Software & Apps Apps 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. our editorial process LinkedIn Sarah Silbert Updated on November 09, 2019 reviewed by Michelle Adeola Adelufosi Lifewire Tech Review Board Member Michelle Adeola Adelufosi is a marketing consultant with 9 years' 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 Michelle Adeola Adelufosi Apps Best Apps Payment Services Tweet Share Email 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 of 05 Cozi Family Organizer: Best for Busy Families 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. Download for Android, and iOS 02 of 05 Family Wall: Best for Keeping Up With Relatives' Activities 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. Download for Android and iOS 03 of 05 Google Calendar: Best for Gmail Users 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. Download for Android and iOS 04 of 05 iCloud Calendar: Best for Mac and iOS Users 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. Download iCalendar for iOS and macOS 05 of 05 Outlook Calendar: Best for General Shared Calendars, Business-Related Calendars 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. Download Outlook for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and Desktop Operating Systems.