Head-to-head
Calendar vs TimeTree
Calendar
40
Winner
TimeTree
TimeTree
75
TimeTree is the better choice for users needing robust shared calendar features and customization, while Calendar struggles with reliability and basic functionality.
TimeTree excels as a shared calendar, offering strong collaboration tools and customization, despite recent UI changes and ads. Calendar, the default Apple app, faces significant issues with data loss, syncing, and a lack of user control over features like holidays.
Head to head
Calendar Calendar users desire more specific time options for events, additional stickers and colors, and better widget functionality to mark reminders complete or view a month/week calendar R2R5. There's a strong demand to filter or remove unwanted holidays, especially non-U.S. ones appearing as 'U.S. Holidays' R3R6R20R45. Users also want the ability to add annual all-day events like birthdays as banners and more flexible reminder settings .
TimeTree TimeTree offers strong customization with event label colors for different family members or categories, which users find very helpful for managing shared schedules R65. Users appreciate the ability to add pictures/attachments and comment on events R95. Some users desire more themes and stickers, especially for holidays, and more event colors . There are also requests for larger text in list view .
Calendar Calendar users frequently report critical issues such as events disappearing, past schedules being lost, and entire calendars being deleted R1R4R10. Alerts often don't work as expected, and syncing with other devices can be slow or problematic R7R17R18. The app also suffers from crashes and issues with displaying multiple copies of events .
TimeTree TimeTree users generally find it reliable for managing schedules . However, some recent reviews mention glitches, such as events placed by shared users appearing on the wrong day R70. One user reported that events entered were not consistently shown on a shared calendar .
Calendar Calendar's UI is described as confusing, requiring excessive scrolling and clicking R13R19. Users complain about the inability to remove sidebars, the new timeline format, and the difficulty in searching for past events R9R19. The app often defaults to old dates or incorrect calendars, requiring manual intervention R18.
TimeTree TimeTree is generally praised for being easy to use and manage, especially for multiple calendars and shared family schedules R71. However, recent updates have introduced significant UI issues, with users finding the new interface less user-friendly, harder to navigate, and features like memos and search buried in sub-menus .
Calendar Calendar users report difficulties sharing events, with shared events often appearing duplicated on other users' calendars R30. Some users also experience issues with meeting invites not displaying correctly, especially for large invitee lists R17R26.
TimeTree TimeTree is highly regarded for its shared calendar functionality, making it a 'lifesaver' for managing family schedules, shared custody, and work teams R65R71R74. It allows easy sharing, instant visibility of events, and the ability to comment on events R95. However, some users report issues with events not syncing reliably between shared users .
Calendar Calendar is a free, built-in app for Apple users. Its value is diminished by frequent complaints about data loss and lack of desired features R1R4R10R22.
TimeTree TimeTree offers a free version with in-app purchases. The free version is appreciated for its efficiency and ease of management . However, recent updates have introduced intrusive video and pop-up ads, which users find distracting and an attempt to force them into premium subscriptions R70R75R76R84. Some users feel the app is not worth paying for when other free alternatives exist .
Pick Calendar if
You are an Apple user who only needs basic calendar functionality and values deep integration with Apple's ecosystem, including Siri and personalized suggestions from iMessages or Mail .
Pick TimeTree if
You need a robust shared calendar for family, work, or groups, with strong customization options like color-coded events for different individuals or categories R65R71R95. You are willing to tolerate recent UI changes and ads in the free version, or consider a premium subscription for an ad-free experience R70R75R76.
Evidence note: Calendar's reviews are heavily skewed negative due to critical issues like data loss and lack of customization, despite its high lifetime rating as a default app. TimeTree's recent negative reviews are primarily focused on UI changes and increased ads, indicating a decline in user satisfaction for its free tier.
Frequently asked
Does Calendar (Apple) have issues with data loss?
Is TimeTree good for shared family calendars?
Are there ads in TimeTree?
What reviewers actually said
Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.
- [R2] Calendar Good but add specific times for events not just times that end in zeros and fives: Wonderful organization but add specific times for events not just times that end in zeros and fives and stickers and more colors that personalize it
- [R3] Calendar I’d like a refund: I like this app, I use it for everything. I would like more access to change things; example: how are Jewish and Islamic holidays considered “U.S. Holiday” ( which is not true) and I can’t remove the holiday so it’s not in my calendar reminder
- [R5] Calendar Decent but needs improvement: Widgets need more options. Specifically, you should be able to mark a reminder complete by clicking on it in the widget. You should not have to open the app to mark a reminder complete. Also, need a widget that shows events in a month/weeks long calendar view. Something other apps offer.
