IN A NUTSHELL..
Selecting the right family scheduling app 📅 can greatly ease your daily routines. We found that:
- 📅 Google Calendar excels in simplicity and integration with Google Assistant, but lacks family-specific features.
- 👪 Cozi Family offers a comprehensive suite with calendars, shopping lists, and to-do lists, though its free version has limitations and ads.
- 👨👩👧 For a polished, user-friendly experience with plenty of family features, Family Wall is a strong contender despite frequent premium reminders.
- 👨👩👦 FamCal stands out with its intuitive interface and minimal ads, though it lacks specific family functionalities.
- 🌳 Time Tree offers a minimalistic design ideal for basic scheduling needs without sacrificing functionality in its free version.
Ultimately, your choice should reflect your family’s unique needs and preferences.
For personal stories and pro tips – more details below.
There are no affiliate links or sponsored products on this page.
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Managing Your Family’s Time
Feeling overwhelmed with a hundred things to do and worried about forgetting something important? There’s a way to ease your stress and ensure you never miss any key dates—scheduling.
Navigating the sea of family scheduling apps to find the right one can be a challenge, but don’t worry—we’re here to help. Through extensive hands-on testing, our family has rated our experiences with various top-rated apps to help you keep your family’s schedule organized. Let’s dive into our findings and discover the right solution for your family’s needs.
Review Deep Dive
Jumping into the details of the five calendar apps our family has tried.
There are three main aspects I look out for when searching for a suitable product.
- How easy it is to use – I want to use something that helps me save time, not one where I need to read through manuals to operate.
- Features – Does the product have the features that I am looking for. In this case, any additional family oriented aspects will give it a higher rating.
- Interface – I want something that is not only intuitive to use, but makes me “feel good” when I use it.
Some of the apps are completely free, and others allow you to unlock additional features if you pay a monthly subscription. I’ll discuss both to the free and paid versions so you can judge for yourself what suits your family best.
1. Google Calendar
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Interface: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Key Takeaway
Google Calendar has the level of polish you can expect. However, it doesn’t have any family-specific features for those who are after more than just a scheduler. And if you want to integrate note-taking with an AI assistant, you need to use Google Keep—a separate application.
A great app for a family that wants a simple, clean calendar with voice command functionality.
What we liked:
- Free: All the features are available – no paywalls.
- Smart home integration: Works well with Google Assistant, allowing you to add events and get daily schedules via voice commands.
What can be improved:
- Lacks family-specific features: No features such as chore management, recipes, meal plans compared to others on the list.
- Segregation of tools: There is a “tasks” section within the app, but it is not the default for note taking when using voice commands.
Google Calendar | Cozi Family | Family Wall | FamCal | Time Tree
Review breakdown
User Interface and Experience
- Clean, intuitive, and minimalistic design
- Easy to navigate, add, modify, and view events
Event Creation and Management
- Simple event creation with reminders and participant invitations
- Various views (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Unlimited reminders per event
Features
- Primarily a calendar app, lacking family-centric features
- Activated through voice commands for event creation and shopping list updates
PROTIP #1
Create a Family Gmail Account
Keep all family-related items organized in one account. Everyone in the family can log into the one account on their device, and the calendar will automatically sync to their own.
Integration and Syncing
- Seamless integration with Google Assistant
- Effortless device syncing
- Handy for on-the-fly event setups
Integration of Other Calendar Apps
- Allows external calendar imports
- Drawbacks: limited future sync (up to 1 year), potential issues with recurring events, and 24-hour refresh rates
PROTIP #2
Combine with Google Keep
Use Google Keep for your shopping and to-do lists. There is an in built task tracker within Google Calendar, but if you want to make use of Google Home or Assistant then Keeps works better.
2. Cozi Family
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features (Free): ⭐⭐⭐
Features (Paid): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Interface: ⭐⭐
Key Takeaway
While the paid version removes the 30-day calendar limitation, the general look and feel of the app leaves much to be desired compared to others on the list.
Cozi Family is a solid choice for those who don’t mind a bit of visual clutter in exchange for a free and functional app.
What we liked:
- Easy to add family members: Adding family members, especially children, is a simple process, as no email is required.
- Free access to essentials: The free version provides access to calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists, and recipes.
What can be improved:
- Calendar limitations: The free version only allows access up to 30 days in advance.
- Ads: The number of ads are relatively high compared to others on the list. Their placement is also intrusive.
- Dated interface: The overall look and feel of the app is dated and not very polished.
Google Calendar | Cozi Family | Family Wall | FamCal | Time Tree
Review breakdown
User Interface and Experience
- Functional but dated interface
- Easy to navigate, simplicity makes it straightforward
Event Creation and Management
- Easy event creation with reminders, to-do lists, and recipes
- 30-day limitation in the free version can be restrictive
Features
- Includes a recipe section, shopping list, and to-do lists
PROTIP #3
Set Up Daily Agenda Emails
You can set up the app to send daily or weekly agenda emails to each of the members in your family. This can be a good prompt to remind everyone about the families schedule to ensure no one misses important appointments or activities. This can be customized in the settings menu.
Integration and Syncing
- Integrates well with family members’ devices, but lacks smart home integration
Integration of Other Calendar Apps
- Allows subscription to other calendars, but not mentioned in detail
3. Family Wall
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features (Free): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features (Paid): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Interface: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Key Takeaway
The free version offers access to a good amount of features, and the calendar allows planning up to a year ahead. However, frequent subscription reminders and the tedious process of adding young children are some minor drawbacks.
Family Wall is great for those who value a sleek, polished interface and don’t mind a few extra steps to get everyone on board. The premium reminders can be a bit of a nuisance, but the overall experience is smooth and enjoyable.
