Fantastical VS Apple Calendar: Which One Is Worth It? [2025] 

The Fantastical calendar app is a popular and trusted choice for many of us, since it has several good features one can use to make managing dates and timings easier.

However, currently, many users are comparing it with the Apple calendar app – the built-in calendar application Apple users get with the classic Apple vibe.

Talking about you, are you one of them? Are you also comparing the two to find which one is a better choice for you? If yes, then continue reading.

Why? Because this article includes a comparison battle between Fantastical VS Apple Calendar to help you decide which is the best calendar app for you. 

Fantastical VS Apple Calendar: 

Natural Language Input

Fantastical calendar has an upper hand in natural language inputs since it has a better language processing system, with more accuracy and speed.

Compared to this, the Apple calendar has the ordinary language input capabilities that any built-in calendar has, with normal speed and accuracy.  

Winner: Fantastical calendar 

Interface & Experience 

Fantastical calendar allows you to view multiple calendars like year, quarter, month, week, and day, while you can also customize colours and appearance of special days.

Additionally, its ‘DayTicker’ view, allows you to go through all your tasks in a single view, while it also has home screen and lock screen widgets for easier access.

Talking about the Apple calendar, it has a very minimalistic theme and vibe, which is easy for most of us to handle, especially if you’re not specifically using it for work.

Apart from that, it is equipped with standard app design and overall has a simple user interface where you can flawlessly manage basic tasks. 

Winner: Both

Sets & Filters

Calendar sets at the Fantastical calendar app allow you to quickly switch between different calendar views, like you can switch from work to personal in seconds to reduce clutter. It also has focus-mode and location-based filters.

On the other hand, the Apple calendar doesn’t come with special calendar sets or filters, and you manually have to show or hide specific calendars, so unless you have the time for it, it could be a hassle. 

Winner: Fantastical calendar

Tasks & Reminders

The Fantastical calendar has integrated task management, where you can view events and tasks in one frame, while it is also integrated with Apple Reminders and Todoist. 

The Apple Calendar has basic integration capabilities, including Apple Reminders, where you can separate tasks and they will still be displayed.

Winner: Fantastical calendar 

Additional Scheduling & App Integrations

With the Fantastical calendar, you can find meeting timings with advanced features like ‘meeting proposals’, and ‘openings’, while you also get deep integration with third-party apps like Google Meet, Zoom, and weather forecasts. 

Compared to that, the Apple Calendar has basic collaboration tools with no additional scheduling features. You simply get to share calendars with your peers and opt for limited third-party app integrations. 

Winner: Fantastical calendar 

Privacy & Security 

Data privacy has strong stands at the Fantastical calendar app with scripted data features, while you also get offline use.

Similar to the Fantastical calendar, the Apple calendar has excellent privacy features, especially if it’s integrated with iCloud.

Winner: Both

Pricing 

The Fantastical calendar has a free tier, but it comes with limited features and one calendar set, while the premium individual plan costs $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year, and the premium family plan is charged at $64.99 per year, with a maximum of 5 people. 

Unlike the Fantastical calendar, the Apple calendar is absolutely free and offers all its features for free for all users. 

Winner: Apple Calendar

Best For

The Fantastical calendar is good for professionals, power users, people managing multiple calendars, and those interested in deeper integration with video calls, scheduling tools, and task managers. 

Apple Calendar is best for casual users, for personal use, for anyone wanting a simple and free calendar that syncs well with iCloud, and those who want to stay within Apple’s system. 

Pros & Cons

Fantastical Calendar

Pros:

• It has a good bunch of powerful features.
• Comes with a beautiful yet simple design.
• Stronghold over third-party integration.
• Available on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. 
• Extensive personalization and views. 

Cons: 

• Premium subscription charge.
• The free tier has very limited features and services.
• Casual people looking for simple tasks may find it overwhelming.
• You might get confused with some additional and advanced features. 

Apple Calendar

Pros:

• It is completely free for everyone.
• For Apple users, it’s pre-installed. 
• Has strong integration with Apple apps and services, including iCloud, Reminders, and Siri. 
• Comes with a simple and neat interface, which is best for minimalists.

Cons:

• It is only equipped with basic features with no advanced features at all.
• Comes with limited personalisation features.
• Has limited third-party integration, specifically only for Apple.
• Non-Apple users may not find it very helpful.

Final Words: Which One Is Best For You? 

Fantastical Calendar

The Fantastical calendar is for professionals and power users who regularly have to do a lot with calendars, and for people wanting a visually appealing and highly customisable interface.

In addition to that, it is also a good choice if you need to manage multiple calendars from different services like Google and iCloud in one place, and an even better option is if you value efficiency and want advanced tools. 

Apple Calendar

The Apple Calendar is best for you if you need a free, simple, and reliable calendar app, and it is a great option if you are committed to Apple and all its services, with no need for advanced tools and features.

Additionally, since the Apple calendar doesn’t come with heavy features and is best for casual events or purposes, it is good for minimalist users who don’t need extensive personalisation. 

In conclusion, the final decision is yours – whether you want to go with the professional premium app like Fantastical calendar, or, you can do with a simple and small app like the Apple calendar. 

With that, we have reached the end of this article, and we hope our comparison battle between Fantastical VS Apple Calendar was helpful to you. 

Frequently Asked Questions