The right Vimcal alternative depends on whether you want a different calendar feel, a planner that mixes tasks with time, or one calendar your whole team shares. Plenty of apps in this space are task planners with a calendar view, so check that any candidate shows both your Google and Outlook calendars before you move.
You've got back-to-back meetings, three time zones and a calendar that has to keep up. Vimcal pitches itself as the fastest calendar for people with too many meetings, and if you're looking elsewhere it's usually because you want a different feel, a planner that puts tasks next to your meetings, or one calendar the whole team can see.
Here are nine options, in no particular order. I've grouped them by approach, because a shared team calendar and a personal daily planner solve different problems, even though both show you a week of boxes.
Calendar apps, daily planners and shared team calendars
Calendar apps first. Fantastical lets you type events and reminders in plain language and keeps tasks in the same app. HEY Calendar comes from the makers of the HEY email service and sits inside that suite. If what you like about your current setup is a calendar that behaves like a calendar, start with these two.
Planners that block out your time. Akiflow pulls tasks and calendars into one time-blocking view. Morgen plans across all your calendars and task managers, schedules meetings and protects focus time. Sunsama is a daily planner built around a calm, deliberate plan for each day. These suit people whose real problem is fitting the work around the meetings, not booking the meetings themselves.
Task apps with a calendar view. TickTick combines tasks, a calendar and habits. Any.do pairs a shared task board for small teams with a personal planner, and its page says it connects to AI assistants to add and update tasks. Tweek is a minimal weekly planner with a weekly calendar view.
A calendar for the whole team. Teamup is a customisable shared calendar for businesses, working across organisations and on both Windows and Apple devices. It's the one to look at if the job is showing everyone's schedule in one place rather than speeding up your own.
When a planner is wearing a calendar's clothes
Here's what most comparison lists skip. Several apps that turn up in calendar searches are really task planners with a calendar view added on. Three of the options above work that way, and that's fine if tasks are your main job. It's a poor swap if you live in meetings and want a calendar first.
It goes further. Amie, a name you'll often see on lists like this one, now describes itself on its own site as an AI note taker rather than a calendar, which is why it isn't here. Products in this space change direction quickly, so read a vendor's current home page before you trust an older roundup.
If speed and keyboard shortcuts are the reason you use Vimcal, the safest test is your busiest week. Load it into a candidate and see whether it still feels quick when the week is full. Then check it shows both your Google and Outlook calendars, because plenty of apps handle one far better than the other.
Nine calendar options at a glance
| Tool | Approach | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Akiflow | Time-blocking planner | Pulling tasks and calendars into one time-blocked view |
| Any.do | Tasks plus calendar | A team task board plus a personal planner and calendar |
| Fantastical | Calendar and tasks app | Typing events and reminders in plain language |
| HEY Calendar | Standalone calendar | A calendar from the makers of HEY |
| Morgen | AI daily planner | Time-blocking across several calendars and task apps |
| Sunsama | Daily planner | A calm, deliberate plan for each working day |
| Teamup | Shared team calendar | One customisable calendar shared across an organisation |
| TickTick | Tasks plus calendar | Tasks, calendar and habits synced across devices |
| Tweek | Weekly planner | A minimal weekly view of tasks |
One line on each app
Listed A to Z.
Akiflow
Best for: Busy professionals who want tasks, calendars and AI in one time-blocking planner, which the vendor says helps you plan focused days and follow through.
Any.do
Best for: Small teams and families who want a shared task board beside a to-do list, planner and calendar, with ChatGPT, Claude or Codex able to add tasks, per its page.
Fantastical
Best for: People who'd like to type an event or reminder in plain language and have it land in a calendar that also holds their tasks.
HEY Calendar
Best for: Anyone already in the HEY suite who wants a calendar from the same makers, pitched on its page as putting time on your side.
Morgen
Best for: Professionals juggling several calendars and task managers who want an AI planner that time-blocks, schedules meetings and protects focus time across all of them.
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Sunsama
Best for: Those who'd rather plan each day calmly and on purpose; the vendor pitches its digital daily planner as making work-life balance a reality.
Teamup
Best for: Businesses that need a customisable shared calendar across teams and organisations, on Windows and Apple devices; the vendor calls it the only customisable calendar for business.
TickTick
Best for: Individuals who want a to-do list, calendar and habit tracker in one app that syncs across their devices.
Tweek
Best for: Planning a week at a glance in a minimal to-do app with a weekly calendar view you can share with a team or family.
My advice before you move your calendar
Decide what you're fixing before you download anything. If it's the feel of the calendar, try a calendar app. If meetings keep eating the time you meant for work, a time-blocking planner is the better fit. If the problem is that nobody can see when anyone else is free, you need a shared calendar, and none of the personal planners will solve it.
If booking links are what you'll miss most, my guide to meeting scheduling tools covers that job on its own. And if you want an assistant that rearranges your week for you, my list of AI calendar apps goes further into that side.
Run your busiest week as the trial
- Pick your heaviest recent week and recreate it, meetings and tasks together.
- Connect every account you use, Google and Outlook both, and check that events from each appear correctly.
- Time how long it takes to create, move and share an event using only the keyboard.
- Invite one colleague to share availability and see how it looks on their side.
- Check the phone app, because a calendar you can't use on the move won't last.
- Keep your old calendar running until the new one has survived a full week.
Do you make a calendar or planning app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is a task planner a good replacement for a calendar app?
It can be if most of your day is work you schedule yourself. If you live in meetings, pick a calendar first and check that tasks are an extra, not the main event.
Can I use my Google and Outlook calendars together?
Many apps say they can, but support varies. Connect both accounts during a trial and check that events, invites and time zones come through correctly from each.
What's time blocking?
It means giving each task its own slot in your calendar, so the plan for the day sits next to your meetings rather than in a separate to-do list.
Do I need a shared calendar or a scheduling tool?
A shared calendar shows a team's schedule in one place. A scheduling tool sends booking links so people outside the team can pick a time. Plenty of businesses use both.
How long should I trial a new calendar?
At least one full working week, ideally a busy one. A quiet week makes every app feel fast.
Will I lose my events if I switch?
Events you created in Google or Outlook stay in those accounts, so connecting a new app doesn't delete them. Check how tasks or notes stored only inside an app can be exported before you leave it.
