Calendar apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head

Fantastical vs Notion Calendar

Fantastical ranks #1 and Notion Calendar ranks #2 in our guide to the best calendar apps for Mac and iPhone. Fantastical is our pick for most people, and Notion Calendar is the best free option.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Our pickFantastical app iconFantasticalPick Fantastical if you juggle work and personal calendars and would rather type an event than tap through pickers.Free to startBest freeNotion Calendar app iconNotion CalendarPick Notion Calendar if you want a free calendar for Google, Outlook and iCloud, especially if you plan in Notion.Free

What decides it

  • Notion Calendar costs less over 3 years: Free, against $170.97 for Fantastical.
  • Both run on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Only Fantastical runs on Apple Watch.
  • Notion Calendar has the higher App Store rating: 4.7 from 7.7K ratings, against 4.2 for Fantastical.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceFantastical app iconFantasticalNotion Calendar app iconNotion Calendar
PriceFree. Premium is $6.99 a month or $56.99 a year, with a 14-day free trialFree
How you payFree, with paid upgradesFree
3 years of use$170.97 Yearly planFree Cheaper
Free trialFree to startFree to start
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple WatchMac, iPhone, iPad
Where to buyApp Store, DeveloperApp Store, Developer
Rating4.2 25K ratings4.7 7.7K ratings Higher
FeaturesWidgets, Free trialMenu bar app, Widgets
Made byFlexibits Inc.Notion Labs, Incorporated
Last updated24 Oct 202621 Oct 2026

Who should get which

Get Fantastical if

You juggle work and personal calendars and would rather type an event than tap through date pickers.

Get Notion Calendar if

You plan projects in Notion and want each meeting's doc and deadline right next to your calendar.

Skip Fantastical if

You check 1 iCloud calendar now and then, and Apple's Calendar app is already free on every device.

Skip Notion Calendar if

You don't use Notion and only keep an iCloud calendar, which Apple's Calendar app handles fine.

Our verdicts

Fantastical app iconFantastical

Where BusyCal asks $49.99 up front, Fantastical's free version already covers every view from day to year and turns a typed sentence like "Lunch with Sarah at 1pm tomorrow" into a proper event. It shows Google, iCloud, Exchange and Microsoft 365 calendars in 1 place alongside your tasks. The trade-off is that booking links, meeting polls and Apple Watch support need Premium at $56.99 a year, which adds up faster than BusyCal's one-time price.

Notion Calendar app iconNotion Calendar

Work on Google Calendar, a client on Outlook and family plans on iCloud means checking 3 places to find a free hour. Notion Calendar shows all of them in one free view on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with a booking link, a menu bar shortcut to join calls and Notion docs attached to meetings. There is no iPad version yet, and without Notion you lose the main reason to pick it over BusyCal.

What each one helps you do

Fantastical app iconFantastical

  • Add events by typing a normal sentence
  • See work and personal calendars together
  • Send a link people use to book you
  • Poll invitees on the best meeting time

Notion Calendar app iconNotion Calendar

  • See work and personal calendars in 1 view
  • Share a link people use to book you
  • Join the next meeting from the menu bar
  • Open the Notion doc for each meeting

Where to get them

Fantastical

Free. Premium is $6.99 a month or $56.99 a year, with a 14-day free trial

  • App Store, iPhone, iPad and Apple WatchWith in-app purchases
    Free downloadApp Store
  • Mac App StoreWith in-app purchases
    Free downloadMac App Store
  • From the developerMac download; Premium has a 14-day free trial
    Free downloadGet it

Notion Calendar

Free

Neither one quite right?

The other picks in our guide to the best calendar apps for Mac and iPhone.

Read the full guideAll Fantastical alternativesAll Notion Calendar alternatives

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