What we liked:
- Modern and polished: The app feels polished, modern, and smooth to operate.
- Accessible free version: Provides access to calendars, shopping lists, to-do lists, and recipes without feeling restrictive.
What can be improved:
- Tedious family member addition: Adding family members, particularly children, can be tedious as they need their own login.
- Frequent premium reminders: Constant reminders to subscribe to the premium version can be annoying.
Google Calendar | Cozi Family | Family Wall | FamCal | Time Tree
Review Breakdown
User Interface and Experience
- Modern, polished, and sleek design
- Clean, smooth, and easy to navigate
Event Creation and Management
- Straightforward event creation with reminders, to-do lists, and recipes
- Calendar allows planning up to a year ahead
Features
- Includes: shopping lists, to-do lists, recipes, maps, messaging, document/photo storage
- Premium version: unlocks timetable, meal planner, and budget planner
PROTIP #4
Use the Real-Time Location Feature
The maps function of the app allows family members to share their locations with each other, so you can see where they are at all times. Great if you have younger kids that you want to keep in your crosshair.
Integration and Syncing
- Integrates well with various devices, ensuring everyone stays up-to-date
- Lacks smart home integration
Integration of Other Calendar Apps
- Subscribe to other calendars (e.g., Google Calendar) in a read-only format
4. FamCal
After a scheduling app that is intuitive to use and doesn’t have intrusive ads popping up everywhere? FamCal might be the right fit for you.
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features (Free): ⭐⭐⭐
Features (Paid): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Interface: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Key Takeaway
FamCal offers a polished and intuitive interface. The free version has everything you need for shared calendars, to-do lists, and shopping lists. For specific family features, other apps might be better suited.
The app is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a clean, modern app that handles all the basics with ease. It’s perfect for families who don’t need all the extra frills and don’t require smart home integration.
What we liked:
- Easy child addition: Very easy to add children to the family, with no emails or accounts required.
- Polished and modern: The app feels polished, modern, and smooth to operate.
- Minimal ads: Ads are present but located along the bottom only and are not intrusive.
- Few premium prompts: Not many pop-ups prompting you to subscribe to premium..
What can be improved:
- Lacks family-specific features: Does not have specific family features like chore planners or meal planners.
Google Calendar | Cozi Family | Family Wall | FamCal | Time Tree
Review Breakdown
User Interface and Experience
- Clean, modern interface that’s easy to navigate
- Adding family members is straightforward, no emails/accounts required for children
- Polished and smooth, user-friendly for everyone
Event Creation and Management
- Simple event creation with reminders, to-do lists, and shopping lists
- Lacks specific features for planning chores and meals
Features
- Includes recipes and trip expense tracking
- Paid version unlocks contacts, birthday, and anniversary tracker
PROTIP #5
Use the Shared To-Do Lists for Meal Planning
FamCal allows you to create shared to-do lists, which can be incredibly useful for meal planning. You can assign tasks like grocery shopping, meal prep, and cooking to different family members.
Integration and Syncing
- Lacks smart home integration
- Syncs well across multiple devices, keeping family members up-to-date
Integration of Other Calendar Apps
- Supports viewing events from other calendar apps (e.g., Google Calendar)
5. Time Tree
After a minimalistic calendar app to manage your families activities? Then Timetree might be the right fir for you.
Ease of use: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Features: ⭐⭐⭐
Paid: ⭐⭐⭐
Interface: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Key Takeaway
Time Tree is good for simple scheduling needs. You don’t feel like your giving up functionality with the free version as the paid version only provides small quality of life changes.
Time Tree gets the job done using a minimalistic design, making it intuitive for its users. Great for families who are only after a calendar with note taking ability.
What we liked:
- Completely free: Simple calendar app with no cost.
- Basic but effective: Great for basic scheduling needs.
- Paid version: The paid version adds quality of life features such as the ability to attach files to your events and different views of your calendar.
- Few premium prompts: Little to no premium prompts unless you click on a premium feature.
What can be improved:
- UI needs work: The user interface is not bad, but could do with a bit more work
- Lacks family-specific features: No options to add family members, no features such as chore management, recipes, meal plans, etc.
Google Calendar | Cozi Family | Family Wall | FamCal | Time Tree
Review Breakdown
User Interface and Experience
- Simple, functional, minimalistic design
- Easy to navigate
- Suitable for calendar and note-taking
Event Creation and Management
- Straightforward event creation with reminders and task management
Features
- No family related features
PROTIP #6
Use Stickers for Fun and Organization
TimeTree allows you to add stickers to events, which can be a fun way to organize and personalize your calendar. You can use different stickers to categorize events, such as work, family, or personal activities
Integration and Syncing
- Syncs well across multiple devices, keeping family members up-to-date
- Lacks smart home integration
Integration of Other Calendar Apps
- One-way integration: changes in TimeTree don’t reflect back in parent apps
- Supports viewing events from other calendar apps (e.g., Google Calendar)
Our Recommendations
Ultimately, we found that Google Calendar works best for our needs. Having separate apps for calendars and shopping lists isn’t ideal, but the lightweight nature of the apps makes it manageable. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with our Google Home Assistant, making voice note-taking possible when we’re busy with the kids.
However, I understand that every family is different. If Google Home integration isn’t a priority for you, and you prefer having all your shared calendars and lists in one intuitive app, I recommend FamCal for its functionality and simple interface.
For those who want specific family features such as a chore planner, meal planner, or budgeting tools and don’t mind paying for a subscription, Family Wall is a fantastic choice.
Sharing Corner
We hope our experience helps you narrow down the right app for your household. Please let me know whether this has been helpful and what other scheduling apps have you had success with. Happy scheduling!
Links to each of the apps below:
