as refined as the desktop experience.
Best for: People who need cross-platform access, want deeper task and calendar integration, and are comfortable with slightly more complexity in exchange for more functionality. If you love Fantastical but need Windows or Android support, Morgen is your best bet.
Vimcal
Best for Power Users and Meeting-Heavy Schedules
Vimcal bills itself as the "fastest calendar app in the world," and while that's marketing speak, there's truth to it. Everything in Vimcal is optimized for speed, particularly if you have a lot of meetings and coordination to manage.
The keyboard-first design is extreme. Vimcal has shortcuts for everything, and once you learn them, you can navigate and manage your calendar without touching your mouse. If you loved Fantastical's keyboard shortcuts, Vimcal takes that philosophy even further.
Meeting scheduling is where Vimcal really shines. You get personal scheduling links like Calendly, but also group polls (like Doodle), team scheduling pages, and smart availability detection that accounts for buffer time between meetings. For people who coordinate a lot of meetings, these features genuinely save hours weekly.
The command palette (Cmd+K) is incredibly powerful. Type what you want to do - create event, find availability, check someone's calendar, reschedule - and Vimcal handles it. It's faster than clicking through menus once you've internalized the commands.
Social profiles integration pulls LinkedIn and Twitter info for meeting attendees, so you can quickly see who you're meeting with. This is useful in networking and sales contexts.
Time zone handling includes a world clock feature that shows multiple time zones simultaneously, useful for global teams. Creating events across time zones is handled intelligently.
Focus mode and Do Not Disturb integrations help protect your calendar time. You can block focus time that shows as busy to others, and integrate with Slack status and notification settings.
Calendar account support covers Google, Outlook, iCloud, and Exchange. Sync is fast and reliable.
Pricing is free for iOS-only access, or $12.50 monthly (billed annually) for full platform access. The free tier is more generous than Fantastical's, which is notable.
Platform availability is macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and web. Much broader than Fantastical's Apple-only approach.
The downsides are that the keyboard-heavy interface has a learning curve, and the speed optimization might feel like overkill if you're not a power user. Task integration is minimal compared to Morgen - Vimcal is focused on calendar and meetings, not tasks.
The branding can feel a bit startup-y and aggressive. If you prefer understated elegance like Fantastical, Vimcal's "move fast" energy might not resonate.
Best for: Executives, sales professionals, and people with meeting-heavy schedules who want maximum speed and coordination features. If you're scheduling 10+ meetings weekly and coordinating across teams, Vimcal's features justify the learning curve.
Notion Calendar
Best Free Alternative with Notion Integration
Notion Calendar (formerly Cron Calendar) is completely free and offers a surprisingly polished experience, especially if you're already in the Notion ecosystem.
The design is minimal and clean, arguably even more so than Fantastical. There's a focus on showing your schedule clearly without visual clutter. If you appreciate Fantastical's design but want something even more streamlined, Notion Calendar delivers.
Notion database integration is the killer feature if you use Notion. You can connect Notion databases to your calendar, so project timelines, content calendars, or any date-based database views appear alongside your scheduled events. This bridges the gap between planning in Notion and scheduling in your calendar.
Meeting scheduling links are built in and free. You can create different event types (15-min calls, 30-min meetings, etc.) and share links for booking. This alone is worth the price of admission (which is zero), since it eliminates needing Calendly.
Keyboard shortcuts are comprehensive and well-designed. There's clearly some Cron DNA here - the keyboard-first philosophy is strong, though not as extreme as Vimcal.
Time zone support handles multiple zones elegantly, with smart displays and easy conversion.
Calendar account support includes Google Calendar and Outlook. Sync is reliable and fast.
Platform availability is macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and web. Full cross-platform support despite being completely free.
Notion Meet integration offers AI-powered meeting notes if you have Notion AI, though this requires a Notion AI subscription ($10 monthly).
The catch is that natural language parsing isn't as sophisticated as Fantastical's. You can type event details, but it doesn't parse as intelligently. This is probably the biggest downgrade if you're coming from Fantastical.
Task integration is limited to viewing Notion tasks. There's no Todoist or Reminders integration like Fantastical offers.
