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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Google Calendar vs Calendar

Google Calendar 4.5★ · Free to download 75
Winner Google Calendar
Calendar 4.9★ · Free to download 55

Google Calendar offers better cross-device sync and more consistent color customization, while Apple Calendar struggles with data loss and syncing issues.

Full reviews: Google Calendar · Calendar

Google Calendar generally provides a more reliable experience with faster sync and better color options, despite some recent UI complaints. Apple Calendar, while deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, faces significant issues with event data loss and inconsistent syncing.

Head to head

Features edge: Google CalendarR3R6R7R8
Google Calendar Google Calendar users appreciate the new color coding options R8 and the ability to easily plan and schedule . However, some users desire more color options for events R3 and a full-size schedule widget R6. There's also a request for an 'every weekday' repeat option on mobile and a continuous scroll function . A significant complaint is the lack of a dark mode toggle independent of the system theme R7.
Calendar Apple Calendar users desire more customization options, including specific times for events , more colors for organization , and the ability to customize fonts . Users also want better widget options, such as marking reminders complete from the widget and a month/week view . There are requests for filtering specific holidays and an option to have annual all-day events like birthdays as banners .
Ease of Use tieR5R9R12R14
Google Calendar Google Calendar is generally found intuitive and easy to use R24. However, recent UI changes, such as the app icon always showing '31' instead of the current date, are a major source of frustration R5R9R14R16. Some users also dislike the new icon's appearance . There are complaints about widgets being too small and not resizable and text size not being adjustable R12.
Calendar Apple Calendar is described as a simple app to use and useful on iPad due to landscape mode . However, some users find it confusing to navigate and not user-friendly . There are complaints about the new format with an unnecessary timeline and an unremovable sidebar . Users also report issues with alerts swapping and the app not defaulting to 'Today' after searching past events .
Reliability edge: Google CalendarR2R19R25R29
Google Calendar Google Calendar generally offers faster sync than Apple's calendar app R2 and users report not having issues using it R29. However, there are significant reports of a persistent bug where the app freezes or crashes when trying to add a location to an event R25R36R41R43. Some users also experience slow syncing of changes from desktop to mobile R19 and notifications not always working .
Calendar Apple Calendar users report severe reliability issues, including events disappearing or being deleted R61R64R70R76. Syncing with other devices is often slow or problematic, with events being doubled or not displaying correctly . Notifications are also reported to not work as they used to . The app is also reported to crash frequently .
Price/Value tieR10R24R47R68
Google Calendar Google Calendar is free to download and use. Some users find it valuable for organization R24R47 and would rather pay for an app than use a terrible free one R10.
Calendar Apple Calendar is free and comes pre-installed on Apple devices. Users appreciate its integration with Apple products and services R68. However, some users feel it's not worth using due to data loss R94 and would prefer other options even if they had to pay .
Support tieR54R94R100R111
Google Calendar Reviews do not provide specific information about Google Calendar's customer support, but users express frustration over known bugs, like the location glitch, not being fixed for months R54.
Calendar Reviews do not provide specific information about Apple Calendar's customer support. Users report that Apple blames other calendar apps for data loss R94 and express frustration when issues like spam invites cannot be blocked R100R111.
Pick Google Calendar if

you need a calendar app with reliable syncing across devices and robust color-coding options, and you can overlook some recent UI changes and a persistent location entry bug R2R8R29.

Pick Calendar if

you are deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem and prioritize native integration, but be aware of potential data loss and syncing issues R68R61.

Evidence note: Both apps are free, so there's no free-vs-paid asymmetry. The reviews for Google Calendar are more recent and skewed towards negative feedback regarding UI changes and specific bugs, while Apple Calendar reviews highlight critical data loss issues.

Frequently asked

Does Google Calendar's app icon show the current date?
No, many users report that the Google Calendar app icon consistently displays '31' instead of the current date, which is a frequent complaint R5R9R14R16.
Do events disappear from Apple Calendar?
Yes, numerous users report that events, appointments, and birthdays frequently disappear or are deleted from Apple Calendar with no way to recover them R61R64R70R76.
Can you customize colors in Google Calendar?
Google Calendar offers color coding options, with some users appreciating new color choices R8, but others wish for more variety and consistency between desktop and mobile app custom colors R1R3R4.
Are there issues with adding locations in Google Calendar?
Yes, a recurring bug causes Google Calendar to freeze or crash when users try to enter a location for an event, often requiring the app to be restarted and the event recreated R25R36R41R43.

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.

