You can make a family calendar on paper, with Google Calendar or with a real family calendar app. Below we compare the three ways — and show how to set up a shared family calendar everyone sees and updates in 3 steps, with shopping and tasks alongside.
A wall planner from the local shop. Simple and visible in the kitchen — but not in everyone's pocket, no reminders and quickly out of date.
Free, but everyone needs a Google account and you share the calendar per person. No shopping lists or tasks, and sharing with children is awkward.
One shared calendar you share with a single code — no separate account per person. Calendar, shopping and tasks in one place, on every device. That's how Planninn works.
Want to do it with Google Calendar? Here's how to make a shared family calendar:
Downside: everyone needs a Google account, children without one miss out, and you get no shopping lists, tasks or comfort view for grandparents. That's why many families choose a dedicated app.
In Google Calendar, create a new calendar (e.g. “Family”), open its settings and share it with your family members' Google accounts with edit rights. Everyone needs a Google account and must add the shared calendar manually. A family calendar app like Planninn does this with one family key, without a separate account per person.
Yes. On paper or with Google Calendar it's free. You can try Planninn free for 30 days with all features; after that it's €19.99 a year for the whole family.
A real family calendar app is easiest: you invite everyone with one code and the calendar is instantly on everyone's phone, tablet and laptop, with shopping and tasks alongside.
Yes. Planninn works in any browser and as an app on iPhone, iPad, Android and desktop. You connect external calendars from Google, Apple (iCloud) and Outlook as read-only iCal calendars.
Learn what a family calendar app is, discover the shared shopping list, or compare Planninn with other apps.