Family Calendars & Shared Scheduling

Cozi, Apple Family Calendar, Google Family, FamCal, TimeTree — shared family scheduling that doesn't require everyone on the same OS.

The "where's everyone supposed to be on Saturday" problem. Three strategies: family-app suites (Cozi, FamCal — calendar + lists + chores in one), OS-native sharing (Apple Family Sharing, Google Family Group), and self-host CalDAV (Baikal, Radicale, Nextcloud). For the calendar-component / scheduler-UI side see Calendars & Scheduling UIs; for the chore overlap see Chore & Cleaning Task Tracking; for kid scheduling specifically see Kids Chores & Allowance and Family Location Sharing; for the family-wiki / runbook side see Family Communication & Wiki.

Family-suite apps

★ ★ Cozi Family Organizer — free + Cozi Gold paid (~$30/yr). Calendar + shopping list + to-do + recipes + journal in one. Free is ad-supported but functional. The 2026 default for "we need one app the whole family will actually open." iOS / Android / web.
★ FamCal — paid + free; calendar-first; cleaner UI than Cozi for some; smaller community.
TimeTree — paid + free; popular in JP / Asia; cross-platform; gentle UX.
Picniic — paid + free; family-suite; smaller.
Hub Family Organizer — paid + free; UK-flavored; declining.
Pluto Apps — paid; macOS / iOS family suite (calendar + meals + chores).

★ Apple Family Sharing + iCloud Calendar — free for Apple-house families. Up to 6 people; shared calendars per group + per topic; reminders; photos; Find My; screen-time. The "everyone has an iPhone" pragmatic default.
★ Google Family Group + Google Calendar — free; shared calendars; Family Link for kid devices; works across iOS + Android. The "mixed-OS" pragmatic default.
Microsoft Family Safety + Outlook Calendar — free in Microsoft 365; less popular for family use.

Self-host / OSS

★ Baikal — free OSS; lightweight CalDAV + CardDAV server; perfect for "I want my family calendar without Google or Apple iCloud." See Self-Hosted Files & Cloud.
Radicale — free OSS; even lighter CalDAV / CardDAV in Python; trivial to run; plain-text storage.
Nextcloud Calendar — free OSS; full Nextcloud suite includes calendar + contacts + tasks + Deck. Heavier; the default if you already run Nextcloud.
EteSync — paid (~$2/mo) + free self-host; end-to-end encrypted CalDAV-shape protocol; iOS / Android apps.
DAVx⁵ — free OSS Android client; the bridge from Android to any CalDAV server.

Cross-platform shared calendars

Calendly Family — Calendly's home version; paid.
Howbout — paid + free; group-availability finder; teen / college flavor.
Family Wall — paid + free; calendar + bulletin-board.

What actually works for families

One calendar everyone subscribes to. "Family" calendar is a writable shared calendar in iCloud or Google. Everyone reads + writes. Pick a single source of truth.
Color-code by person. Each member has a color across all family events.
Recurring "anchor" events — trash day, soccer practice, homework window — so the calendar isn't just one-offs.
Auto-import school calendars via the school's published .ics URL. Most schools / sports leagues publish one.
Don't try to make Cozi and iCloud Calendar coexist. Pick one; the other becomes stale.

License / pricing

Cozi: free + Cozi Gold (~$30/yr); ad-supported on free tier.
FamCal, TimeTree, Picniic: paid + free.
Apple Family Sharing, Google Family: free.
Baikal, Radicale, Nextcloud, EteSync (self-host): OSS, free.
EteSync (hosted): paid (~$2/mo).

Pick this if…

All-in-one family suite, "we want one app": Cozi.
Apple-house family: iCloud shared calendars + Reminders; skip Cozi.
Mixed iOS + Android family: Google Family Group + Calendar; or Cozi if you want chores + lists too.
Privacy-first / no-cloud: Baikal or Radicale + DAVx⁵ on Android + native Calendar on iOS.
Already run Nextcloud: Nextcloud Calendar.
End-to-end encrypted with apps: EteSync.
Group-availability for teens / extended family: Howbout.