Customization options are minimal. The design is opinionated and doesn't offer much personalization. If you want different color schemes or layout options, you're out of luck.
Weather and interesting calendar features that Fantastical offers aren't present.
Best for: Notion users who want tight integration between their workspace and calendar, budget-conscious people who want a solid free calendar app with scheduling links, and anyone who values minimal design. If you're already paying for Notion and want a calendar that integrates seamlessly, this is the obvious choice.
Notion Calendar is a calendar app owned by Notion for managing events & meetings.
Routine
Best for Calendar and Task Consolidation
Routine isn't a pure calendar replacement for Fantastical - it's more of a daily planner that treats calendar events and tasks with equal importance. But if you've been frustrated with Fantastical's limited task integration, Routine offers a different paradigm.
The week planning view shows your calendar events alongside unscheduled tasks, making it easy to see both your committed time and your available time for task work. This unified view is genuinely useful for people who think in terms of "what do I need to accomplish this week" rather than just "what meetings do I have."
Quick capture for events and tasks is fast, with keyboard shortcuts and natural language parsing. It's not quite as sophisticated as Fantastical's parser, but it's competent.
Google Calendar integration is solid and bidirectional. Events you create in Routine sync to Google Calendar and vice versa. You can't connect multiple calendar services like you can in Fantastical, which is a limitation.
Time-blocking lets you drag tasks onto your calendar to allocate specific time for work. This bridges the gap between "I need to do this" and "when will I actually do it" that many productivity systems struggle with.
Meeting management with Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams shows upcoming meetings with one-click join links. It's convenient for remote work.
The design is beautiful and minimal, with a distinctly European aesthetic that differs from Fantastical but is equally polished. If you appreciate good design, Routine won't disappoint visually.
Note-taking is built in, letting you attach notes to events or tasks. This isn't as comprehensive as a dedicated note-taking app, but it's useful for meeting notes or event context.
Pricing is free for basic use, or $12 monthly for premium features. The free tier is more generous than Fantastical's.
Platform availability is currently macOS, iOS, and web. Windows and Android are planned but not available yet, so it has some of the same platform limitations as Fantastical.
The downsides are the single calendar account limitation (only Google Calendar for now), and the fact that it's really designed for week planning rather than pure calendar viewing. If you want a traditional calendar app, Routine might feel like more than you need.
Task management is basic compared to dedicated task managers. If you need complex project hierarchies or dependencies, you'll want to keep a separate task manager.
Best for: People who want to plan their week holistically with both events and tasks in one view, those frustrated with Fantastical's limited task integration, and anyone who prefers week planning over traditional calendar views. If you think in terms of time-blocking and weekly planning rather than just calendar management, Routine might click better than traditional calendar apps.
Calendars by Readdle
Best Apple-Ecosystem Alternative
If you're staying in the Apple ecosystem and want something similar to Fantastical but cheaper, Calendars by Readdle (often called Calendars 5) is worth serious consideration. It's from the same team that makes PDF Expert and Spark Mail, known for quality productivity apps.
The design is clean and iOS-native, fitting right at home on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It's not quite as refined as Fantastical, but it's close - certainly better than most calendar apps.
Natural language event creation works well, with syntax similar to Fantastical. You can type conversational phrases and Calendars parses them into events. The intelligence is solid, handling dates, times, and locations reliably.
Routines feature is unique and useful. You can create recurring time blocks for habits or routines (morning exercise, evening reading, etc.) that show on your calendar without being actual events. This is great for time-blocking your day with both scheduled events and routine activities.
Task integration connects with Apple Reminders and Calendars' own task system. You can view tasks alongside events and check them off from within the calendar app.
Weather integration shows forecasts in your calendar views, similar to Fantastical. It's useful for planning outdoor events or just knowing what to expect.
Calendar account support includes iCloud, Google Calendar, Exchange, and CalDAV. Everything syncs reliably.
Platform availability is iOS, iPadOS, and macOS only - same limitation as Fantastical. If you need Windows or Android, this doesn't solve that problem.
Pricing is free for basic use, or $19.99 annually for premium features (about $1.67 monthly). This is significantly cheaper than Fantastical's $56.99 annually. The free tier is fairly capable too.
