Alternatives to Fantastical
A calendar and tasks app with natural language event entry for Mac, Windows and iOS. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Fantastical
A calendar and tasks app with natural language event entry for Mac, Windows and iOS.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Fantastical.
Google Calendar
Google's free web calendar for scheduling events, used with a Google account and synced across devices.
Google Calendar is free and runs in the web browser, but it needs a Google account and stores data on Google's servers, and it lacks Fantastical's natural language entry.
BusyCal
A calendar app for Mac, iPhone and iPad with tasks, smart filters and natural language entry.
BusyCal keeps natural language entry and tasks alongside events and adds a Year Planner view, but it runs only on Mac and iOS with no Windows version and is paid after the trial.
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft's email, calendar and contacts app for desktop, mobile and the web.
Microsoft Outlook combines email, calendar and contacts on desktop, mobile and web including Android, but it is closed source and tied to Microsoft services.
Notion Calendar
A free calendar app, formerly Cron, that works with Google Calendar and Notion workspaces.
Notion Calendar is free and adds Android support and Notion integration, but it is built around Google Calendar and Notion and is also proprietary.
Morgen
A daily planner that combines calendars and task managers, with AI suggestions for time blocking.
Morgen adds Linux, Android and web apps and brings tasks from other task managers onto the calendar with AI time blocking, but it is a paid service.
Vimcal
A keyboard-driven calendar that combines Google and Outlook calendars and helps share availability across time zones.
Vimcal is a keyboard-driven web calendar that merges Google and Outlook accounts with time zone tools, but it requires one of those calendars and is paid after the trial.
Calendr
View and manage calendar events from the macOS menu bar.
Calendr is a free MIT-licensed macOS menu bar calendar with natural-language quick entry, but it is macOS only and much smaller in scope than Fantastical.
Proton Calendar
An end-to-end encrypted calendar from Proton, available on the web and on iOS and Android.
Proton Calendar adds end-to-end encryption of event details and Android support, but it requires a Proton account and works best within the Proton ecosystem.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Fantastical as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Dato
A macOS menu bar calendar with world clocks and fullscreen meeting notifications.
Fantastical is a full calendar and tasks app with natural language entry that also runs on Windows and iOS, with premium features requiring payment.
Itsycal
A small menu bar calendar for macOS that shows and creates events from the Calendar app.
Fantastical is a full calendar and tasks app with natural language entry across Mac, Windows and iOS, with premium features requiring payment.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Reclaim.ai
An AI scheduling assistant that blocks calendar time for tasks, habits, focus time and breaks.
Sunsama
A daily planner that puts tasks and meetings in one plan and helps you time-block your day.
Calendly
A hosted meeting scheduler that shares booking pages so others can pick an open slot.
Todoist
A to-do list and task manager with natural-language task entry, projects, labels and filters.
Microsoft Outlook for iOS and Android
Microsoft's Outlook mobile app for email, calendar and contacts on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Reminders MenuBar
Manage Apple Reminders from the macOS menu bar.