- [R6] Calendar Optional Holidays: Apple, please make it possible to filter different holidays. We don’t all want to see Christian, Jewish, and Islamic holidays wholesale or none at all. Please add filters!
- [R1] Calendar Frustrating: All my events are gone, and are no where to be found. Incredibly frustrating
- [R4] Calendar Whyyyy: Why whole calendar keeps getting deleted I feel like every other week…
- [R7] Calendar Alerts don't work: My alerts don't work like they use too!! Apple sucks!!
- [R10] Calendar Disappear: I used to like this calendar. Not anymore. I constantly lose my past schedules. It is July 2026 and June 2026 is gone. I schedule reminders for Birthday’s. They never happen.
- [R9] Calendar Update failure: Not happy Can not sort any more I updatedmy phone and transferred all apps. Why can’t I search for prior events
- [R13] Calendar Confusing for me: I might just be bad at navigating, but I hate using this app. It requires some scrolling and clicking small buttons, which is not my kind of thing. I tried to add a new calendar but it didn’t even alert me and a birthday was still there.
- [R18] Calendar Requires Manual Intervention: Pro: I think you’re able to add pics/attachments unlike Google. Cons: Notifications won’t go away until you touch it. Some apps will only use Apple even though I prefer Google, and I have to manually sync every single important event because it defaults to the wrong calendar.
- [R19] Calendar Do Apple's sw engineers ever USE their Apps?: Lost three Stars: Most recent iteration does away with "HIDE ALL" for all Calendars, so for using Apple Calendar to search for past present or future events it sadistically makes arthritic hands go thru a meaningless waste of time clicking off all other myriad categories in order to usefully search their sole category of interest for one event, then h
- [R17] Calendar Great app but issue with updating Invites: Whenever I’ve updated an invite that was already sent out by editing the Repeat from weekly to an actual end date , the people who already accepted the invite initially still have the problem showing the invite repeated as weekly forever versus what I updated with the end date. Could this please be looked into? Otherwise the app has been a great use!
- [R26] Calendar Does not handle meeting invites well, if meeting has large invitee list: Larger meetings sometimes cause meeting invite to not display in Calendar
- [R30] Calendar Calendar sharing: I’m having a hard time sharing my calendar events with my husband, he gets them doubled to him! When he sends them to me, they come doubled. When I go to delete one, it deletes both. It worked at first but now it’s doing this. We have had fights over it as I’m OCD and can’t do two items the same in my calendar! Please someone help me with this issue. We do a lot of things and he’
- [R65] TimeTree Long time user: I've been using TimeTree since the beginning and it has been a lifesaver for managing our shared custody of the kids. My favorite feature is the event label color, where each child and parent has their own designated color for appointments and important events. It's so convenient because everyone knows exactly which parent will be with the kids 6 months from today just by looking a
- [R22] Calendar Where’s my stuff?: Out of nowhere every single work entry I’ve ever made just disappeared. Why?
- [R71] TimeTree love it: me and my boyfriend have been using this app for about almost 3 years to have both our work schedules and small milestones in our lives:3 timetree makes it super easy to see what eachother has going on week by week:)
- [R74] TimeTree Relationship Saver: No more missed events or miscommunications.
- [R95] TimeTree Great App for Parents and Families: TimeTree Shared Calendar has been a game changer for our family. Between kids’ activities, school events, work schedules, and everything in between, it’s usually chaos, but this app keeps us all on the same page. What I really like is how easy it is to share calendars and add events that everyone can see instantly. The reminders actually help, and being able to
- [R70] TimeTree I did love this app: In the last month it’s started glitching on me like crazy. It’s bad enough you’re trying to making people pay a premium mode for a damn calendar but now you’re messing the code up and I can’t see my events. I’m ready to leave
- [R75] TimeTree Good and all, but omg the ads: I like this app, but OMG WHAT ARE THESE ADS?!
- [R76] TimeTree Ruined It: This app was fantastic before the latest updates. One of the best way to ruin an app is by reducing the QoL of basic free features to try to push users to pay for the poor quality monthly premium. They’ve done just that. Since the recent update I’ve been getting full pop up ads. It’s distracting and obnoxious. Making something that was free before paid (in this case the app being ad-fre
- [R84] TimeTree ah: Easy to use but so many unnecessary ads .ugh!
- [R20] Calendar Very useful in iPad: This is a great app on iPad due to being able to use it in landscape mode and the bigger screen real estate. Would really really like the ability to edit (and delete) unwanted holidays. They get in the way and it would very useful to be able to reclaim the screen space they take up.
- [R45] Calendar Good, except…: I don’t want islamic anything on my phone, ect. How do I remove them?
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store