There are open source alternatives for most apps, but you may not even be aware of free and open source alternatives to Google Calendar. If you’re unfamiliar with the idea of open source, the core concept is that the source code is accessible to anyone, so installing an open source calendar app prevents any of your data within the app from being tracked or shared without your knowledge.
Google Calendar is preinstalled on most Android phones and is a comprehensive solution that offers smooth integration with other Google services. However, if you don’t want to share your details with Google, and wish to keep your schedule private, there are several open source alternatives available for Android.
Why open source matters
Free and open source software (FOSS) has a number of advantages, but to most people, the main benefit is privacy. All the code is out in the open, so anyone with programming knowledge can go through it and see exactly what an app is doing. Proprietary apps can sometimes feel like black boxes, where you don’t really know what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s rarely the case with FOSS.
We say ‘almost,’ because there’s technically nothing stopping open source apps from spying on you, but that behavior is extremely rare. If a developer is doing something they’re not supposed to be, like spying on users or bundling malware, they probably wouldn’t announce it to the world.
Many people simply prefer open source apps out of principle, in the same way that some people prefer shopping at locally-owned stores instead of Walmart or Target. These apps are often created by individuals or small groups in their spare time, as opposed to large companies with income generated from advertising or venture capital.
Simple Calendar
Simple Mobile Tools offers a brilliant range of open source apps, and its calendar app provides you with everything you need, including a search function, widgets, notifications for reminders, multi-calendar support, no advertisements, and more. If you want to use local calendars, you can import and export .ics files with just a few taps.
Simple Calendar offers a free app that includes all the features I mentioned previously, but the Pro version has more notification and invitation options. It’s interface is similar across all Simple apps, so this is an ideal solution if you want to use a unified suite of open source apps. The app can also sync calendars from any app on your phone.
Etar
Another excellent open source option is Etar. It’s lighter on features than Simple Calendar, but still has month/week/day/agenda views, both light and dark themes, notification support, no advertising, and a clean design. Like Simple Calendar, it can pull calendars from Android’s built-in CalDAV service, so my Google Calendar schedules appeared with no effort. You can also import and export calendars in .ics format.
Proton Calendar
Proton Calendar is developed by Proton Technologies, which has also developed a privacy-focused email app. Proton Calendar is developed with the same idea in mind, offering zero ads and trackers, end-to-end encryption, and no data sharing. It is lacking features present on other calendar apps like notes, and the ability to import data from other calendar apps. However, it is perfect for those who aren’t heavy users of calendar apps, as it includes the most important features like event notifications, a calendar widget, daily and monthly views, and recurring events.
DAVx⁵
DAVx⁵ isn’t a calendar app on its own — rather, it acts as a sync server for other calendar and contacts applications to access cloud accounts. If you switch devices regularly, this can sync your calendar without needing to use Google Play Services.
DAVx⁵ can pull data from most cloud services, including iCloud, Google, Nextcloud/OwnCloud, Fastmail, Synology DSM, Yahoo, and many others. Because it acts as a CalDAV provider for the Android system, most contacts/calendar apps should be able to access it, including the ones that ship with your phone.
There’s no shoratage of open source app alternatives
The limited range of open source calendar apps on Android can feel frustrating. However, many open source email apps include a calendar feature, so it’s worth trying one of these out instead of a dedicated calendar app.
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