PlanJour vs Apple Calendar: what you gain by adding a journal
By PlanJour team, Sparklithic Ltd · Published · Updated
Apple Calendar is free, fast and deeply built into your devices. PlanJour adds a daily journal, mood, habits and time-balance insights. Here is when the extra is worth it.
Apple Calendar is the better choice if you want a free, fast calendar that is built into every Apple device and syncs instantly through iCloud. PlanJour is the better choice if you want your calendar and a daily journal in one place, so you can see not just what you planned but how your days actually went.
Many people do not need to choose. PlanJour can import your Apple calendar one way through an iCal link, so the two can live side by side.
At a glance
| PlanJour | Apple Calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free plan; Plus £4.99/month or £34.99/year | Free with Apple devices |
| Calendar | Day, week, month, year and agenda views, recurring events, colour categories | Day, week, month and year views, recurring events, multiple calendars |
| Journal | Daily page: thoughts, wins, gratitude, affirmation, photos | None in Calendar (Apple offers a separate Journal app on iPhone) |
| Mood tracking | Mood and weather on every entry | Not in Calendar |
| Habits | Daily habit checklist with momentum rather than streaks | None |
| Sharing | Share events, categories or view-only calendar access | Shared iCloud calendars, invitations |
| Platforms | Any browser (installable), companion iOS app | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, iCloud on the web |
| Privacy | Optional end-to-end encryption for journal content | Strong Apple privacy controls; iCloud Advanced Data Protection available |
Where Apple Calendar is genuinely better
It is free, already installed, and integrated in ways no third-party app can match: Siri, widgets, the lock screen, Apple Watch, Mail invitations and Focus modes. Shared family calendars over iCloud are simple and reliable. If all you need is to know where to be and when, Apple Calendar does that job very well.
It also works offline on every Apple device natively and syncs two ways with other calendar accounts. PlanJour's external calendar support is one-way import only.
What PlanJour adds
The journal. Every day in PlanJour has a page for your thoughts, three wins, gratitude, an affirmation, mood, weather and up to three photos. Because it sits on the same day as your events, you can look back at a week and see both what happened and how it felt.
Time-balance insights show how your hours split across life categories such as work, health, social and rest, and the "did this actually happen?" review lets you mark events as done, skipped or moved so the insights reflect reality, not just intentions. Plus adds the Year Planner, monthly Life Progress checks and unlimited journal history.
PlanJour also works on any device with a browser, including Windows and Android, which helps if not everyone in your life uses Apple.
Choose Apple Calendar if…
- You only need a reliable schedule and you live in the Apple ecosystem.
- You rely on Siri, widgets and Apple Watch for reminders.
- You share calendars with family who all use iCloud.
Choose PlanJour if…
- You want to journal about your days without a second app.
- You want to see how your time is really balanced.
- You want habit tracking that does not punish a missed day.
- You use devices beyond Apple's, or want end-to-end encrypted journal entries.
Using both together
Copy your iCloud calendar's public or private iCal link and add it in PlanJour's calendar connections. Those events then appear in PlanJour automatically. Changes made in PlanJour do not write back to Apple Calendar, so keep editing those events where they live.
FAQ
Does PlanJour replace Apple Calendar?
It can, but it does not have to. Many people keep Apple Calendar for shared and work events and import them into PlanJour, which adds the journal and insights.
Is there a PlanJour app for iPhone?
Yes, a companion iOS app, alongside the web app that works in any browser.
How is this different from Apple's Journal app?
Apple's Journal is a separate app focused on writing prompts and memories. PlanJour puts the journal on the same page as your calendar day, with mood, habits and time insights alongside.