Fantastical Calendar Reviews

Little added value

Quark Gluon Plasma

I paid for version 1 for the natural language parser. Not great, but I liked it well enough to upgrade to version 2, even though the parser was not really any better, and the user interface was not good. Then came version 3, and the developers wanted 40 US$ a year for the full version. The parser is still the bit I like the most, and it still doesn’t work all that well. I’m not opposed to software subscription, but there has to be value. There’s a lot of subscription software I’m not using, and this was the easiest decision to make.

Wish I didn’t have to see Fantastipal in Apple Watch...

sh$/ nickname

I appreciate that y’all have an Apple Watch app, but I really wish you had the option for us to not have to see “Fantastipal” on it...I would just really prefer a more streamlined modern look to my watch experience. Until then, I guess I’ll be using the regular calendar app for my Apple Watch.

$$$$

Ghbfbgr

Wow! I believe that I originally paid $5 or so for this app...now I have lost all ability to use this as a shared calendar, etc and they want to charge me $39.99?!? No way. I loved this calendar’s functionality. Going to find a new option, unfortunately.

Used to love, but freezes constantly

davidcordoba

I used to love this calendar app, but it freezes about 1/3rd of the times after I create a new event, forcing me to close and reopen it. I always have it up to date, but this issue has been going on for months and it has not been fixed with any of the released updates.

Goodbye

xgregious

Why should I have to go to great lengths to disable the spam messages, and enable the 3.x features since I already paid for the app. The key word here is: “App”. A calendar is not and never will be a service. Is there any good reason why I should pay $1000+ for a calendar app that I already own? Support - please recommend a suitable alternative product that doesn’t pretend that a calendar is a subscription service.

Calendar Sets + Zoom Integration = Game Changer

Lovetostudy

I’ll be to the point. If you have multiple responsibilities, you like to live deliberately, you have a number of shared calendars, and you want your calendar to do everything you could dream of. This is it. I don’t want to waste my time reading the negative reviews, but I’m guessing they are all about the cost. Because how does a top-rated app fall to 3.0 ratings so quickly? It has to be fraud or people just mad at an additional cost. I guess that point is up to you. Considering how much a calendar is directly correlated with TIME, and time is directly correlated with COST I think people should probably think more carefully about their reviews. Here’s why I decided to violate my policy against paid subscriptions: 1. Calendar sets are amazing. I can setup calendar sets that show and hide what ever I want. I can also set a default calendar for each set so when I drag anything (like an OmniFocus task, more on that later) on Fantastical it drops right in the correct calendar. Those calendar sets also affect my iOS 14 widgets. Nice. 2. The Zoom integration saves a ton of time. If you do Zoom, or a number of other online meetings, this saves you time and makes scheduling meetings way easier than the Zoom app. 3. OmniFocus duration lengths directly integrate! I can do split screen (on my Mac or iPad) and drag OF tasks right onto my calendar and the task occupies the exact amount of duration time I set. Very effective. I could list a number of other features, but I won’t. Try it, and if you like it, buy it. If you don’t like it, or it’s too feature rich. Fine. Hope this helps.

Removed Calendar Widget

Deimachus

Update: the developer response solved my issue. Thank you for the help! The most recent update removed the calendar widget from the widgets screen. I hate the new widgets that do not let me select specific days to check what events are coming up. Please bring back the old calendar + event list widget from before iOS 14.

Bait and switch for older user/developer ignores feedback.