Shortcuts and automation support lets you create iOS Shortcuts that interact with your calendar, which is powerful for Apple power users.
The downsides are that it's less polished than Fantastical in subtle ways - animations are slightly less smooth, the interface is a bit more utilitarian. Meeting scheduling links aren't built in, so you'd need Calendly or similar.
Some advanced features that Fantastical offers aren't present - no proposal mode, less sophisticated time zone handling, fewer interesting calendars.
Best for: Apple ecosystem users who want Fantastical-like functionality at a fraction of the price, people who value the routines feature for time-blocking, and anyone who doesn't need cross-platform support. If you're staying on Apple devices and budget is a factor, Calendars delivers 80% of Fantastical's value at 30% of the price.
Google Calendar
Best Free Basic Alternative
Sometimes the answer is to go back to basics. Google Calendar is completely free, works everywhere, and honestly covers most people's needs if you're willing to give up some power features.
The web interface has improved significantly in recent years. It's clean, fast, and capable. The mobile apps for iOS and Android are solid, if not particularly exciting. Everything syncs instantly across devices.
Cross-platform availability is universal. Web browsers, Android, iOS, integrations with every calendar app on the market - if you need to access your calendar from anywhere, Google Calendar is the most reliable option.
Meeting scheduling with Google Meet is seamlessly integrated. Creating video meetings is one-click, and the integration with Gmail makes scheduling emails smooth.
Sharing and collaboration features are excellent. Family calendars, work team calendars, and shared event coordination all work well. If you collaborate on calendaring with others, Google Calendar's sharing is hard to beat.
Integrations with other Google services (Gmail, Tasks, Keep, Drive) create a cohesive ecosystem if you're using Google Workspace.
Goals and focus time features help with planning beyond just events. You can block focus time, set goals for regular activities, and Google Calendar suggests times to schedule them.
The catch is that natural language event creation in Google Calendar is basic compared to Fantastical. You can type "Lunch tomorrow at 1pm" but it doesn't handle complex phrases as well.
Task integration with Google Tasks exists but is fairly simple. You can view tasks in your calendar, but it's not as sophisticated as dedicated planning apps.
The design is functional but not beautiful. If you value aesthetics and polish, Google Calendar feels utilitarian compared to Fantastical.
Customization is limited. You get a few color options and basic settings, but you can't deeply personalize the interface.
Keyboard shortcuts exist but aren't as comprehensive as dedicated calendar apps.
Best for: People who want a free, reliable calendar that works everywhere, users already in the Google ecosystem, and anyone who primarily needs basic calendar functionality with good sharing features. If you're considering Fantastical alternatives because of price and realize you mostly just need a calendar that works, Google Calendar is the obvious free choice.
How to Switch from Fantastical
Moving away from Fantastical is relatively straightforward since your calendar data lives on the server (iCloud, Google, Outlook), not in Fantastical itself. Here's how to make the transition smooth.
Your calendar events don't need migration. They're stored by your calendar provider (Google, iCloud, Exchange), and any new calendar app you connect will pull them in automatically. You're just changing the app you use to view and manage them, not moving the data itself.
Calendar subscriptions and interesting calendars you've added in Fantastical might need to be re-subscribed in your new app. Make a list of any specialty calendars you follow (sports schedules, holidays, etc.) before switching so you can add them back.
Templates you've created in Fantastical will need to be recreated manually in your new app. If you have standard event templates for recurring meeting types, export the details before switching.
Keyboard shortcuts are going to be completely different unless you're switching to another app with similar shortcuts. The muscle memory retraining is annoying for a few days but passes quickly. Print a shortcut cheat sheet for your new app and keep it visible.
Natural language syntax will vary between apps. Fantastical's parser is quite smart, but every app has slightly different syntax for what it recognizes. You'll need to learn the new patterns, which usually means a few days of trial and error.
For task integration, if you're using Fantastical with Todoist or Reminders, you'll need to set up similar integrations in your new app. Some alternatives like Morgen have deeper task integration; others have less. Check what's supported before switching.
Weather integration in Fantastical won't automatically carry over. Make sure your alternative supports weather if that's important to you (Morgen, Calendars by Readdle, and some others do; Notion Calendar and Vimcal don't).
