BusyCal vs Fantastical
Both apps support calendar sets and multiple calendar providers. The main differences come down to scheduling flow and filter depth.
Last reviewed: February 2026.
Feature Snapshot
| Capability | BusyCal | Fantastical |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-provider account sync in one app | Yes | Yes |
| On My Mac offline calendars | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar Sets | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar Groups | Yes | No |
| Nested Smart Filters (ALL/ANY/NONE) | Yes | No |
| Natural language Quick Entry | Yes | Yes |
| Working Hours toggle (collapse non-work hours) | Yes | No |
| Sunrise & sunset shading in Day/Week views | Yes | In weather view |
| Side-by-side vs stacked layout for overlapping events | Yes | No |
| Context menu event alignment (Match Start/End, Create Between) | Yes | No |
| Multiple time zones in time ruler (up to 3) | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable view spans (2–90 days in week, 1–12 weeks in month) | Yes | No |
| Weather forecasts & moon phases | Yes | Yes (weather) |
| Travel time with live traffic updates | Yes | Yes |
| Tags with auto-coloring and automatic tagging rules | Yes | No |
| Configurable defaults (alarms, travel time, duration, priority, floating TZ) | Yes | Limited |
| Free/Busy availability viewer | Yes | No |
| Journal entry type | Yes | No |
| Sticky notes attached to dates | Yes | No |
| Event/date graphics and icons | Yes | No |
| Customizable Info Panel | Yes | No |
| Alarm Window with flexible snooze | Yes | No |
| Holiday event display styles (footer, graphics) | Yes | No |
| Year Planner + Overview | Yes | Year View Only |
| Spreadsheet List View | Yes | No |
| Task sorting, filtering, and grouping by calendar | Yes | Limited |
| Task list printing | Yes | Limited |
| Cross-calendar blocking events | Yes | Manual duplicate only |
| Favorite Time Zones | Yes | Yes |
| Map out events with locations | Yes | No |
| Upcoming event countdown & ongoing event timer | Yes | No |
| Automatic local backups | Yes | No |
| CSV export | Yes | No |
| Private LAN sync | Yes | No |
| Custom fonts for views, notes, and titles | Yes | No |
| Presets combining calendars + rules + view/time-zone context | Yes | No |
| Conference call integration (Zoom, Teams) | Yes | No |
| Openings-style shareable availability links | No | Yes |
| One-time purchase (perpetual license) | Yes | No (subscription only) |
Where Fantastical May Be Better
- You depend on Openings to share bookable availability templates and links.
- You want Calendar Sets that can auto-switch by location or time.
- You prefer Fantastical's built-in view system with day/week/month/quarter/year readily available.
Where BusyCal May Be Better
- You want a one-click Working Hours toggle to collapse non-work hours. Learn more.
- You want sunrise & sunset shading in Day and Week views. Learn more.
- You want context menu event alignment — Match Start/End, Create Between, Create After. Learn more.
- You want moon phases alongside weather forecasts. Learn more.
- You want tags with auto-coloring and automatic tagging rules. Learn more.
- You want customizable view spans — 2 to 90 days in Week, 1 to 12 weeks in Month. Learn more.
- You want advanced task sorting, filtering, and grouping by calendar. Learn more.
- You want one-click Zoom or Teams meeting creation from inside your calendar. Learn more.
- You need nested Smart Filters with ALL/ANY/NONE conditions. Learn more.
- You want Calendar Sets, content conditions, and view preferences saved together. Learn more.
- You want one-click recall of layouts like 4-day week, 3-week month, or custom List columns. Learn more.
- You need filter presets that remember time-zone context for travel. Learn more.
- You want granular display controls — custom columns, variable week/month spans, filter-linked view presets. Learn more.
- You want deep configurability across views, tasks, alarms, appearance, and menu bar. Learn more.
- You want a menu bar countdown for upcoming events. Learn more.
- You want multiple alarms per event with flexible snooze controls. Learn more.
- You want holiday event display styles, including footer placement. Learn more.
- You want a customizable Info Panel showing only the fields you use. Learn more.
- You want a Year Planner for long-range scheduling. Learn more.
- You want a spreadsheet-style List View with configurable columns. Learn more.
- You want cross-calendar blocking events that stay synced to the original. Learn more.
- You want to map events with locations and travel time. Learn more.
- You want task list printing from within the app. Learn more.
- You want automatic local backups with configurable retention. Learn more.
- You want CSV export for reporting. Learn more.
- You want private LAN sync without relying on cloud providers. Learn more.
- You want custom fonts for views, notes, and titles. Learn more.
What BusyCal Helps You Do
The BusyCal capabilities most users evaluate when comparing depth of control:
- Smart Filters with nested rule groups and saved searches.
- Calendar Sets implemented through Smart Filters, so context switching and advanced filtering live in one system.
- Remember View Settings for custom week/month/list layouts.
- Remember Time Zone for rapid context changes across regions.
- Integrated tasks in calendar views with sorting and Reminders sync.
- Natural language event entry with live parsing.
- Favorite Time Zones and travel time planning.
- Menu bar calendar, customizable info panel, tags, graphics, and reminder controls.
Official Links
Want to compare a few more options before deciding? Browse all BusyCal comparison guides.