Fantastical

What is Fantastical?

Fantastical is a premium calendar and tasks application for Apple platforms known for its natural language input, beautiful design, and powerful features. Developed by Flexibits, the app first launched in 2011 and has continuously evolved to become one of the most acclaimed calendar applications on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Apple Watch. Fantastical combines the elegance users expect from Apple platforms with productivity features that go far beyond native Calendar.

What distinguishes Fantastical is its exceptional natural language parsing and attention to design detail. Users can type events like “Lunch with Sarah tomorrow at noon at Cafe Milano” and Fantastical correctly interprets every element. The application presents information beautifully with day ticker, event lists, and full calendar views that make managing busy schedules visually pleasant. These details accumulate into an experience significantly better than standard calendar apps.

Fantastical serves professionals and individuals who live by their calendars and value efficiency in schedule management. From executives managing packed schedules to families coordinating multiple calendars, Fantastical provides tools that make calendar management faster and more enjoyable. The subscription model ensures continuous development with new features and platform updates.

Key Features

• Natural Language Input: Create events and tasks by typing naturally; Fantastical parses dates, times, locations, and attendees intelligently.
• Beautiful Design: Award-winning interface with day ticker, event lists, and full calendar views designed for visual clarity.
• Calendar Sets: Group calendars into sets that activate together for different contexts like work, home, or travel.
• Scheduling: Propose meeting times and let recipients pick their preferred slot with Openings feature.
• Tasks Integration: Manage tasks alongside calendar events with due dates, reminders, and list organization.
• Weather: See weather forecasts directly in your calendar for planning outdoor activities.
• Templates: Save event templates for recurring meeting types to speed up event creation.
• Widgets: Home screen and lock screen widgets for iOS and macOS widget support.
• Conference Calls: Detect video call links and join with one click from calendar events.
• Multi-Platform: Sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with consistent experience.

Recent Updates and Improvements

Fantastical receives regular updates with new features and platform improvements from Flexibits.

• Openings: Share available time slots with others who can book directly into your calendar.
• Focus Filters: Integration with iOS and macOS Focus modes for context-aware calendar display.
• Widgets: Enhanced widgets for lock screen, home screen, and desktop with customization options.
• Performance: Faster sync, improved reliability, and better handling of large calendars.
• Collaboration: Better calendar sharing with improved visibility and management options.
• Apple Silicon: Native support for M1, M2, and M3 Macs with optimized performance.
• Interface Updates: Refreshed design elements matching current Apple platform aesthetics.
• Accessibility: Improved VoiceOver support and accessibility features throughout.

System Requirements

macOS

• macOS 12.0 Monterey or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon processor
• RAM: 4 GB minimum
• Storage: 150 MB available space

iOS and iPadOS

• iOS 16.0 or later
• iPadOS 16.0 or later
• Compatible with all current iPhones and iPads
• Storage: 100 MB minimum

Apple Watch

• watchOS 9.0 or later
• Paired iPhone required
• Complications and app support

How to Get Started with Fantastical

Installation and Setup

1. Download from Mac App Store or iOS App Store
2. Launch and sign in to Flexibits account
3. Grant calendar and reminder access
4. Connect calendar accounts
5. Customize views and preferences

# Fantastical installation
# Mac App Store: Search "Fantastical"
# iOS App Store: Search "Fantastical"

# Or download from flexibits.com

# After installation:
# 1. Grant calendar access when prompted
# 2. Grant reminders access for tasks
# 3. Connect accounts in Preferences > Accounts

# Supported account types:
# - iCloud
# - Google Calendar
# - Microsoft Exchange/365
# - CalDAV
# - Fastmail, Yahoo, and more

Natural Language Examples

# Event creation examples:
"Lunch with John tomorrow at noon"
"Team meeting every Monday at 10am for 1 hour"
"Flight to NYC June 15 at 6pm from SFO"
"Dentist appointment next Thursday at 2:30pm"
"Birthday party Saturday 3-6pm at Central Park"

# Task creation:
"todo Buy groceries"
"remind me to call mom tomorrow at 5pm"
"task Finish report by Friday"

# Recurring events:
"Standup every weekday at 9:15am"
"Book club first Tuesday of every month at 7pm"

Calendar Sets

1. Open Settings/Preferences
2. Navigate to Calendar Sets
3. Create new set (e.g., “Work”, “Personal”)
4. Assign calendars to each set
5. Switch sets from menu bar or app

