Software · head to head
Clockwise vs Fantastical
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Clockwise service discontinued and shut down on March 27, 2026; Fantastical premium subscription required for advanced features at $56.99/year
- They diverge on capability: Clockwise covers Focus Time protection, Fantastical covers Natural language input.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Clockwise and Fantastical actually diverge.
| Attribute | Clockwise | Fantastical |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows |
| Founded | 2016 | 2011 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Clockwise
- Focus Time protection
- Meeting optimization
- Scheduling links
- Team analytics
- Conflict resolution
- Slack
- Zoom
- Asana
Only in Fantastical
- Natural language input
- Calendar sets
- Weather integration
- Scheduling
- Tasks
- Outlook
- iCloud
- Exchange
Both cover
- Google Calendar
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Clockwise
- Scheduling
- Appointment booking
- Time tracking
- Resource management
- Team coordination
Fantastical
- Scheduling
- Appointment booking
- Time tracking
- Resource management
- Team coordination
Both are used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management, team coordination, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Clockwise
- Service discontinued and shut down on March 27, 2026
- All user data was deleted upon shutdown
- Integration with Asana was removed during product lifecycle
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
Clockwise
Free- FreeFree
- Focus Time
- Meeting optimization
- Personal analytics
- Teams$6.75/month
- Team analytics
- Flexible meetings
- Admin controls
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 Clockwise if
- You need focus time protection.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want meeting optimization.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Clockwise or Fantastical better?
- Neither clearly leads. Clockwise starts at Free and Fantastical at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Clockwise or Fantastical?
- Clockwise starts at Free and Fantastical at Free.
- Does Clockwise or Fantastical run on more platforms?
- Clockwise runs on Web. Fantastical runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows.
- Can I use Clockwise for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Clockwise best used for?
- Clockwise is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management.
- What can Clockwise do that Fantastical cannot?
- Clockwise covers Focus Time protection, Meeting optimization, Scheduling links, Team analytics. Fantastical covers Natural language input, Calendar sets, Weather integration, Scheduling. Both handle Google Calendar.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Clockwise: What happened to Clockwise?
Clockwise was acquired by Salesforce and shut down on March 27, 2026. The company announced the team was joining Salesforce to work on Agentforce. User data was deleted and prorated refunds were issued to paying customers.
SourceFantastical: 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.
SourceClockwise: What integrations did Clockwise support?
Clockwise integrated with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, and previously Asana (though this integration was discontinued).
SourceFantastical: 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.
SourceClockwise: What were Clockwise's key features?
Clockwise offered AI-powered focus time protection, automatic meeting buffers, Slack status sync, smart lunch breaks, and team calendar synchronization to optimize schedules and prevent burnout.
SourceFantastical: 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.
SourceFantastical: 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.
SourceFantastical: 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Fantastical
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