5 Cross Platform Calendars For Maximum Productivity
Following on from my previous post about being productive with a simple calendar, today we’re going to take a look at different types of calendars and their benefits.
Here I’ve tried to focus on calendars that are cross-platform (in other words you can use them on your desktop/browser, Android, iPhone). In most cases, unless otherwise stated I have tried all of these and rate them highly enough to be included in this list.
Apple iCal
At one point, Calendar (or iCal) was the be-all and end-all of all calendar programs. It still looks gorgeous and is still really functional with multiple calendar and colour coding support. If you have an iPhone then Calendar will be your go-to calendar of choice I’m sure. If you don’t have an iCloud account though, syncing may be an issue although the website does say that it syncs with Google calendar I’ve found it slightly hit-and-miss as to when updates are pushed through..
Google Calendar
And speaking of Google, no calendar list would be complete without a mention for Google Calendar. Again, this lets you have multiple calendars, colour coding and syncing for Android and Apple devices (although syncing with Apple can be a bit convoluted).
I must admit I’ve tried many different calendars but I find myself coming back to Google Calendar – especially after the last update for Android has made the widget and interface look a lot nicer.
Cal
Cal, a calendar offering from Any.Do can be used as a stand-alone calendar, synced with Google, or also linked in with their Any.do task management app so that tasks with due dates are added to your calendar.
As I currently use Any.Do for my default task list manager, it made sense for me to try out their calendar application which, I have to say, looks absolutely gorgeous. However, it just didn’t work for me with the way that I have my calendars set up within Google.
If you have individual calendars then these will show up in the app with different colours. If your various appointments within each calendar is colour-coded however, these colours are ignored and are just shown as the default calendar colour. This was a massive deal-breaker for me, but if you just have one calendar and don’t colour code items or are using multiple calendars I really recommend this calendar just for its looks alone.
Sunrise
Sunrise is a relative newcomer to the calendar world. It’s available for Mac, through your browser, Android and iPhone. This app won a lot of fans back in 2013 when it was first lauched (oh! How long ago that seems!).
It has an offline mode which is great for those with spotty internet connections or if you’re travelling, and also links in with a host of third part applications (not just Google Calendar) such as Evernote, Producteev, Google Tasks, Eventbrite, Todoist and Trello.
Easily Do
Easily Do is more than just a simple calendar, it’s an assistant that can tie in your commute (with directions), flight details, restaurant information, weather and a lot more. I have to admit that I haven’t personally tried this app yet as I only discovered it whilst researching this article, but it does look rather interesting. It seems to be a combination of Mail, Calendar and Google Now/Siri however at around £29 to manage all of this information the price tag may be rather high for some people.
Over to you
What calendars can you recommend? Are there any on this list that I need to add, or perhaps you hate one that I’ve included….
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