Cozi vs Google Calendar for families
Written by the makers of Somiya, one of the apps on this page. Cozi prices checked 28 September 2026. Prices change — check again before you pay.
Cozi is a family organizer with a calendar, shopping lists and to-dos. Google Calendar is a general calendar that a family can share. Most families pick between them on one question: do you need lists in the same app, or only a calendar?
Side by side
| Cozi | Google Calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Family organizer: calendar, shopping lists, to-dos | A calendar you can share with a family group |
| Price | Free with ads; Gold $39/year; Max $79/year | Free |
| Ads | Yes, on the free plan | No |
| How far ahead you can see | About a month on the free plan; no limit on Gold | No limit |
| Shared lists | Yes | Not as a family list in the calendar |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, web | iPhone, Android, web |
| Getting your data out | No export button. Each member’s calendar has an iCal link on the website; lists have no export | Export from the web version as .ics files (in a ZIP); not from the phone app |
Choose Cozi if…
- You want the shopping list and the calendar in one app, on every platform.
- You accept ads, or you will pay for Gold.
Choose Google Calendar if…
- The whole family is already on Google accounts and you need only a calendar.
- You want no ads, no cost and an easy way to take the calendar with you.
Don’t choose Cozi if…
Your family books the school year ahead and will stay on the free plan. The calendar there stops about a month ahead. Also not if leaving later matters: the calendar can be saved from an iCal link, but the lists cannot be exported.
Don’t choose Google Calendar if…
You want a shared grocery list or tasks with an owner in the same app. A calendar tells everyone where the dentist is; it does not tell one person that the form is theirs.
A third option
Somiya is a family organizer for iPhone with a calendar, shared lists and tasks, no ads and a reminder that goes to the person assigned, in their timezone. It costs $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year for up to 8 people after a 14-day trial. It is iPhone-only today, so an Android phone in the family rules it out. More: Somiya vs Cozi · Cozi alternatives · free family calendar apps.
Questions
Is Cozi or Google Calendar better for a family?
If you need shopping lists and to-dos in the same app, Cozi. If you need only a calendar and the family uses Google accounts, Google Calendar is free and has no ads.
Is Cozi free?
Cozi has a free plan with ads that shows only about a month of calendar ahead. Cozi Gold is $39 a year and Cozi Max is $79 a year, per Cozi’s pricing page, checked 28 September 2026.
Can I move my Cozi calendar to Google Calendar?
Yes, through an .ics file. Cozi has no export button, but each member’s calendar has an iCal link on the Cozi website that downloads as an .ics file, which Google Calendar can import. Lists have no export.
Does Google Calendar have a shared shopping list?
Not as a family list inside the calendar. If you want shared lists in the same app, use a family organizer such as Cozi, FamilyWall or Somiya.