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Natural Language: Best-in-class natural language parsing makes event creation incredibly fast.
• Beautiful Design: Award-winning interface that makes calendar management visually enjoyable.
• Cross-Platform: Excellent apps on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with seamless sync.
• Calendar Sets: Unique feature for quickly switching calendar contexts reduces clutter.
• Active Development: Regular updates with new features and platform improvements.
• Scheduling: Openings feature provides built-in availability sharing without third-party tools.
• Reliability: Solid sync and performance with major calendar services.

Cons

• Subscription Pricing: Annual subscription required for full features; some prefer one-time purchase.
• Apple Only: No Windows, Android, or web version limits cross-platform use.
• Price: Premium pricing may not suit users with basic calendar needs.
• Feature Complexity: Many features require time to discover and configure effectively.
• Free Tier Limits: Free version significantly limited compared to full subscription.

Fantastical vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Fantastical?

Fantastical is ideal for:

• Apple Power Users: Those fully invested in Apple ecosystem who want premium calendar experience.
• Busy Professionals: Executives and professionals managing complex schedules across devices.
• Natural Language Fans: Users who value fast event creation through typing naturally.
• Design-Conscious: People who appreciate beautiful, well-designed applications.
• Multi-Device Users: Those using Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch who want consistency.
• Meeting Schedulers: Professionals who frequently need to share availability with others.

Fantastical may not be ideal for:

• Cross-Platform: Users needing Windows, Android, or web access to calendars.
• Budget-Conscious: Those unwilling to pay subscription for calendar functionality.
• Basic Needs: Users whose simple scheduling needs are met by free alternatives.
• One-Time Purchase: Preference for owning software outright rather than subscribing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Fantastical cost?

Fantastical uses subscription pricing at $57/year or about $4.75/month billed annually. This includes all apps across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with a single subscription. A free tier exists with limited features including basic calendar viewing but lacking natural language input and premium features. Family sharing allows sharing subscription with up to 6 family members.

Is Fantastical worth the subscription?

Value depends on how much time you spend managing calendars. For professionals whose productivity depends on efficient scheduling, Fantastical time savings justify the cost. Natural language input alone saves significant time over form-based entry. If you use basic calendar features occasionally, free alternatives suffice. Try the limited free version to evaluate before subscribing.

How does Fantastical compare to BusyCal?

Both are premium Mac calendar apps with similar features including natural language and weather. Fantastical uses subscription pricing; BusyCal is one-time purchase. Fantastical has slightly better natural language parsing and design polish; BusyCal offers more customization options. Fantastical includes scheduling feature; BusyCal does not. Choose based on pricing preference and specific feature needs.

Does Fantastical work with Google Calendar?

Yes, Fantastical fully supports Google Calendar including personal and Google Workspace accounts. Events sync bidirectionally between Fantastical and Google Calendar. You get the Fantastical interface and natural language input while maintaining Google Calendar for web access and sharing. Multiple Google accounts can be connected simultaneously.

What is Fantastical Openings?

Openings is Fantastical built-in scheduling feature similar to Calendly. You define available time slots and share a link with others who can book directly into your calendar. When someone books, the event appears in your calendar automatically. This eliminates back-and-forth emails to find meeting times. Openings is included with Fantastical subscription.

Final Verdict

Fantastical earns its premium positioning through genuine excellence in calendar management. The natural language parsing is remarkably accurate, the design is genuinely beautiful, and the feature set addresses real productivity needs. For Apple users who manage busy schedules, Fantastical transforms calendar management from chore to pleasure.

The subscription model ensures continuous improvement with regular feature additions and platform updates. Calendar Sets, Openings, and deep platform integration demonstrate ongoing investment in making Fantastical better. The apps work seamlessly across Apple devices with the consistency and polish that premium pricing should deliver.

While the subscription cost and Apple-only availability limit Fantastical audience, it excels for its target users. Professionals who value their time and appreciate quality software will find the investment worthwhile. For Apple users seeking the best possible calendar experience, Fantastical sets the standard that competitors aspire to match.