Calendar apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head
Fantastical vs Structured
Fantastical ranks #1 and Structured ranks #4 in our guide to the best calendar apps for Mac and iPhone. Fantastical is our pick for most people.
FantasticalPick Fantastical if you juggle work and personal calendars and would rather type an event than tap through pickers.Free to start#4 in the guide
StructuredPick Structured if you want your calendar and tasks laid out as time blocks so you can see if the day fits.Free to startWhat decides it
- Structured costs less over 3 years: $89.97, against $170.97 for Fantastical.
- Both run on Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
- Structured has the higher App Store rating: 4.8 from 168K ratings, against 4.2 for Fantastical.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Fantastical | Structured |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. Premium is $6.99 a month or $56.99 a year, with a 14-day free trial | Free. Pro is $29.99 a year or $99.99 once for lifetime in the App Store |
| How you pay | Free, with paid upgrades | Free, with paid upgrades |
| 3 years of use | $170.97 Yearly plan | $89.97 Yearly plan Cheaper |
| Free trial | Free to start | Free to start |
| Runs on | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Where to buy | App Store, Developer | App Store |
| Rating | 4.2 25K ratings | 4.8 168K ratings Higher |
| Features | Widgets, Free trial | Widgets, Family Sharing |
| Made by | Flexibits Inc. | unorderly GmbH |
| Last updated | 24 Oct 2026 | 28 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 Structured if
You plan better when you can see your day as time blocks, including if you have ADHD.
Skip Fantastical if
You check 1 iCloud calendar now and then, and Apple's Calendar app is already free on every device.
Skip Structured if
You just need a checklist, and Apple Reminders handles that for free on every Apple device.
Our verdicts
Fantastical
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.
Structured
A to-do list doesn't tell you whether everything fits in today, and a calendar alone doesn't hold your tasks. Structured lays both on 1 timeline across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, and the free version covers the timeline, inbox, subtasks, focus timer and widgets. Pro, which pulls in your calendars and Reminders and adds recurring routines, is $29.99 a year, less than 2 months of Sunsama.
What each one helps you do
Fantastical
- 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
Structured
- See your whole day on 1 timeline
- Block out time for each task
- Move missed tasks to later automatically
- Build a morning routine that repeats daily
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 purchasesFree downloadApp Store
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Mac App StoreWith in-app purchasesFree downloadMac App Store
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From the developerMac download; Premium has a 14-day free trialFree downloadGet it
Structured
Free. Pro is $29.99 a year or $99.99 once for lifetime in the App Store
-
App Store, every deviceWith in-app purchasesFree downloadApp Store
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best calendar apps for Mac and iPhone.
Notion CalendarPick this if you want a free calendar for Google, Outlook and iCloud, especially if you plan in Notion.Free
BusyCalPick it if you want tasks, weather and events side by side and prefer a one-time $49.99 license.Free to start
DatoPick it if you keep Apple's Calendar but want the next meeting and world clocks in your menu bar.$18 once
ItsycalPick this if a free month view in the menu bar is all the calendar upgrade you need.Free, open source
AkiflowPick it if your calendar is where you schedule tasks pulled in from email, Slack and other apps.From $19
Read the full guideAll Fantastical alternativesAll Structured alternatives
More comparisons
- Fantastical vs Notion CalendarPick this if you want a free calendar for Google, Outlook and iCloud, especially if you plan in Notion.
- Fantastical vs BusyCalPick it if you want tasks, weather and events side by side and prefer a one-time $49.99 license.
Things 3 vs StructuredPick this if you plan best by seeing your day as time blocks on 1 visual timeline.