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Fantastical vs OmniFocus 3

Fantastical logo

Fantastical

Software

The calendar app you'll love to use

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OmniFocus 3 logo

OmniFocus 3

Software

Professional task management for complex workflows

From
$39.99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Fantastical has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Fantastical premium subscription required for advanced features at $56.99/year; OmniFocus 3 apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
  • They diverge on capability: Fantastical covers Natural language input, OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fantastical and OmniFocus 3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Fantastical and OmniFocus 3 differ
AttributeFantasticalOmniFocus 3
Starting priceFree$39.99/year
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsmacOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, WindowsMacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web
Founded20111993

Identical on both: 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 Fantastical

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

Only in OmniFocus 3

  • GTD-based task organization
  • Projects and subprojects
  • Contexts and tags
  • Custom perspectives
  • Automation
  • Quick entry
  • Sync across devices
  • Deferred and due dates

What people use each for

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

Fantastical

  • Schedulingnot OmniFocus 3
  • Appointment bookingnot OmniFocus 3
  • Time trackingnot OmniFocus 3
  • Resource managementnot OmniFocus 3
  • Team coordinationnot OmniFocus 3

OmniFocus 3

  • Getting Things Done style task and project management on Apple devicesnot Fantastical
  • Capturing tasks with contexts, defer dates and review cyclesnot Fantastical
  • Syncing a personal task database across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Watchnot Fantastical

Where each one falls short

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

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

OmniFocus 3

  • Apple platforms only apart from the web client: macOS 14, iOS or iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 or visionOS 2 and newer are required, with no Windows or Android app
  • Web access is not included with a perpetual licence and costs an extra $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year
  • The Pro perpetual licence costs $149.99 against $74.99 for Standard
  • Future major upgrades are a paid discount rather than free for perpetual licence holders
  • The $99.99 per year subscription is the only option that bundles Pro plus web access

Pricing, plan by plan

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

OmniFocus 3

$39.99/year
  • Standard$39.99/year
    • Mac and iOS apps
    • Cloud sync
    • Core features
  • Pro$99.99/year
    • Everything in Standard
    • Advanced automation
    • Perspective management

Which should you pick?

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

Choose OmniFocus 3 if

  • You need gtd-based task organization.
  • You work on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
  • You also want projects and subprojects.
OmniFocus 3 review

Questions people ask

Is Fantastical or OmniFocus 3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Fantastical starts at Free and OmniFocus 3 at $39.99/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fantastical or OmniFocus 3?
Fantastical has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Fantastical and $39.99/year for OmniFocus 3.
Does Fantastical or OmniFocus 3 run on more platforms?
Fantastical runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Windows. OmniFocus 3 runs on MacOS, IOS, IPadOS, Web.
Can I use Fantastical for free?
Yes. Fantastical has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OmniFocus 3 starts at $39.99/year.
What is Fantastical best used for?
Fantastical is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what OmniFocus 3 is typically brought in for.
What can Fantastical do that OmniFocus 3 cannot?
Fantastical covers Natural language input, Calendar sets, Weather integration, Scheduling. OmniFocus 3 covers GTD-based task organization, Projects and subprojects, Contexts and tags, Custom perspectives.

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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