3 Android Calendar Apps That Beat Google's Default Hands Down - And They're All Free

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Google Calendar isn't nan only crippled successful town.
• There are a fistful of options that rustle Google's away.
• These calendars connection much features and amended UIs.

My almanac is an important instrumentality to thief support maine organized, and nan busier I get, nan much I dangle connected it. For arsenic agelong arsenic I tin remember, Google Calendar has been my go-to for this function, but complete nan past year, I've been looking for an replacement to thief wean maine disconnected Google apps.

That goes for nan Calendar.

Also: How to quickly hunt Google Calendar for past aliases early events

It's not that I person thing against Google's Calendar app; it's conscionable that Google has specified a crush connected AI that I'm acrophobic immoderate portion of information I participate into immoderate Google app will beryllium utilized to thief train their LLMs (or create profiles of me).

Because of that alone, alternatives are slow becoming a necessity. Ergo, this list. Let's find retired what almanac apps I judge tin service arsenic not conscionable a drop-in replacement for Google Calendar, but a superior alternative.

1. Business Calendar 2

Don't fto nan sanction fool you, Business Calendar 2 is not conscionable for business. Anyone tin usage this replacement and will quickly find that nan characteristic group blows Google Calendar retired of nan water. Business Calendar 2 has been astir for complete a decade and has a typical play layout that will instantly triumph you over. 

What's truthful typical astir nan play layout? Simple: erstwhile you move to nan play layout (the default is monthly), you tin usage a slider to find really galore days dress up a week. You mightiness only want to spot 3 days astatine a time, truthful you tin move nan slider to nan near until you only spot 3 days. Or possibly you want a play position that is 2 weeks. The logic why I for illustration this characteristic is that I tin shrink nan number of days, which allows maine to spot much accusation for each entry. It's genius. 

Also: This wall-mounted smart almanac has been a crippled changer successful my location (and it's $50 off)

Other features see nan expertise to quickly prime betwixt your various Google Calendars, built-in tasks, a regular schedule view, a Birthdays view, and more. There's besides 1 much game-changing characteristic that I've not seen successful immoderate different almanac app: earthy connection input for arena creation. With this feature, you tin pat nan mic fastener and opportunity thing like, "Meeting this Tuesday astatine 10 am," and nan app will automatically adhd nan event.

Business Calendar 2 is free to use, but you mightiness spot a random advertisement erstwhile adding events. From what I've experienced, nan ads are constricted to 2 per day, truthful it's not for illustration you'll beryllium inundated.

2. DigiCal

There are 2 reasons why I really for illustration DigiCal. First, nan layout is reminiscent of Google Calendar, truthful it's very easy to modulation to this app. Second, it includes nan upwind for your location that is ever (subtly) present. 

Another logic I for illustration DigiCal complete Google Calendar is that pinch nan Month view, you'll spot nan almanac astatine nan apical and your regular schedule below, truthful you tin not only spot an full month's worthy of events but besides spot what you've sewage going connected that day. It's superb and lifts that app supra Google Calendar. There's 1 different characteristic that I overmuch for illustration successful DigiCal (over Google Calendar). 

This characteristic is subtle and whitethorn not beryllium of usage to everyone. When you spell to create a caller arena and you want to take a specific color for that event, you're not constricted to a mini postulation of colors for illustration you are successful Google's app. You not only get Google's 11 colors to take from, but you besides get 31 different colors. For me, that's an important characteristic because I person respective clients, and I for illustration to subordinate different colors pinch each customer truthful I cognize precisely who I'm dealing pinch astatine a glance. 

Also: Google Calendar's bookable assignment scheduling is beautiful sweet

Other than those features, DigiCal will punctual you very overmuch of Google Calendar, truthful if you're acrophobic of change, this app should easiness those fears.

DigiCal is free to use, but location is simply a premium type that gives you much features, for illustration a 10-day upwind forecast (as opposed to nan 3-day forecast successful nan free version).

3. Proton Calendar

If it has nan sanction Proton successful it, you cognize it's secure, and that's logic capable to see this almanac app. If privateness and information are important to you, I would opportunity this should beryllium your apical choice. Proton Calendar is afloat encrypted, truthful moreover nan institution down nan app cannot publication your data. In this time of excessively overmuch intrusiveness, that's a large deal. 

Beyond nan other layers of information Proton offers, nan almanac app is reasonably basic, but it gets nan occupation done. You'll find nan emblematic views (agenda, day, week, month) and nan expertise to import 2 of your Google Calendars. Yes, that's astir nan limit of nan Proton Calendar features, and you person to import your Google Calendars aft installation and first setup. 

Also: How to alteration nan task overdue sound connected Google Calendar truthful you ne'er miss a deadline

Don't fto that minimal characteristic group fool you, Proton Calendar is still a bully action connected features alone, but nan summation of other information makes it a awesome option.

Proton Calendar tin beryllium utilized for free, but you do person to person a Proton Account to do so.