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HR & Recruiting · head to head

15Five vs Fantastical

15Five logo

15Five

HR & Recruiting

Performance management that drives results

From
$4/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fantastical logo

Fantastical

Calendar & Time Management

The calendar app you'll love to use

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fantastical has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 15Five split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier; Fantastical premium subscription required for advanced features at $56.99/year
  • They diverge on capability: 15Five covers Weekly check-ins, Fantastical covers Natural language input.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 15Five and Fantastical actually diverge.

Attributes where 15Five and Fantastical differ
Attribute15FiveFantastical
Starting price$4/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApimacOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows
CategoryHR & RecruitingCalendar & Time Management

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2011).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 15Five

  • Weekly check-ins
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • OKRs & goal tracking
  • Performance reviews
  • High fives recognition
  • Engagement surveys
  • Pulse surveys
  • Manager effectiveness

Only in Fantastical

  • Natural language input
  • Calendar sets
  • Weather integration
  • Scheduling
  • Tasks
  • iCloud
  • Exchange
  • Todoist

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

15Five

  • Running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarkingnot Fantastical
  • Performance reviews and continuous feedback cyclesnot Fantastical
  • Setting and tracking OKRsnot Fantastical
  • 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviewsnot Fantastical
  • Compensation review cycles as a paid add-onnot Fantastical

Fantastical

  • Schedulingnot 15Five
  • Appointment bookingnot 15Five
  • Time trackingnot 15Five
  • Resource managementnot 15Five
  • Team coordinationnot 15Five

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

15Five

  • Split across three tiers, so performance reviews, OKRs and 360 feedback need Perform at $11 per user per month rather than the $4 Engage tier
  • Manager training microlearnings are only in Total Platform at $16 per user per month
  • Compensation is a paid add-on at $9 per user per month, rising to $11 with benchmarking
  • The Kona meeting assistant is a further $2 per employee per month and Kona Coach $19 per manager per month
  • Advertised prices are the annual rates

Fantastical

  • Premium subscription required for advanced features at $56.99/year
  • Primarily designed for Apple ecosystem; Windows version is resource-intensive
  • No native Android app, limiting cross-platform usage
  • No web interface for calendar access
  • Shows events but lacks event management capabilities compared to specialized task tools

Pricing, plan by plan

15Five

$4/month
  • Engage$4/month
    • Engagement surveys
    • Pulse surveys
    • Action planning
  • Perform$10/month
    • Weekly check-ins
    • 1-on-1s
    • Performance reviews
  • Total Platform$16/month
    • Everything in Engage & Perform
    • Career paths
    • Competencies

Fantastical

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic calendar views (day, week, month, quarter, year)
    • Natural language event entry
    • 3-day weather forecast
  • Individual Premium$56.99/year
    • All free features
    • Task management with Todoist and Google Tasks
    • Unlimited calendar sets
  • Family Premium$89.99/year
    • All Individual Premium features
    • Up to 5 family members
    • Shared calendars

Which should you pick?

Choose 15Five if

  • You need weekly check-ins.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want 1-on-1 meetings.
15Five review

Choose Fantastical if

  • You need natural language input.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows.
  • You also want calendar sets.
Fantastical review

Questions people ask

Is 15Five or Fantastical better?
Neither clearly leads. 15Five starts at $4/month and Fantastical at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 15Five or Fantastical?
Fantastical has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4/month for 15Five and Free for Fantastical.
Does 15Five or Fantastical run on more platforms?
15Five runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Fantastical runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows.
Can I use Fantastical for free?
Yes. Fantastical has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 15Five starts at $4/month.
What is 15Five best used for?
15Five is most often used for running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking, performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles, setting and tracking okrs, 360 degree feedback and talent matrix reviews. Of those, running engagement surveys with heat maps and benchmarking and performance reviews and continuous feedback cycles are not what Fantastical is typically brought in for.
What can 15Five do that Fantastical cannot?
15Five covers Weekly check-ins, 1-on-1 meetings, OKRs & goal tracking, Performance reviews. Fantastical covers Natural language input, Calendar sets, Weather integration, Scheduling. Both handle Google Calendar, Outlook.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Fantastical: Does Fantastical have a free plan?

Yes, Fantastical offers a free tier with basic calendar views (day, week, month, quarter, year), natural language event entry, and 3-day weather forecast. Premium features including task management integrations and family sharing require a paid subscription at $56.99/year or $6.99/month.

Source
Fantastical: Can I create events using natural language?

Yes, Fantastical's signature feature is natural language processing, allowing you to create events by typing or speaking in plain English. You can type things like 'dinner tomorrow at 7 pm with Sarah' and it automatically parses the date, time, and attendees.

Source
Fantastical: What calendar services does Fantastical support?

Fantastical integrates with Google Calendar, iCloud, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Office 365, and Fastmail. It supports multiple account types and syncs changes across all connected services.

Source
Fantastical: What task management apps can I integrate with Fantastical?

Fantastical supports Todoist, Google Tasks, and Microsoft 365 tasks. Tasks sync bidirectionally, and changes made in Fantastical reflect back in your task service.

Source
Fantastical: Does Fantastical work on Windows?

Fantastical for Windows was released in October 2024, though it is resource-heavy compared to the macOS and iOS versions. The app is feature-complete but less polished than the Apple platform versions.

Source
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