Best shared family calendar apps in 2026: what each free plan actually gives you
Last updated: 2026-09-23
For a family that wants a shared calendar and pays nothing, the free plans differ more than the paid ones do. Cozi's free version limits Agenda-view entry to the next 30 days and shows ads. TimeTree and FamilyWall keep a full shared calendar free and charge for extras. AnyList is a shopping-list app, not a calendar. Family Magnet is free with no calendar window limit and no member limit, and family members join with a six-digit code instead of creating accounts.
The comparison
Prices and limits checked 2026-09-23. Sources at the foot of the page.
| App | What the free plan gives you | Paid tier | Lists & expenses | How family members join |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Magnetours | No calendar window limit, no member limit, no ads. Core notes, calendar, shopping list and expenses are free. | Free | Shared shopping list and expenses on the same board, totalled by category. | A six-digit invite code, valid for seven days. Only the person who creates the family needs an email address. |
| Cozi Family Organizer | The free version shows ads, and from Agenda view you can enter events for the next 30 days only; unlimited future calendar access is a Gold feature. | Cozi Gold $39 (per year, per household) | Shopping lists and to-do lists. No expense tracking. | Every member signs in to a shared Cozi account or their own account. |
| TimeTree | The free plan keeps the shared calendar and event comments; Premium removes ads and adds file attachments, vertical view and event priority. | Premium $4.49/month or $44.99/year, first month free | Shared calendar with per-event comments. No shopping list or expenses. | Each member installs the app and creates an account. |
| FamilyWall | Free covers the shared calendar, shopping lists, messaging and contacts; Premium adds Google and Outlook calendar sync, meal planner, budget tracker and real-time location sharing. | Premium $4.99/month or $44.99 billed annually | Shopping lists free; the budget tracker is Premium. | Each member installs the app and creates an account. |
| AnyList | Free covers shared shopping lists on iOS and Android; web and Mac access, recipe import, meal planning and price tracking are Complete features. | AnyList Complete $9.99/year individual, $14.99/year household | Strongest shopping list in this table; price tracking is paid. No family calendar. | Each member installs the app and creates an account. |
Why the free tier is the only column that matters
Every app in this category has a shared calendar. Every one of them syncs. The paid tiers converge on the same list of extras — ad removal, calendar sync with Google or Outlook, meal planning, location sharing. Once you are paying, the differences are small.
The differences show up in what you get for nothing, because that is where each company decided to put the wall. Cozi put it inside the calendar itself: on the free version you can enter events from Agenda view for the next 30 days, and unlimited future calendar access is a Cozi Gold feature. TimeTree and FamilyWall left the shared calendar intact and put the wall around attachments, sync and location. AnyList never had a calendar to wall off.
So the practical question is not "which app is best" but "which wall will my family hit first". A family that plans a summer three months out hits Cozi's wall in week one. A family that mostly coordinates the next fortnight may never notice it.
The other wall: getting everyone in
The limit that actually kills these apps in practice is not a feature — it is the second family member who never signs up. Cozi, TimeTree, FamilyWall and AnyList all expect each person to install an app and create an account. For a household of two adults with phones, that is nothing. For a grandparent in another country, it is usually where the plan ends.
Family Magnet is built the other way round: one person signs up with an email, and everyone else joins by typing a six-digit code that stays valid for seven days. No email address, no password, no app store. A code joiner is a full member who can post — not a read-only viewer. That is the reason this page exists, and it is the only line in the table where we are not simply reporting someone else's pricing page.
How to read this comparison honestly
We publish Family Magnet, so treat our row as a claim and the other rows as reporting. Every price and limit below was read off the vendor's own page on the date shown, and the source link goes to that page — not to another blog. If a price has changed since, the source link is the fastest way to catch us out.
We have also left things out. There is no scoring, no "winner", and no hands-on testing claim, because we have not run four other families' calendars for a month and neither has anyone else who says they have. What is here is the part that is checkable.
Common questions
Is there a genuinely free shared family calendar?
Yes. TimeTree and FamilyWall both keep a full shared calendar on the free plan and charge for extras, and Family Magnet's calendar is free with no window limit and no member limit. Cozi is free too, but its free version limits Agenda-view entry to the next 30 days.
What changed with Cozi's free plan?
Cozi's own FAQ states that with the free version you can enter events from Agenda view for the next 30 days, while Cozi Gold gives unlimited future calendar access. The same FAQ lists Gold as ad-free with mobile month view, extra reminders (up to three per attendee per appointment, against one on the free version), new event notifications, calendar search and priority support, at $39 per year for everyone in the account.
Which of these handles a shopping list and expenses together?
Family Magnet keeps a shared shopping list and category-totalled expenses on the same board. AnyList is the strongest shopping list here but has no family calendar and no expense tracking beyond paid price tracking. FamilyWall has shopping lists free and a budget tracker on Premium. Cozi has lists but no expenses.
Can grandparents join without creating an account?
With Family Magnet, yes — they type a six-digit invite code that is valid for seven days, with no email address and no password, and they become a full member who can post. Cozi, TimeTree, FamilyWall and AnyList all expect each member to install the app and create an account.
Sources
Every price and free-plan limit above was read off the vendor’s own page on the date shown. No figure here comes from another blog.
- Family Magnet — https://homefamilyboard.com/about/ (checked 2026-09-09)
- Cozi Family Organizer — https://www.cozi.com/faq/ (checked 2026-09-23)
- TimeTree — https://timetreeapp.com/intl/en/premium (checked 2026-09-23)
- FamilyWall — https://www.familywall.com/premium.html (checked 2026-09-23)
- AnyList — https://www.anylist.com/complete (checked 2026-09-09)
More guides
- Cozi alternatives in 2026: what the free plans give youWhat Cozi's free plan restricts, and which four apps give that part away — with the price of each paid tier.
- How to share a calendar on iPhoneApple's own steps, plus the requirement that stops most families: everyone you share with needs an iCloud account.
- How to share a Google Calendar with your familyGoogle's own steps, its five permission levels spelled out, and which one a family actually wants.
- Best shared calendar apps in 2026: which one fits who you are sharing withThe best shared calendar depends on who is on it: a partner, a whole family, or relatives who will not sign up. What each app gives free, sourced.
- TimeTree alternatives in 2026: when a shared calendar is not enoughTimeTree's free calendar is hard to beat; the alternatives are about what it does not do — lists, expenses, and relatives without accounts.
Specific questions, answered
- My parents won't create another account. How do they join our family board?
- Our family lives in three time zones. How do we share one calendar?
- Can one app handle both a shared shopping list and family expenses?
Family Magnet is a free shared board for one family — notes, calendar, shopping list and expenses in one place, in fifteen languages. See how it works, or read the product fact sheet.