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Calendars · head to head

Cron Calendar vs Fantastical

Cron Calendar logo

Cron Calendar

Calendars

The next-generation calendar for professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fantastical logo

Fantastical

Calendars

The calendar app you'll love to use

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cron Calendar no longer sold as Cron. Notion acquired it and renamed it Notion Calendar, and cron.com now carries that banner; Fantastical premium subscription required for advanced features at $56.99/year
  • They diverge on capability: Cron Calendar covers Keyboard shortcuts, Fantastical covers Natural language input.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cron Calendar and Fantastical actually diverge.

Attributes where Cron Calendar and Fantastical differ
AttributeCron CalendarFantastical
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsMacos, Windows, Ios, Android, WebmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows
Founded20162011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Calendars).

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 Cron Calendar

  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Multi-timezone
  • Scheduling links
  • Team availability
  • Menu bar access
  • Notion
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet

Only in Fantastical

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

Both cover

  • Google Calendar
  • Macos support
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

Cron Calendar

  • Keyboard-driven calendar for people living in their schedulenot Fantastical
  • Managing several Google calendars in one viewnot Fantastical
  • Scheduling links for meeting availabilitynot Fantastical
  • Joining video calls from the menu barnot Fantastical

Fantastical

  • Schedulingnot Cron Calendar
  • Appointment bookingnot Cron Calendar
  • Time trackingnot Cron Calendar
  • Resource managementnot Cron Calendar
  • Team coordinationnot Cron Calendar

Where each one falls short

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

Cron Calendar

  • No longer sold as Cron. Notion acquired it and renamed it Notion Calendar, and cron.com now carries that banner
  • Tied to the Notion account system rather than standing alone

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

Cron Calendar

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Notion Calendar access
    • Basic calendar features
  • Plus$10/month
    • Notion Calendar included
    • Unlimited users
    • All Notion workspace features
  • Business$20/month
    • Notion Calendar included
    • Unlimited users
    • All Plus features
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Notion Calendar included
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users

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 Cron Calendar if

  • You need keyboard shortcuts.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Macos, Windows, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want multi-timezone.
Cron Calendar 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 Cron Calendar or Fantastical better?
Neither clearly leads. Cron Calendar 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, Cron Calendar or Fantastical?
Cron Calendar starts at Free and Fantastical at Free.
Does Cron Calendar or Fantastical run on more platforms?
Cron Calendar runs on Macos, Windows, Ios, Android, Web. Fantastical runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows.
Can I use Cron Calendar for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cron Calendar best used for?
Cron Calendar is most often used for keyboard-driven calendar for people living in their schedule, managing several google calendars in one view, scheduling links for meeting availability, joining video calls from the menu bar. Of those, keyboard-driven calendar for people living in their schedule and managing several google calendars in one view are not what Fantastical is typically brought in for.
What can Cron Calendar do that Fantastical cannot?
Cron Calendar covers Keyboard shortcuts, Multi-timezone, Scheduling links, Team availability. Fantastical covers Natural language input, Calendar sets, Weather integration, Scheduling. Both handle Google Calendar, Macos support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cron Calendar: How much does Notion Calendar cost?

Notion Calendar is included at no additional cost with any Notion plan. The Free Notion plan includes Calendar at $0/month. Paid Notion plans start at $10/member/month for Plus and $20/member/month for Business, with Enterprise custom pricing.

Source
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
Cron Calendar: Is Notion Calendar free?

Notion Calendar is included free with all Notion plans, including the free tier. There is no separate pricing for the Calendar feature.

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
Cron Calendar: What is the per-user cost for Notion Calendar?

Notion Calendar has no separate per-user cost as it is bundled into Notion's pricing. Free Notion accounts include it at $0/month. Plus plan is $10 per member/month and Business is $20 per member/month.

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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