Google Calendar is great. It's just not a family hub.
This one isn't either/or. Google Calendar stays where it's great - work, invites, reminders - and Plannie adds the family layer on top, synced two-way, so the household finally has one shared view with the kids in it.
What each is built for
| Plannie | Google Calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan · Premium $99/yr household | Free |
| Shared events | ✓ | ✓ |
| Two-way sync between the two | ✓ | ✓ |
| Member colours designed for kids | ✓ | Calendar colours |
| Chores, routines & rewards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Weekly meal planner & grocery list | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wall-display kiosk mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI import of school emails & flyers | Premium | ✗ |
| Open API & MCP for your own agents | ✓ | Google APIs |
Google Calendar is free with any Google account. Plannie syncs with it two-way, so adopting Plannie never means leaving Google.
Stay with just Google if…
Your household is adults-only, everyone lives in their work calendar anyway, and shared events are all the coordination you need. It's free and it's excellent at that.
Add Plannie if…
There are kids, chores, dinners and school paperwork in the picture - the parts of family life Google Calendar was never built to carry. Plannie adds them in one place, and Google stays in sync underneath.
Frequently asked
Is Google Calendar enough for a family?+
For two adults sharing work and life events, often yes - and it’s free. What it lacks is the family layer: kid-friendly member colours, chores and rewards, meal planning, shopping lists and a kitchen wall display. Plannie adds exactly that layer, and because it syncs two-way with Google Calendar you keep using Google wherever you already do.
Does Plannie replace Google Calendar or work with it?+
It works with it. Connect your Google account and sync runs two-way - events added in either place show up in both. Adults keep their work calendars in Google; the household gets one shared, colour-coded view in Plannie with everything in one place.
What does Plannie add that Google Calendar doesn’t have?+
A member colour for every person across every view, habits and routines with tickets and rewards for kids, a weekly meal planner with a recipe library and shared grocery list, kiosk mode that turns a tablet into an always-on family display, Family Inbox and Magic Import for school paperwork, and an open API so your own AI tools can help run the household.
What does Plannie cost if Google Calendar is free?+
Plannie has a free plan - shared calendar, two-way Google and Outlook sync, lists and starter meal planning - so trying the family layer costs nothing. Plannie Premium, with the assistant, habits and rewards, Family Inbox and unlimited members, is $99 a year for the whole household.
See it for your household
Start free in your browser - no card, no install.
Add the family layer free