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 Hearth

HomeHQ vs Hearth Display.

Hearth is the most beautiful family-calendar display on the market — and the most expensive. HomeHQ is the calm alternative — $12/month billed annually — for households that don't want to spend $699 to start.

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 Hearth Display, feature by feature.

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

Feature	HomeHQ	Hearth Display
Type	App	Hardware (touchscreen) + app
Up-front cost	$0	$699
Monthly cost	$14.99 ($12 annual)	$9
3-year total	$432	$1,023
AI dish photos & meal ideas	✓
Two-way Google Calendar	✓	✓
Family member limit	Whole household	Unlimited
Per-member kid views	✓	✓
AI assistant	Gemini dish photos	Sidekick AI (Membership)
Routines for kids	✓	Built around them
Star-rewards system	Optional	Core feature
Works on phones too	✓	Companion app
Free trial	14 days	30 days
Dedicated touchscreen	Use your own iPad	✓
Child-development-led design		✓
Proven track record	New in 2026	Established brand

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

Hearth Display

Hardware (Hearth Display)$699

Year 1 Membership$108

Year 2 Membership$108

Year 3 Membership$108

3-year total$1,023

Decide quickly

When Hearth wins, when HomeHQ wins.

Choose Hearth if…

→You have young kids (4–10) where routines and visual icons matter most.
→You want a screen that's genuinely beautiful as an object on the wall.
→Star-rewards motivation is meaningful for your kids.
→You don't mind paying $699 up front.

Choose HomeHQ if…

→You have an iPad you can mount in the kitchen instead.
→You'd rather spend that $663 on something else.
→You want chores with points, a weekly recap, and meal planning on the same screen.
→Your kids are older and don't need the gamified-routines layer.

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 Hearth.

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

Coming soon

HomeHQ vs Hearth Display

What people ask before they pick.

Yes. HomeHQ covers the same ground (shared family calendar, meals, chores, per-member kid views, color-coding) without the $699 upfront. Hearth is more polished as a hardware object and better at gamified kid routines; HomeHQ is much cheaper and built on the Google Calendar you already use.

It's a beautiful, purpose-built touchscreen with a custom OS, designed in collaboration with child-development specialists. The price reflects the hardware design and the small-batch nature of the product. The $9/month Membership on top unlocks the Sidekick AI assistant, meal planning, and the photo screensaver.

Yes, in a less gamified form. HomeHQ has per-member chores with weekly fair rotation and a kid-friendly view. We don't do star-rewards (Hearth is better there specifically); we focus on calm accountability. Different philosophy, same calm household outcome.

Both do two-way Google Calendar sync. HomeHQ is built on Google Calendar as its foundation, so connecting your family's Google accounts is the whole setup. The sync experience is comparable; HomeHQ leans harder on Google as the single source of truth.

Hearth's Sidekick is a chat-style AI assistant tied to your Membership. HomeHQ's AI is more focused: it generates dish photos and meal ideas for your weekly plan (powered by Gemini). Different scope — Hearth's is a general assistant; HomeHQ's is built around getting dinner decided.

Researching Hearth Display? Visit their official site →

Keep reading

Related guides and comparisons.

Digital family calendar guide

Every display and app compared, Hearth included.

Family calendar display

Turn the iPad you own into the kitchen screen.

Best family calendar app

Skip the $699 hardware — the software-only options.

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