Mobile apps should be set up simultaneously with desktop to avoid gaps. Install your new calendar app on all devices at once, so you're not caught in a situation where your phone has the old app and your computer has the new one.
Give the new app at least a full week before judging it. The first few days will feel weird because you're breaking habits and learning new workflows. By day 7, you'll have a much better sense of whether the friction is just unfamiliarity or genuine problems with the app.
Consider running both apps in parallel for a transition period. Since they're both reading from the same calendar source, you can keep Fantastical installed as a safety net while you get comfortable with the alternative. Once you're confident, uninstall Fantastical and cancel the subscription.
Fantastical Alternatives FAQ
**What's the best free Fantastical alternative?**
Notion Calendar is probably the best free option, offering scheduling links, clean design, and cross-platform support at zero cost. Google Calendar is the other obvious free choice if you want something reliable that works everywhere, though it's less polished. Calendars by Readdle has a generous free tier too, though the premium features are what make it compelling.
**Which Fantastical alternative works on Windows and Android?**
Morgen, Vimcal, and Notion Calendar all support Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, and web. If cross-platform access is your main reason for leaving Fantastical, any of these three will solve that problem. Morgen is the most similar to Fantastical in terms of overall polish and feature set.
**Is there an alternative with better task management than Fantastical?**
Morgen has significantly deeper task integration, connecting to Todoist, Google Tasks, Microsoft To Do, and Linear with actual task management features. Routine treats tasks and calendar equally, which is different from Fantastical's event-first approach. If tasks are central to your workflow, both are worth exploring.
**Which alternative has the best natural language event creation?**
Fantastical's natural language parsing is genuinely best-in-class, which makes this hard. Morgen and Calendars by Readdle have solid natural language input that's close to Fantastical's quality. Vimcal's is competent but less sophisticated. Google Calendar's is basic by comparison.
**Can I get Fantastical-level features for less money?**
Calendars by Readdle at $19.99 annually is about one-third the cost of Fantastical and offers many similar features. Ellie Planner at around $6 monthly is even cheaper if you want week planning and time-blocking. Notion Calendar is completely free with scheduling links and decent features. You'll make trade-offs, but yes, you can get comparable functionality for less.
**Which alternative is best for heavy meeting scheduling?**
Vimcal is purpose-built for this, with built-in scheduling links, group polls, team availability, and speed optimizations for people who coordinate lots of meetings. Morgen also includes scheduling links and smart availability detection. Both eliminate the need for separate Calendly subscriptions.
**Do any alternatives integrate with Notion like Notion Calendar?**
Notion Calendar is unique in its deep Notion database integration - that's literally why it exists. No other calendar app connects to Notion databases the way Notion Calendar does. If you're heavily invested in Notion, that integration is hard to replicate elsewhere.
Which Fantastical Alternative Should You Choose?
The right Fantastical alternative depends on what's pushing you away and what you absolutely need to maintain.
If platform limitations are your main frustration, Morgen is the most direct Fantastical replacement with full cross-platform support. It's slightly more complex and expensive, but it delivers Fantastical-quality features on Windows, Android, Linux, and web.
For meeting-heavy professionals who need scheduling coordination, Vimcal's speed and scheduling features justify the learning curve. The keyboard shortcuts and meeting-focused features genuinely save time if you're coordinating 10+ meetings weekly.
Notion users should seriously consider Notion Calendar. It's free, polished, and the database integration creates workflows that Fantastical can't touch. If you're already paying for Notion, this is the obvious pairing.
Week planners who think in terms of tasks and time-blocking might find Routine's approach more intuitive than traditional calendar apps. The unified view of events and tasks addresses productivity needs that pure calendar apps ignore.
Apple-ecosystem users watching their budget should try Calendars by Readdle. At roughly one-third the price of Fantastical with 80% of the features, it's compelling if you're staying on Apple platforms.
Those with basic needs might realize Google Calendar is actually fine. If you're mostly viewing events, creating simple meetings, and sharing calendars, the free option that works everywhere might be all you need.
Most of these apps offer free trials or free tiers. Try 2-3 that match your needs and see what clicks. Calendar apps are deeply personal - what feels intuitive to one person feels awkward to another. Your best alternative is the one you'll actually enjoy using every day.