What is the best family calendar app for a busy household?

HomeHQ is built for families specifically — one shared calendar, chores, and meals in one place, color-coded per person, on the iPad in your kitchen and every phone. Google Calendar is fine for two adults sharing events but does not handle chores, meal planning, or per-person kid views. Dedicated displays like Skylight and Hearth cost $300–$700 up front.

Do we all need iPhones?

No. The HomeHQ app runs on iPhone and iPad, but the family calendar itself lives in Google Calendar, so everyone can see it and add to it from the web or an Android phone too. Nobody gets left out, even on a different platform.

Will this make me switch calendars?

No. Connect the Google Calendar you already use, or create a new shared one in a couple of taps. HomeHQ keeps it in two-way sync, so your existing events appear automatically, color-coded per person. Nothing to migrate.

Is there a free family calendar app?

Google Calendar is free and handles the basics. Cozi has a free tier but added a 30-day limit in May 2024. HomeHQ is $12/month billed annually (or $14.99 month-to-month) for the whole household — one simple plan, every feature included.

Can multiple family members use the same calendar app?

Yes. Invite your whole household by email during setup. Each person gets their own color, avatar, and personalised view. When anyone adds an event, marks a chore complete, or updates a meal, the shared Google calendar updates for everyone.

Do I need to buy a dedicated family display?

No. Mount the iPad you already own in the kitchen and HomeHQ runs as an always-on family display that changes with the time of day — no $300–$700 dedicated screen required.

How do you sign in to HomeHQ?

With your Google account today — one tap, and it connects your calendar at the same time. Sign in with Apple is coming, with a separate step to connect your family calendar.

Does it sync with Google Calendar?

Yes. Two-way Google Calendar and Google Tasks sync is the core of HomeHQ. Connect each family member's account once and existing events pull in automatically — color-coded by person, visible on every device including the kitchen iPad.

How much does HomeHQ cost?

HomeHQ is $12/month billed annually ($143.99/year), or $14.99 month-to-month. That covers the infrastructure, ongoing development, and every feature — shared calendar, meal planning, chores, and two-way Google Calendar sync. No tiers, no add-ons, no ads.

What makes HomeHQ different from just Google Calendar?

Google Calendar is a calendar. HomeHQ adds the parts families actually run on — chores with points and a weekly recap, meal planning, per-person kid views, and an always-on kitchen display — all on top of the Google calendar you already have.

HomeHQ vs Cozi

HomeHQ vs Cozi.

Cozi has been a default app-first family calendar for over a decade. In May 2024 it added a 30-day calendar limit to its free tier, which sent some longtime users looking for alternatives. If you're weighing the two, here's the honest comparison.

Coming soon

iPad · iPhone · Built on Google Calendar · 14-day free trial

Tej Tandon · Founder, HomeHQ

Building HomeHQ from Vancouver — bootstrapped, no investors. I write these guides from running my own family on the same tools.

Verified May 2026

Side by side

HomeHQ vs Cozi, feature by feature.

The honest comparison — including where Cozi wins. Prices and features verified May 2026.

Feature	HomeHQ	Cozi Gold
Type	App	App
Platforms	iPhone & iPad app	iOS, Android, web
Yearly cost	$144 (annual)	$39.99 (Gold) or free with ads
3-year total	$432	$120
Free tier	14-day trial	30-day calendar limit since May 2024
Two-way Google sync	✓	Read-only
Visible on web & Android	Via Google Calendar	✓
AI dish photos & meal ideas	✓
Per-member kid views	✓	Limited
Always-on iPad display	✓
Meal planner	✓	✓
Chores: points + weekly recap	✓	Basic tracker
Shared shopping list	✓	Best in category
Family member limit	Whole household	Up to 5
Track record	New in 2026	15+ years, millions of users

The yearly math

What you actually pay over 3 years.

