Calendar apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head

Notion Calendar vs BusyCal

Notion Calendar ranks #2 and BusyCal ranks #3 in our guide to the best calendar apps for Mac and iPhone. Notion Calendar is the better pick for most people.

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

Better for most peopleNotion Calendar app iconNotion CalendarPick Notion Calendar if you want a free calendar for Google, Outlook and iCloud, especially if you plan in Notion.Free#3 in the guideBusyCal app iconBusyCalPick BusyCal if you want tasks, weather and events side by side and prefer a one-time $49.99 license.Free to start

What decides it

  • Notion Calendar costs less over 3 years: Free, against $49.99 for BusyCal.
  • Both run on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Only BusyCal runs on Apple Watch.
  • BusyCal is included with a Setapp subscription; Notion Calendar isn't.

Side by side

Prices are checked every day.

At a glanceNotion Calendar app iconNotion CalendarBusyCal app iconBusyCal
PriceFree$49.99 once from the developer. Free on the Mac App Store, with the full app at $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year
How you payFreeFree, with paid upgrades
3 years of useFree Cheaper$49.99
Free trialFree to startFree to start
Runs onMac, iPhone, iPadMac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Where to buyApp Store, DeveloperDeveloper, App Store, Setapp
Rating4.7 7.7K ratingsToo few ratings
FeaturesMenu bar app, WidgetsMenu bar app, Widgets, Free trial, Family Sharing
Made byNotion Labs, IncorporatedBusy Apps FZE
Last updated21 Oct 202626 Oct 2026

Who should get which

Get Notion Calendar if

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

Get BusyCal if

You run your week from several calendar accounts and want tasks and events side by side.

Skip Notion Calendar if

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

Skip BusyCal if

You glance at a calendar a few times a week, and Apple's free Calendar app is plenty for that.

Our verdicts

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.

BusyCal app iconBusyCal

Free on the Mac App Store for everyday calendaring, or $49.99 once from the developer, this calendar puts tasks next to your events and pulls in iCloud, Google, Exchange and CalDAV accounts. Plain-language entry, travel time and an 8-day forecast inside the calendar go well past Apple's Calendar. The App Store's full version is a subscription, so buy the direct license or get it through Setapp if you hate renting software.

What each one helps you do

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

BusyCal app iconBusyCal

  • See every calendar and task in a single view
  • Add events by typing them in plain words
  • Get alerted when it is time to leave
  • Check your day from the menu bar

Where to get them

Notion Calendar

Free

BusyCal

$49.99 once from the developer. Free on the Mac App Store, with the full app at $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year

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Neither one quite right?

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

Read the full guideAll Notion Calendar alternativesAll BusyCal alternatives

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