Cozi alternatives in 2026: what the free plans give you
Last updated: 2026-09-23
People look for a Cozi alternative for one of two reasons: the ads, or the calendar limit. Cozi's own FAQ states that on the free version you enter events from Agenda view for the next 30 days, and that unlimited future calendar access comes with Cozi Gold at $39 a year. If that is the wall you hit, TimeTree ($4.49/month or $44.99/year for Premium) and FamilyWall ($4.99/month or $44.99/year) both leave the shared calendar itself free, and Family Magnet is free with no calendar window limit, no member limit and no ads.
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. |
Work out which wall you actually hit
"Cozi alternative" covers two quite different complaints, and the right answer differs.
If the problem is the ads, almost anything paid solves it, including Cozi Gold at $39 a year — which is cheaper than TimeTree Premium or FamilyWall Premium at $44.99 a year, so switching to remove ads is usually not worth the migration.
If the problem is the 30-day Agenda window — you tried to put a school term, a summer trip or a birthday three months out on the calendar and could not — then you want an app whose free plan does not touch the calendar at all. That is TimeTree, FamilyWall and Family Magnet. This is the case where switching genuinely pays.
What you give up by leaving Cozi
Cozi is the most complete free-to-start family organizer in this category and has been for years: shared calendar, shopping and to-do lists, and a large installed base of families who already know it. Cozi's FAQ lists what Gold adds: no ads, mobile month view, up to three reminders per attendee per appointment instead of one, new event notifications, calendar search and priority support.
Nothing else in this table matches that on breadth. TimeTree is a calendar with good per-event comments and no lists. AnyList is a lists app with no calendar. FamilyWall is close to Cozi in breadth but puts calendar sync, meal planning and budgeting behind Premium. Family Magnet covers notes, calendar, shopping list and expenses free, but has no meal planner, no location sharing and no recipe import.
If you use Cozi's meal planner or recipe box daily, there is no free replacement here, and that is worth saying plainly.
The migration problem nobody mentions
Switching family apps is not a data problem, it is a people problem. The calendar is easy to rebuild. Getting four relatives to install a second app and make a second account, having already done it once for Cozi, is the part that fails.
This is the one place where we are not neutral: Family Magnet exists because of that failure mode. One person signs up with an email; everyone else joins by typing a six-digit code that is good for seven days — no account, no app store, and they can post like anyone else. If the reason your last switch stalled was a relative who would not sign up again, that is the thing to compare, not the feature grid.
Common questions
Is Cozi still free in 2026?
Yes. Cozi has a free version with ads. Cozi's FAQ states that on the free version you can enter events from Agenda view for the next 30 days, and that unlimited future calendar access is part of Cozi Gold, which costs $39 per year for the household.
What is the closest free alternative to Cozi?
For breadth, FamilyWall — its free tier covers shared calendar, shopping lists, messaging and contacts, with calendar sync, meal planner, budget and location sharing on Premium at $4.99/month or $44.99/year. For a free calendar with no window limit and no member limit, TimeTree or Family Magnet.
Is it worth paying for Cozi Gold instead of switching?
If ads are the only complaint, usually yes: Cozi Gold is $39 a year against $44.99 a year for TimeTree Premium or FamilyWall Premium, and you keep the app your family already uses. Switching pays when the calendar limit itself is the problem, or when a family member cannot or will not keep an account.
Does any of these track family expenses?
Family Magnet keeps a shared shopping list and category-totalled expenses on the same board, free. FamilyWall has a budget tracker on Premium. Cozi, TimeTree and AnyList do not track expenses, though AnyList Complete has price tracking for shopping lists.
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
- Best shared family calendar apps in 2026: what each free plan actually gives youPrices and free-plan limits for five shared family apps, each one taken from the vendor's own page and dated.
- 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.