  1. [R3] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Give Me All The Colors: I love google calendar but I wish I had all the color options that are available when picking the default calendar color for when I am picking my event colors. They are so much prettier and give more variety for the various types of events with a shared calendar. Please let me do this
  2. [R6] Google Calendar 3/5 · US More widgets: Missing a full size schedule widget and calendar widget (similar to minicals design if possible for the calendar widget) in my opinion
  3. [R7] Google Calendar 1/5 · US No Dark Mode Toggle: Dark/Light mode cannot be set, and is only based on the system theme. The 3-way Dark/Light/System theme toggle had been an app standard since 2020. If you advertise 'dark mode' as a feature of this app, then just give us a setting for it.
  4. [R8] Google Calendar 5/5 · US New color coding colors are awesome!!!!: I’ve always felt like I didn’t have enough options to choose from but these colors are so nice. Lowkey writing a review just for this. An additional recommendation is to have the ability to sync canvas with Google tasks or have canvas assignments disappear on the calendar once you’ve completed them. “It’s stressful seeing it and not being sure if you comp
  5. [R5] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Just needs one tweak: I wish the app icon would show the date, instead of constantly saying 31.
  6. [R9] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Live date gone: Love the app, but don’t like the update where today’s date is no longer part of the app icon.
  7. [R12] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Bad accessibility: No way to change text size. I need reading glasses to see text
  8. [R14] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Please make the app button change date: The app works well on my phone, but it’s really frustrating that the logo doesn’t change on the app like the Apple calendar. It would be nice to see the actual date on my screen. Please change this 🙏🙏🙏
  9. [R2] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Needs better notifications sound: Sync is faster than apples calendar app. However the notification sound is very tame and quiet. Not customizable at all.
  10. [R19] Google Calendar 1/5 · US Practically useless: I use the calendar regularly on my desktop. It takes WAY too long for any changes I make to reflect on the app. By long, I’m not talking a minute or two. I mean whole days pass by without the changes reflecting on the app. It’s insane and wholly unacceptable.
  11. [R25] Google Calendar 1/5 · US Cannot enter locations: I used to have the infrequent problem of only being able to enter the first letter of the location of my events, but then the app froze and the only thing to unfreeze it was to force close the app and lose my draft of a calendar entry. But I didn’t think much of it because it happened once in a blue moon. Now since this latest update I can no longer put a location on any of
  12. [R29] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Great App: I love that I have not had anything issues using this app. I made the switch from Apple to Google Calendar for that exact reason. Only improvement that I would appreciate is if the icon would show the day & date that it is.
  13. [R10] Google Calendar 1/5 · US Terrible: This is the worst calendar app on the market. I would rather pay for one than use this for free.
  14. [R24] Google Calendar 3/5 · US T Brown: Excellent as usual not difficult to figure out and in our fast paced lives, anything that simplifies and makes things organized
  15. [R47] Google Calendar 5/5 · US CEO: Data Link Zones utilizes calendar to schedule meetings and to keep a healthy timetable to Walker Street organization concerning technology endeavors
  16. [R68] Calendar 4/5 · US Almost Perfect for Any Apple User: Apple’s calendar app has one leg up over the competition, and that is the integration with its products and services. I can ask Siri for the next event on my calendar from any of my Apple devices, and I can get personalized suggestions for new events as well based on conversations in iMessages or Apple Mail. There is one problem with this app, though, and it is t
  17. [R54] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Location glitch that won’t go away: When entering a new calendar invite on iPhone, I must enter all details except location first, save it, then edit to add location otherwise the event freezes and a restart of the app is required. It’s been happening for about 12 months. Today, I went back to an event I booked earlier this morning to add location. It froze. Needed to close and restart app. This i
  18. [R94] Calendar 1/5 · US Lost data: Data over 6 mos old is dropped. Had many dr appts last year and needed to plan for upcoming appts. Everything lost. Apple blames another calendar app but info is visible on theirs. Apple only saves 6 mos!!!! Worthless pos.
  19. [R100] Calendar 1/5 · US Sexual Calendar Entries Allowed: Allows uninvited calendar entries to show up on the calendar from junk mail. I have a whole bunch of junk email every day with people sending nasty calendar invites that I have never accepted showing up with sexual meeting invites that I cannot make go away they just keep showing up on the calendar, making it useless to use without seeing these things. The whole
  20. [R111] Calendar 3/5 · US Spam Invites: I can’t find a way to block spam invites. They send a calendar appointment but it only entails filling the notes section with their spam /scam sales garbage. It seems like it’s their back door for getting around junk / block message settings. I’d like to be able to block them because they’re filling up my calendar.
  21. [R16] Google Calendar 2/5 · US App Icon: Please change the app icon to something other than a static number. I have to use this app for work and having the native apple calendar app displaying the correct date next to this app on my Home Screen makes this app look like a joke. Easy fix for a proper design decision.
  22. [R61] Calendar 1/5 · US Frustrating: All my events are gone, and are no where to be found. Incredibly frustrating
  23. [R64] Calendar 2/5 · US Whyyyy: Why whole calendar keeps getting deleted I feel like every other week…
  24. [R70] Calendar 1/5 · US 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.
  25. [R76] Calendar 1/5 · US Rouge Calendar: Just recently whenever I put Inneh project item, reminder event it always and save the information it erases all my login information on Calendar. Something needs to be done to fix this bug.
  26. [R1] Google Calendar 1/5 · US Color Update Broke Colors: The update for the desktop app broke colors. There is no consistency between the colors in the iOS app and the desktop version of calendar. Furthermore, custom colors that are available on desktop are not on the app. This update ruined the organization of my calendar.
  27. [R4] Google Calendar 2/5 · US Colors disappeared: Where did the color options for markings go? Now there's only one default color. · translated
  28. [R36] Google Calendar 3/5 · US Location Glitch: Every time I try to put in the location for an event when I’m inputing something into my calendar, it glitches and deletes the entire event. I’m able to edit the location after I make the event, but it’s incredibly annoying to not be able to put the location in when I’m originally inputting the event into my calendar.
  29. [R41] Google Calendar 4/5 · US Good overall: I use the app on my iPhone and find it works pretty good overall. It’s intuitive and syncs easily which makes it really convenient. 1 thing I wish for: that the app image had the actual date on it (instead of always saying 31). I also have a persistent bug where the app freezes when I try to type a location for an event. I have to close and reopen the app and recreate the event to ge
  30. [R43] Google Calendar 2/5 · US “Location” Field on an event causes app crash a lot: Please fix this it’s been like this for months

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store