HomeHQ

Hardware$0

Year 1$144

Year 2$144

Year 3$144

3-year total$432

Cozi

Year 1 Cozi Gold$39.99

Year 2 Cozi Gold$39.99

Year 3 Cozi Gold$39.99

Hardware$0

3-year total$120

Decide quickly

When Cozi wins, when HomeHQ wins.

Choose Cozi if…

→You have an Android phone (or your partner does, or your kids do).
→You need web access to the calendar from any computer.
→Cozi's shared shopping list is genuinely best-in-class and you use it daily.
→You want a free tier and don't mind the 30-day calendar limit.

Choose HomeHQ if…

→You've outgrown Cozi's free-tier limits.
→You want two-way Google Calendar sync (Cozi is read-only).
→You want chores with points and a weekly recap, plus meal planning with AI dish photos.
→You want a family calendar that runs as an always-on kitchen display.

Built on Google Calendar

One calendar. Everyone sees it. Anywhere.

HomeHQ runs on the Google Calendar your family already uses. Connect it once and everything syncs two-way — so the kitchen iPad, every iPhone, the web, and even an Android phone all show the same plan. Nobody gets left out, and nobody has to switch.

✓Two-way Google Calendar & Tasks sync — changes show up everywhere.
✓Color-coded per person, automatically.
✓Add an event on your phone; the kitchen display updates in seconds.
✓Visible on the web and Android, because it's your real Google calendar.

The HomeHQ app runs on iPhone and iPad. Because the calendar itself lives in Google, the rest of the family can read and add to it from any device.

One source of truth

Add "Lina — judo, Wed 3:30" once. It's on every screen in the house.

Synced via Google Calendar

Kitchen iPad · Mom's iPhone · Dad's Android · the web — all updated

Try HomeHQ free for 14 days — without buying Cozi.

$12/month billed annually after the trial, or $14.99 month-to-month. Cancel anytime through Apple.

Coming soon

HomeHQ vs Cozi

What people ask before they pick.

In May 2024, Cozi added a 30-day calendar limit to its free tier — events more than 30 days out moved behind Cozi Gold. The change frustrated many longtime users, and "Cozi alternative" became a common search this year.

Yes — it's a clean landing pad. HomeHQ does everything Cozi does (shared calendar, color-coded family members, meal planning, chores, shopping list) plus two-way Google sync (Cozi is read-only) and an always-on iPad display mode. The HomeHQ app runs on iPhone and iPad, but because the calendar lives in Google, the family can still see it on Android or the web.

Yes, $12/month billed annually (or $14.99 monthly) vs $3.33/month for Cozi Gold. The price difference covers two-way Google sync, the always-on display mode, chores and meal planning, with everything included in one price. If price is the only factor, Cozi Gold or a free Google Calendar setup is cheaper.

No — HomeHQ is $12/month billed annually (or $14.99 month-to-month) with every feature included, and if we ever change pricing, current subscribers keep their original rate. We'd rather keep pricing simple than add limits later.

Partially. Cozi doesn't offer a clean export, but you can subscribe to your Cozi calendar via .ics and add it to Google Calendar — and then HomeHQ will pick it up from there. We're happy to walk you through it via support if you get stuck.

Honestly, Cozi's shopping list is still the best in the category — multiple family members adding and checking off in real time, no friction. HomeHQ's is good, but Cozi has had 15 years to perfect that one feature. If the shopping list is the only thing you use, Cozi might be worth keeping just for that.

Researching Cozi? Visit their official site →

Keep reading

Related guides and comparisons.

Best family calendar app

Cozi, TimeTree, and Google Calendar — every app option compared.

Digital family calendar guide

Apps vs hardware displays, with the honest 3-year math.

HomeHQ vs Google Calendar

When a free calendar is genuinely enough — and when it isn't.

Bring the calm home.

14 days free. Then $12/month billed annually, or $14.99 monthly. Your whole household, on every device you already own.

Coming soon