Adchum

Update 10/6/2020:Lowered to one star for canned answer from developer. In addressing the developer’s response, it is very apparent that because I shared similar disappointments as so many other users, my review was skimmed and given a mostly canned answer. I, on the other hand, will address, point-by-point, their response in order to make clear how little care for their customers they have. 1.) you did not explain the need for a separate account, you obfuscated and claimed that it was required to have a subscription across platforms, this makes no sense as this is the exact mechanism of action of apple’s payment system 2.) you did exactly what I said support has done, and you’ve pointed me to a privacy policy that has holes bigger than Swiss cheese in it 3.) a claim of “end-to-end encryption” is exactly that, a claim. Apple has decades of trust, any trust you’ve established with me is quickly vanishing. 4.) the first three points lead back to the point I made several times, which you so clearly missed based on your need to justify switching to a subscription model, which is that I am more than willing to pay a subscription, just make it so I can use iCloud and not your own system. If you have no way of viewing my information, then why do you need it at all? Your logic is flawed. 5.) it is not my responsibility as the end user to know to go to your obscure link to read why your feature parody wasn’t there before, and why it is there now. All I see as an end user is that features I know I had are now behind a pay wall, that I’ll underline again, just in case you’re skimming this too, I have no issue paying for, if I didn’t feel my security would be compromised. I’m sorry that I wasted my time with this app and I’m sorry I tried to point out things that cause your core users for years to be disgruntled. It’s obvious to me now that outside criticism is not welcomed and is actually ridiculed. I will not be returning to this app, but I hope, for the sake of people who actually still care, you start listening to it. The same complaints are echoing out in your reviews, and if you keep ignoring it, you’ll keep bleeding customers. Original: Today was a sad day. After 5 years of Fantastical being my calendar app of choice on all devices, I finally removed it in favor of Timepage. The two stars I’m giving are for the years of support that the app received, and for the overall design. However, the benefits stop there. That wasn’t always the case, but last year things started heading south in a major way. Let’s start with the reason I came to Fantastical. As stated above, the design matches with my aesthetic, so that was a good start, but the app’s understanding of real world sentences was amazing. Being able to type a sentence with all the relevant information on an event in it was truly groundbreaking at the time. But that’s the problem, it was just impressive for the time. This has become common place in most calendar apps. This leaves just the design of the app keeping me, but that was more than enough for a while. This all began with the switch from a standard payment system, to a subscription-based system. That in and of itself is no issue, as I would want to keep giving financial support to the developers who work to earn it, but coupled with that, in order to access all of the new functionality, you were required to start a “Flexibit Account.” Yet the whole reason I used Fantastical for years was it’s sole integration with iCloud. I have zero interest giving away my data to another company who cannot insure the amount of privacy that iCloud offers. Strike one. Next was the debate I had with the support team of Flexibit, who insists that all functionality that was available in the previously paid for apps would be available moving forward without the need for a subscription. That was patently untrue. It started as truthful, but over the months, more and more functionality that has been in the app for years has begun to slip behind the pay wall. Strike two. My breaking point was earlier this week when I updated my app, opened it to find that now even MORE has slipped behind that pay wall. This time in the form of basic iCloud Calendar syncing functionality. Things that are available as a part of the core iOS calendar app and in turn are a part of the calendar API have now been blocked. I can’t set up travel times for an event without paying Flexibit, when I can simply go to the iOS calendar app and do that myself. Strike three. I would take the time to reach out to support yet again, but I’m very aware that they will just insist that any features hidden behind the paywall are new features that weren’t available in the old app, that functionality I’m seeing as previously not apart of the subscription, has always been and I’m just imagining using those features without the subscription for, in some cases, years. I’m also aware that they will insist that they take my privacy extremely seriously and employ the highest level of security they can, but those are all just words. Every company insists their accounts are safe until they’re hacked, and this is my work calendar we’re talking about. I’d like to ensure I’m safe, not assume it. And why would they admit to taking features from users? That would be a severe issue that they don’t want to face. So instead of wasting my time and energy with this game, I’ll just take my business to another app. One that I still gladly pay a subscription for, but won’t require me to choose basic functionality over my privacy. It’s truly disappointing to be leaving this app behind, but with the increasing focus on the subscription model leading to decreasing functionality of their base users, and with no option to pay money, without needing another unprotected account, I have no interest in continuing to use this app. If you get rid of the requirement of a Flexibit account, I may reconsider, but until then, Moleskine has my support.

Not a fan of the new date picker

MickyC6625

I’ve been using the app for a long time now and I’ve been very happy with it. I’m still not thinking of changing, but I do not like the way the date and time picker has changed. The calendar part is fine, but it is more difficult for me to set the time now than it used to be. Again, not a dealbreaker, but it is much more difficult now for me to scroll through the times. UPDATE: Flexibits got back to me and told me that the change I was complaining about was due to a change in the iOS operating system. And, they are going to try to address that by moving some of the options around a little bit in an update. This is awesome developer support and I’m changing my rating to five stars.

Has issues

Person 447799

What is the purpose of the widget if it will not show my events and only tasks?

Fantastical Calendar Reviews – Page 11