Blog
/
Calendar Management
/
The 8 Best Calendar Sharing Apps

The 8 Best Calendar Sharing Apps

Judy Tsuei
Writer
November 2, 2023
Updated on:

The 8 Best Calendar Sharing Apps
Photo by 

Looking for an easy way to share a calendar with your co-workers or family? Skip the endless research — we’ve rounded up the top calendar sharing apps for 2023.

Why should you use a shared calendar app?

There’s a reason teamwork is called teamwork — it takes real effort for individuals to come together and function as a unit. We all know that conflict, lack of trust, and unrealistic deadlines can get in the way of teamwork.

‍But there’s another thing that can make or break a team’s ability to work together: time management. A shared calendar is a must-have tool for team members who need to coordinate time with one another. It acts as a single source of truth: a reliable place team members can refer to for availability, deadlines, and other time-based info.

‍Let’s break down the benefits of using a shared calendar app:

  • Smooth scheduling: It’s much easier to coordinate meetings, lunch dates, and other events when the other person has visibility into your schedule and can schedule events on the spot. This way, you can skip the “When are you free?” chit-chat (which always takes more time than it should).
  • Alignment with your team: Whether you’re sharing a calendar with your work team or family, it’s easier for everyone to stay on the same page. A group calendar can help to prevent double-bookings and provides a sense of structure — even on the busiest of days. Many shared calendar apps also help you avoid time zone miscommunication.
  • No more missed appointments: A shared calendar app increases accountability by helping everyone keep better track of important events and commitments (not to mention that notifications certainly help in that department).
  • Real-time updates: Last but not least, there’s the convenience that comes with automatic cross-platform syncing. That means you won’t have to worry about not having the most up-to-date information. Plus, cross-platform syncing lets you share your calendar with people who might not have the same device as you (i.e. Android vs. Apple devices).

A shared calendar app can also be just one feature in a larger platform, as you’ll see in some of the collaboration tools below.

8 best shared calendar apps

Now, let’s get into the good stuff: our favorite calendar sharing apps. When it came to making our top picks, we thought about functionality, ease of use, and accessibility from a pricing standpoint.

We also considered different use cases, which is why we’ve included a variety of tools ranging from personal calendar sharing among families to collaboration tools in a work environment. Let’s dive in!

1. Any.do: Best for personal task management

andy.do calendar sharing

Any.do is an all-in-one platform ideal for personal use, allowing you to bring your to-do list, calendar, reminders, grocery list, and daily planner onto a single, user-friendly interface. Our favorite feature is that Any.do allows you to view your tasks and calendar side-by-side. This makes it super easy for you to plan your day at a glance.

Any.do integrates with Google Calendar, iCloud, and Outlook, and it syncs across all your devices in real-time. You can also add collaborators to your tasks, share lists, and even create links for external users.

As far as calendar sharing goes, the app doesn’t currently support calendar sharing within the app itself, but you can still share your calendar through the calendar’s native settings. For example, if your Any.do account is connected to Google Calendar, you can add people to your calendar through the settings in Google Calendar.

Key points:

  • Pricing: Freemium. For premium features not included in the free plan (such as advanced recurring reminders, customized themes, and location reminders on the mobile app), Any.do costs $2.99 per month when billed annually.
  • Supported platforms: iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Mac, Windows, web browser, and more

You can find Any.do in Google Play and the App Store.

2. Asana: Best for project management

asana project management sharing app

If you’re looking for a more robust solution than Any.do, look no further than Asana. Asana lets you and other team members visualize your work on a shared team calendar — and as a fully-fledged project management tool, it also lets you do so much more with its customizable key features.

‍Break down complex projects into digestible tasks, assign team members, add due dates and dependencies, and switch from calendar view to board view in just one click. Asana is one of the best ways to manage, track, and visualize projects across their respective timelines. Plus, it offers plenty of integrations — Zoom, Slack, Clockwise, and many more — so you can keep all your tools in one place.

Key points:

  • Pricing: Teams of up to 15 team members can take advantage of the free version. For greater functionality, upgrade to Asana Premium for $10.99 per user, per month billed annually.
  • Supported platforms: iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, Mac, Windows, web browser, and more

3. Clockwise: Best for teams and time management

clockwise calendar sharing app

Clockwise is a time orchestration platform that brings the power of AI to your calendar. It works on top of your existing calendar, helping busy teams find the best times to meet, while preserving their Focus Time. When you schedule meetings with Clockwise, it takes into account everyone’s meeting preferences, Focus Time goals, and schedules to suggest ideal times.

But it isn’t just a scheduling tool. Its calendar sharing features are equally as powerful. Compatible with Google Calendar and soon Outlook Calendar, Clockwise can automatically sync your primary calendar to your shared team calendar. That way, you don’t have to bother updating two different calendars, and everyone stays up-to-date. Bonus points: Clockwise also includes functionality that supports team no-meeting days. 

Clockwise also offers Clockwise Links, a smarter way to schedule meetings with people outside of your organization. Similar to tools like Calendly and Doodle, Clockwise Links lets you share your availability and invite bookings via shareable link. What makes it different is that Clockwise Links uses AI to suggest meeting times that optimize your schedule for productivity — not just the next open time.

Key points:

  • Pricing: Freemium. After the free plan (which comes with unlimited scheduling links!), Clockwise costs $6.75 per user per month when billed annually.
  • Supported platforms: Clockwise has a web app, browser extensions for Google Chrome and Firefox, and integrations for Slack and Asana.

You can find Clockwise in the Chrome Web Store and Firefox Browser Add-ons. Join the waitlist for Clockwise AI, a first-of-its-kind calendar experience that uses natural language processing.

