The 5 Best Shared Calendar Apps

Quickly and easily see what family and friends are up to

by
Sarah Silbert
Writer
Sarah Lawrence is a consumer technology writer whose work has appeared in Fortune and MIT Technology Review. She's also a previous senior editor at Engadget.
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Sarah Silbert
Updated on October 28, 2020
reviewed by
Christine Baker
Lifewire Tech Review Board Member
Christine Baker is a marketing consultant with experience working for a variety of clients. Her expertise includes social media, web development, and graphic design.
our review board
Article reviewed on Feb 15, 2020
Christine Baker

Whether you want to keep your whole family up to speed, are trying to coordinate with friends or need to keep track of colleagues' plans, a calendar app that you can share with multiple people can come in handy. Wouldn't it be nice to eliminate the need to call or text to figure out your schedules? 

01
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Cozi Family Organizer: Best for Busy Families

Features of the Cozi app
Cozi
What we like

  • Well-organized setup

  • Built-in shopping and to-do lists

  • Available across major mobile platforms

What we don't like

  • Have to pay for some features and to remove ads

Cost: Free

This app is particularly popular with heads of the household, who use it to log and view every family member's schedule in one place. You can view schedules by the week or month, and each family member's plans have a different color code so you can quickly see who's doing what.

With Cozi, you can set up automated emails with schedule details on a weekly or daily basis, as well as set up reminders so no one misses important events. The app also includes shopping and to-do list features, which let every family member contribute so nothing gets overlooked.

In addition to using the Cozi app on your Android, iPhone or Windows phone, you can log in from your computer. So pretty much anyone with a gadget of some kind should be able to access the app.

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02
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Family Wall: Best for Keeping Up With Relatives' Activities

Features of the Family Wall
Family&Co
What we like

  • Unique, social media-style approach to family schedule management

  • Ability to create various groups

What we don't like

  • Have to pay for location, safe zone notifications and select other features

Cost: Free (premium version available with expanded storage and location check-ins)

The Family Wall app offers much of the same great functionality as Cozi, including the ability to view and update a shared calendar and create and update task lists. Beyond that, however, it offers a private family social media-type experience, with a built-in instant-messaging tool.

There's also an option to share your "best moments" with family members, and they can comment on these. With the premium version of the app, members of a shared Family Wall account can also send check-ins at specific locations to everyone else in the group, which could provide parents some peace of mind. Another cool feature: You can create various Family Wall groups, such as one for your family, one for close friends and one for extended family.

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03
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Google Calendar: Best for Gmail Users

Features of the Google Calendar app
Google
What we like

  • Automatically imports events from Gmail

  • Intuitive design

What we don't like

  • Some complaints from Android users about notifications being delayed

Cost: Free

Google's calendar app is streamlined and simple. It lets you create events and appointments, and if you add in a location it will provide a map to help you get there. It also imports events from your Gmail account to the calendar automatically. As for sharing-specific features, you can create and share a calendar, after which all participants will be able to view and update it across devices.

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04
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iCloud Calendar: Best for Mac and iOS Users

Screenshot of the Mac and iOS Calendars apps
What we like

  • Useful for those who already work with iCloud

  • Can send calendars to non-iCloud users

What we don't like

  • Not for those without Apple hardware

Cost: Free

This option will only make sense if you're already heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem, meaning you use the calendar and other Apple apps on your phone and laptop. If you do, then you can create and share calendars with others–and the recipients don't need to be iCloud users to view your calendars.

You can make changes to your calendar from your iCloud account, and they'll be reflected across all devices that have the app installed. The iCloud calendar definitely isn't the most robust, feature-packed option, but it could make sense if your family already uses Apple services and simply needs to merge schedules.

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05
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Outlook Calendar: Best for General Shared Calendars, Business-Related Calendars

Features of the Outlook Calendar app
Microsoft
What we like

  • Helpful tools for finding workable meeting times, coordinating schedules

  • Built into Outlook mail app

What we don't like

  • You have to be a Microsoft Office subscriber to get access

Cost: Free (with a Microsoft Office subscription, which starts at $69.99 per year)

Once again, this is an option that won't make sense for everyone. However, if you're already using Outlook for work or personal email, it could be the right option for you.

In addition to integrating with Outlook email and your contacts list, this calendar includes the option to view group schedules. You just need to create a group calendar and invite all desired participants. You can also share your availability with others to help find a meeting time that works for everyone.

Outlook's calendar is part of the larger Outlook app, so you'll need to toggle between your mail and your calendar within the app to view the different features. 

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