Google Calendar

Google Calendar

Google Calendar
8.2

Our Rating

Google Calendar Review (2024)

Best Features, Pricing, Alternatives & Verdict

Google Calendar is one of the best and most versatile calendar tools.

Google Calendar - Home

What is Google Calendar?

Google Calendar is a free calendar app developed by Google to help organize your calendar events and meetings.

What does Google Calendar do?

Very simply, Google Calendar allows you to add meetings, events, and use it as a combination of tasks alongside another app called Google Tasks on the Google Workspace version.

There are some advanced features allowing you to see time insights on where you spend your time, for example, how long you spent in meetings, as well as breaking down the average time you spent generally. Google Calendar allows you to add as many calendars as you like and also works as a system behind calendars if you were to add a calendar app in the future like Rise Calendar.


Used by over 180,000 teams worldwide — Try it now for free / No credit card needed

Run all your work on one platform with customizable products that scale with your needs.


Google Calendar: Best Features

The best features of Google Calendar include:

  • The clean design, and the application works really well on iOS and Android, presenting itself as a really mobile-friendly, on-the-go experience
  • It allows you to add your calendar very fast, works fluidly, and is probably the most reliable calendar application out there, primarily because most applications work off of the experience on the desktop versions
  • On mobile, you can choose who to meet with and automatically book a Google Meet meeting, as well as add a bunch of attributes and information to help you plan a meeting like location and other details and descriptions so that people don’t miss out on anything
  • On the desktop versions, you can actually use Google Keep and Google Tasks alongside it to help plan a meeting, as well as Google Maps, which makes the web version of Google Calendar much more accessible
  • It also comes with the new Kanban experience that allows you to manage your Google Tasks as well. Launching the Google Calendar is a really well put-together application. It’s free and has all-around use

Used by over 180,000 teams worldwide — Try it now for free / No credit card needed

Run all your work on one platform with customizable products that scale with your needs.


How much does Google Calendar cost?

Google Calendar is free and comes as part of your Google account, even in Google Workspace; it is part of the package.

Verdict: Is Google Calendar Worth It?

Very simply, it presents itself as an all-around application. This one is perfect if you’re not fussed about where your calendar sits and what it does. It allows you to add calendars, manage calendars and events, times, details, and has perfect iOS and Android apps for easy speed of tasks.

Google Calendar - Add Event

Also, in Google Workspace, it has a bunch of features, including more recently, the ability to add a working location and schedule appointments that allow creating booking pages as well. So, for Google Workspace users, this is really attractive as it plays apps like Calendly.

Google Calendar is the best all-around calendar app that is free and easy to access.


Best Google Calendar Alternatives

Some of the best Google Calendar alternatives still use Google's calendar, but layers over an upgraded and better experience, here are those alternative recommendations:

  • Rise Calendar - a clean, newer calendar experience for all
  • Vimcal - more upgrade for teams and speed meeting management

Used by over 180,000 teams worldwide — Try it now for free / No credit card needed

Run all your work on one platform with customizable products that scale with your needs.


Appointments

Inside of Google Calendar, for team and pro plans, you can now create meeting bookings - perfect for PTs, webinars and professionals with services.

Google Meet

Everything ties into Google Meet allowing you to book meetings and auto-create meetings perfect for saving time on setting up.

Portability

People really like the Google Calendar apps for Android and iOS, they work really well for on-the-go planning.

What features make Google Calendar a must-have compared to other calendar apps?

There aren't too many features within Google Calendar, it stands out compared to other calendar applications for its reliability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use. If you're searching for a straightforward option, Google Calendar is a solid choice.

However, if you're exploring third-party calendar applications, there is a wide variety—some are free, while the majority are paid due to their independent development. These apps often allow integration with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and similar platforms to help coordinate and unify your schedules. Google Calendar is considered the foundational option that many opt for, akin to Apple Notes for iOS users who prefer not to seek out an alternative notes app.

Are the customization and view options in Google Calendar sufficient for various professional and personal planning needs?

Despite Google Calendar's many customization options, it might not have the extensive features found in third-party apps, but it offers enough for both professional and personal planning. It includes essential functions like weekly and daily planning and the ability to display weekends, declined events, and appointment scheduling for Google Workspace users. However, it lacks the aesthetic customization and varied views offered by other calendar apps.

How valuable are the sharing and collaboration features for teams and families?

Google Calendar is renowned for its sharing and collaboration features, beneficial for teams and families. It facilitates sharing calendars with others, integrating their schedules into your own. For those seeking a more unified approach, TimeTree calendar is a notable app that consolidates family and social calendars in a single platform, gaining popularity for mobile use.


Used by over 180,000 teams worldwide — Try it now for free / No credit card needed

Run all your work on one platform with customizable products that scale with your needs.


Does the mobile app provide a seamless experience, maintaining productivity when away from the desktop?

The mobile app for Google Calendar is notably swift on iOS, becoming a reliable tool for many users. While it generally mirrors the desktop functionalities, the web version provides additional space and capabilities for detailed event collaboration.

What are the deciding factors that would convince someone to switch to Google Calendar from another scheduling tool?

Ultimately, Google Calendar is celebrated for its simplicity, reliability, and cost-free nature, appealing to a broad audience. It integrates seamlessly with Google Workspace, offering a cohesive experience for users within that ecosystem.

How Google Calendar Works

Understanding Google Calendar further

Can I change Google Calendar's look?

Yes, you can go into settings and change the density of the screen. But the real magic is finding apps like Cron, Amie, Fantastical 3 and using Google sign-in to upload your Google Calendar - allowing you a 3rd party, calendar experience.

Can I add tasks to Google Calendar?

You could use a technique called "Time Blocking" or "Calendar Blocking" to schedule out tasks to do in specific slots, but tools that add tasks include the likes of Fantastical 3, Google Calendar with Google Tasks on web, Amie and more.

Can I get Google Calendar goals anymore?

They discontinued this feature on iOS and November as of 2022.

Can you use Google Calendar offline?

Yes, go to General > Offline > Turn on Offline Calendar. This will work on browsers like Google Chrome and store the cache locally

Can you add week numbers to Google Calendar?

Yes, this can be accessed within Settings to add week numbers to each new week page inside of Google Calendar, mobile and desktop.

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