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Calendars · head to head

Rise Calendar vs TidyCal

Rise Calendar logo

Rise Calendar

Calendars

The modern calendar for Mac

From
$16/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TidyCal logo

TidyCal

Calendars

Simple calendar management and booking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TidyCal has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Rise Calendar product discontinued as of March 31, 2025; TidyCal lifetime plans regularly priced higher ($144 individual, $240 agency) but offered at discount on AppSumo
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rise Calendar and TidyCal actually diverge.

Attributes where Rise Calendar and TidyCal differ
AttributeRise CalendarTidyCal
Starting price$16/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWeb
Founded2021Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Rise Calendar

  • Native Mac app
  • Natural language
  • Menu bar widget
  • Quick event creation
  • Minimal design
  • Google Calendar
  • iCloud
  • Outlook

Only in TidyCal

Nothing recorded that Rise Calendar does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Rise Calendar

  • Schedulingnot TidyCal
  • Appointment bookingnot TidyCal
  • Time trackingnot TidyCal
  • Resource managementnot TidyCal
  • Team coordinationnot TidyCal

TidyCal

  • Appointment scheduling and booking for solopreneursnot Rise Calendar
  • Team booking management with round robin functionalitynot Rise Calendar
  • Scheduling across multiple calendar integrationsnot Rise Calendar

Where each one falls short

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

Rise Calendar

  • Product discontinued as of March 31, 2025
  • Failed to achieve sufficient commercial traction despite 900 teams and 30% month-over-month growth

TidyCal

  • Lifetime plans regularly priced higher ($144 individual, $240 agency) but offered at discount on AppSumo
  • Calendar connection limit of 1 on free plan may be limiting for multi-calendar users

Pricing, plan by plan

Rise Calendar

$16/year
  • Annual$16/year
    • Full calendar
    • Menu bar access
    • Natural language

TidyCal

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited bookings
    • Unlimited booking types
    • Paid bookings
  • Individual Lifetime$29/one-time
    • Auto-created meeting links
    • Group bookings
    • AI assistant
  • Agency Lifetime$79/one-time
    • Round robin and collective meetings
    • Dedicated team page
    • SMS reminders (US/Canada)
  • Pro Monthly$12/month
    • No branding
    • Custom domain
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Rise Calendar if

  • You need native mac app.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want natural language.
Rise Calendar review

Choose TidyCal if

  • You want to start without paying.
TidyCal review

Questions people ask

Is Rise Calendar or TidyCal better?
Neither clearly leads. Rise Calendar starts at $16/year and TidyCal at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rise Calendar or TidyCal?
TidyCal has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $16/year for Rise Calendar and Free for TidyCal.
Does Rise Calendar or TidyCal run on more platforms?
Rise Calendar runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. TidyCal runs on Web.
Can I use TidyCal for free?
Yes. TidyCal has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rise Calendar starts at $16/year.
What is Rise Calendar best used for?
Rise Calendar is most often used for scheduling, appointment booking, time tracking, resource management. Of those, scheduling and appointment booking are not what TidyCal is typically brought in for.
What can Rise Calendar do that TidyCal cannot?
Rise Calendar covers Native Mac app, Natural language, Menu bar widget, Quick event creation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rise Calendar: Is Rise Calendar still available?

No, Rise Calendar was discontinued on March 31, 2025. The service shut down after failing to achieve commercial traction in a competitive market. All user data was permanently deleted.

Source
TidyCal: Does TidyCal have a free plan?

Yes, TidyCal offers a permanently free plan with unlimited bookings, all booking types, and basic features. Free users get 1 calendar connection.

Source
Rise Calendar: What were Rise Calendar's main features?

Rise offered calendar management with synchronization to Google Calendar, Outlook, and iCloud; integrated task and project management; scheduling optimization with FocusGuard; and cross-platform apps for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.

Source
TidyCal: What is the difference between lifetime and subscription plans?

Lifetime plans ($29-$79 one-time) are purchased once via AppSumo and offer permanent access. The monthly subscription plan costs $12/month or $99/year (annual) and renews continuously.

Source
TidyCal: Does TidyCal charge per user or per booking?

TidyCal does not charge per user or per booking. Pricing is based on plan selection, not usage volume. All plans include unlimited bookings.

Source
TidyCal: What calendar integrations are included in each plan?

The free plan includes 1 calendar connection. Individual and Pro plans include up to 10 connections. Agency and Pro plans include up to 25 calendar connections.

Source
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Related pages

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