Cozi vs Google Calendar for families
Google Calendar is the free default; Cozi is the family organizer people switch to for lists and recipes. Here’s what each does for a family, where each stops, and what it costs.
Last checked
Cozi
A shared family organizer: calendar, reminders, shopping and to-do lists, and a recipe box.
What it does well
- A big, well-loved family organizer: rated 4.8 on about 400,000 App Store ratings.
- A free version with the core features.
- Calendar, reminders, lists and recipes in one place, and it can subscribe to school and work calendars.
Where it stops
- The family shares one account: each person signs in with their own email and the one shared password.
- The free version shows ads, and only lets you add events 30 days ahead from the Agenda view; month view on mobile is Gold.
- No chat, and nothing built around getting one person to say yes to a pickup.
Google Calendar
Google’s calendar. Creating a family group on Google gives its members a shared calendar called “Family”.
What it does well
- Free, with no ads and no limit on how far ahead you can add events.
- Works on any phone and the web.
- A “Family” calendar appears automatically for everyone in the family group.
Where it stops
- A family group is up to six people, you can be in one at a time, and you can switch groups once every 12 months.
- By default, people outside the family can edit events in the family calendar.
- A calendar only: lists and notes are separate Google apps.
Where Kid Pickup fits
- Every pickup and drop-off gets one person who said “I’ll do it”, or stands out as open until someone does.
- If nobody has a pickup, the app sends parents and guardians a nudge the day before, three hours out and two hours out.
- Grandparents and sitters sign in as themselves; a sitter sees only open pickups and their own.
- Its calendar feed can be added to Apple or Google Calendar, so it sits alongside whichever of these you choose.
Who should pick which
Choose Google Calendar if a shared calendar is all you need, everyone has a Google account, and the family is six people or fewer. Choose Cozi if you want shopping lists, to-dos and recipes in the same app.
Add Kid Pickup if the calendar is fine and the trouble is who’s doing each pickup. Its feed can be added to Google Calendar.
Pricing side by side
| App | Price | App Store rating |
|---|---|---|
| Cozi | Free with ads. Cozi Gold $39/yr; Cozi Max $79/yr, with AI event import and meal planning (Cozi’s plans page; the App Store lists other Gold prices too). | 4.8 on about 400,000 ratings |
| Google Calendar | Free with a Google account. | — |
| Kid Pickup | Family $59.99/yr or $5.99/mo. Premium $109.99/yr or $11.99/mo. One price per family. 14-day free trial. | No US ratings yet; 5.0 on 3 ratings in Canada |
Prices in US dollars, as of October 2026. App Store prices are shown in your local currency.
Sources
Every fact about another app on this page comes from these pages, checked October 2026. If something’s changed, tell us through the contact form and we’ll fix it.
Setting up
Google: create a family group (up to six people, one group per person, and you can switch groups once every 12 months), and a calendar called “Family” appears for everyone in it. Everyone needs a Google account. Cozi: one family account, with each person signing in by their own email and the shared password, on iPhone, Android or the web.
The calendar
Google’s calendar has no time limit, no ads, and every view on every device. Cozi’s free version only lets you add events 30 days ahead from the Agenda view and keeps month view on mobile for Gold. Both can subscribe to school and team calendars by link.
Everything around the calendar
Cozi has shared shopping and to-do lists, a recipe box, and (on Max) AI event import and meal planning. Google Calendar has none of that; you’d add Google Keep or Tasks, which are separate apps.
Six people
Google’s family group stops at six. Two parents and three kids leaves one place, for a grandparent or a sitter. Anyone else has to be shared the calendar separately. Cozi says every plan includes every family member on every device.
Price
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Google Calendar | Free with a Google account |
| Cozi | Free with ads; Gold $39/yr; Max $79/yr |
Where Kid Pickup fits
Neither tells you when a pickup has nobody. Kid Pickup gives each pickup one person who said yes, and its calendar feed can be added to Google Calendar, so the pickups appear next to everything else. See Google Calendar vs Kid Pickup.
Questions parents ask
Is Cozi better than Google Calendar?
For lists, recipes and a family-first app, yes. For a free calendar with no ads and no limit on how far ahead you can add events, Google Calendar.
How many people can share a Google family calendar?
A Google family group is up to six people, and everyone in it gets the “Family” calendar. You can share a calendar with others outside the group separately.
Can Cozi show my Google Calendar?
Yes, read-only, according to Cozi’s FAQ. Both can also subscribe to school and team calendars by link.
Is Google Calendar free for families?
Yes. The family group and its calendar come with Google accounts.