I tried Mac’s best calendar app on my Windows PC and here is how it went

Whether you are a student, researcher, busy professional, or freelancer, a calendar app plays a vital role in managing your busy schedule. For years, Mac users have raved about Fantastical, a calendar app often lauded for its intuitive design and powerful features that go beyond basic scheduling. With the arrival of Fantastical on Microsoft’s desktop platform, Windows users finally have a chance to experience the hype firsthand. I tested it to see if it lives up to its reputation.

In this post, I will share my experience with Fantastical on Windows and reflect on whether it lives up to the expectations set by its Mac counterpart.

A native app with fluent design

Like its apps on existing platforms, Fantastical Calendar on Windows is a true native solution. This is in stark contrast to what we’ve seen recently with apps like the new Outlook for Windows, which essentially feels like a glorified web wrapper. Microsoft’s decision to ditch the native Outlook and Mail and Calendar apps left many Windows users demanding a truly integrated experience, and Fantastical can fill in the gap here.

The UI is clean, modern, and seamlessly blends with the latest Windows aesthetics. It definitely doesn’t feel rushed or like an afterthought. The iconography could have been a bit better (especially in the Settings app), but I’m just nitpicking here.

Packed with theme and customization options

While Fantastical’s Windows version may not yet boast the same number of customization options as its Mac counterpart, it still offers a solid selection of themes and app icons to tweak the overall look and feel. Whether you prefer dark, light, or a mix of two, or perhaps you even want a different app icon that vibes with other apps on the Windows taskbar, you have ample options to choose from.

It doesn’t have extensive themes with eye-catching wallpapers like Outlook. But I’m not complaining here, and it’s something Fantastical can always consider in future updates.

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Create events with natural language

Here is where Fantastical truly shines over the competition. Instead of filling out the entire event card, you can simply use natural language like Meet Alex for coffee at 3 PM tomorrow and creates an event in no time. Fantastical intelligently parses your input, recognizing the date, time, location, and even the participants.

With Outlook, you must open the New Event window and fill out all the details to get the job done. It surely is time-consuming compared to Fantastical’s approach.

Robust task management

Unlike other calendar apps on Windows, Fantastical comes with ample task management capabilities. After all, tasks are an important part of our daily lives, and you surely won’t want to use a separate app just for managing to-dos. What’s more? It seamlessly integrates with and imports from your existing task lists from Google, Microsoft 365, and Todoist.

When I connected my Google calendar, Fantastical also imported my task list. The best part is that you can create tasks using the same intuitive natural language processing as discussed above. For instance, I can simply type pick up flowers tomorrow at 4 PM and Fantastical takes care of the rest. This unified approach to managing both events and tasks simplifies your workflow and eliminates the need to juggle multiple apps.

I particularly like the Tasks view, where I can view all my lists at the top with a small app icon beside them indicating their origin.

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Templates support

Templates are quite unheard of in calendar apps. But to my surprise, Fantastical has nailed it with a neat execution. You can create templates for your frequently used events and schedule them with just a few clicks. Whether it’s your monthly project meeting with a client, a weekly team check-in, or a daily yoga routine, templates let you create a blueprint with all the necessary details, including date, time, location, and even attendees.

Once you’ve created a template, composing these recurring events becomes a seamless job. Simply select the template, adjust the date if needed, and voilà – it’s added to your calendar. This eliminates the tedious process of manually entering the same information over and over again, saving you time and effort.

Not a half-baked port

Going into Fantastical on Windows, I will admit I was a bit skeptical. Porting a beloved app from macOS to Windows often results in a half-baked experience (GoodNotes, I’m looking at you). But I’m thrilled to say that Fantastical for Windows has exceeded my expectations. It’s polished, feature-rich, and thoughtfully designed.

Sure, there’s room for improvement, and some features are still missing compared to the Mac version, but for a first release, Fantastical on Windows is impressive and worth trying out. However, the free version has limited functionality. You can sign up for a 14-day free trial and determine if it’s worth spending $4.75 per month. Check out our separate guide if you want to find more such productivity apps for your PC.