4. Cozi: Best simple option for families

cozi simple sharing app

Cozi is an award-winning shared calendar app designed especially for families. Cozi helps you and your family members manage calendar events (read: doctor’s appointments and after-school activities), grocery lists, and more — all from one convenient platform. It’s also compatible with popular calendar tools like Google Calendar, Apple Calendar (iCal), and Outlook Calendar.

Not only does having a shared family calendar help everyone to stay on the same page, but it also includes additional features like color-coding by family member, notifications, to-lists, and more. If managing your family’s schedule feels like a full-time job, then Cozi is a must-have. 

Key points:

  • Pricing: Free
  • Supported platforms: iOS Apple devices (iPhone and iPad), Android, and web browser

You can find Cozi in Google Play and the App Store.

5. Google Calendar: Best for Gmail users

calendar sharing with google

If you’d rather not deal with integrating your email and online calendar, then Google Calendar is a great option for you. Because it’s part of the Google Workspace ecosystem, it works seamlessly with Gmail — right out of the box so to speak. If you get an email regarding an event (let’s say a flight confirmation, a concert ticket order, or a hotel reservation), the event will automatically populate in your calendar. Google Calendar is packed with amazing features, but since this blog post is about calendar sharing, let’s zoom in on that functionality, shall we?

Google Calendar, like the rest of the Google Workspace suite, comes with plenty of sharing and collaboration options. Here are a few things you can do with your shared calendars: change the permissions to public, make them available to only your organization, share via HTML link (i.e. a shareable link), and share with other people and customize what they get to see and/or change. You can also accept shared calendars from other people.

Since Google Calendar is so accessible, it’s a great option for both personal and professional needs. So whether you’re planning a vacation and want to mark important calendar events with your fellow travelers, or your team at work needs to stay on top of their schedules and task management, Google Calendar has it all.

Key points:

  • Pricing: Free
  • Supported platforms: iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, and web browser

You can find the Google Calendar mobile app in Google Play and the App Store.

6. Microsoft Outlook Calendar: Best for Microsoft users

share microsoft calendar

Microsoft Outlook combines email and calendar into one convenient platform. Like Google Calendar, Microsoft offers more than one way to share your calendar with other people. You can add other Outlook users to your calendar, while controlling what they can and can’t see. You can publish your calendar to the web. And, of course, you can email your calendar as a snapshot, as well as an .ics file that the recipient can open in Outlook or another calendar program (such as Apple Calendar). 

‍Key points:

  • Pricing: Outlook.com is free. For the complete Microsoft 365 productivity suite, users pay as little as $6 per month depending on which package you choose.
  • Supported platforms: macOS, iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, and web browser

You can find the Microsoft Outlook mobile app in Google Play and the App Store.

7. Teamup: Best for resource management

teamup

Like the name suggests, Teamup is a popular tool among team members. Users love this app not only as a tool to schedule meetings, but also to coordinate resources such as staffing, studios, and meeting rooms. For that reason, Teamup is unique from the other calendar sharing apps featured in this article.

With 11 different calendar views and plenty of customization options (like color-coded sub-calendars, custom fields, and customized access), Teamup is one of the most versatile calendar apps on the market.

Key points:

  • Pricing: Freemium. After the free plan, Teamup costs $8 per month when billed annually.
  • Supported platforms: iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, and web browser

You can find Teamup in Google Play and the App Store.

8. TimeTree: Best advanced option for families

timetree calendar sharing

TimeTree is another popular calendar sharing tool among families, although you can certainly use it for work and personal use. TimeTree lets you share calendars in different ways (SMS, email, WhatsApp), create multiple calendars for different purposes, has a memo feature with collaborative notes and checklists, and includes color-coded customization options.

But its most standout feature has to be the ability to leave comments under each event. Every event has its own comment section, making it so easy to coordinate with other attendees beyond sharing standard details like date and time. In addition to event comments, TimeTree also provides a messaging room for each group calendar. In short, there are plenty of ways to communicate with your team or family. Plus, TimeTree works in tandem with popular calendar tools like Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud calendar.

Key points:

  • Pricing: Freemium. After the free plan, TimeTree Premium costs $4.49 per month when billed monthly. TimeTree Premium lets you avoid ads, attach files to events, mark priority for events, and use vertical calendar view where events are displayed by time. It also comes with premium dedicated support.
  • Supported platforms: iOS (iPhone and iPad), Android, and web browser

You can find TimeTree in Google Play and the App Store.

Bottom line

Whether you’re looking for a better way to manage your team’s or family’s schedule, calendar sharing is an absolute must — and these eight apps will give you the leg up. Here’s an overview of the best shared calendar apps:

  • Any.do: Best all-in-one to-do list and online calendar for personal use and task management
  • Asana: Best for team and project management
  • Clockwise: Best tool to manage time as a team
  • Cozi: Best tool for managing your family’s schedule
  • Google Calendar: Best calendar tool for Gmail users
  • Microsoft Outlook: Best calendar tool for Microsoft 365 users
  • TeamUp: Best tool for teams who want to manage their resources on top of their schedules
  • TimeTree: Best tool for families who want messaging built into their shared calendar

Read Next:

About the author

Judy Tsuei

Judy Tsuei is a Simon & Schuster author, speaker, and podcast host. She has been writing for Clockwise for several years while also being featured in MindBodyGreen, BBC Travel, Fast Company, Hello Giggles, and more. As the founder of Wild Hearted Words, a creative marketing agency for global brands, Judy is also a mentor with the Founder Institute, the world's largest pre-seed accelerator. Judy advocates for mental and emotional health on her popular podcast, F*ck Saving Face. Follow along her journey at WildHeartedWords.com.

Make your schedule work for you

More from Clockwise