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Howbout vs. Cozi: Which shared calendar app should you be using in 2026?
If you’ve found this article, you’ve probably found yourself caught between options for shared calendar apps.
In this deep dive, we’re putting Cozi Family Organizer up against Howbout, the social calendar taking over 2026.
While Cozi has been a staple for busy parents for years, Howbout offers a fresh, social-first approach that makes actually making plans as easy as checking them.
One feels like a social hub for all your plans; the other feels more like a shared spreadsheet for your schedule.
We’ve broken down the key differences to help you decide which one actually deserves a spot on your home screen for real friend groups, families, work teams, and everything in between.
TL;DR: Which one should you choose?
Howbout: Shared Calendar
If you’re looking for a quick answer, here’s the bottom line:
- Choose Howbout if you want to organize your social life. It’s the best for friend groups, families, housemates, or anyone who needs to find common free time, chat within plans, and see what everyone is up to easily.
- Choose Cozi if you specifically need a "household hub" for young children’s chores, meal prepping, and grocery lists, and don't mind a slightly dated, ad-supported interface.
At a Glance: Howbout vs. Cozi Family Organizer
| Feature | Howbout | Cozi |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Friends, couples, social groups, families looking to find time together | Parents & household management |
| Availability Sharing | Yes – See "free/busy" at a glance | No – Manual entry only |
| In-App Chat | Yes – Dedicated chat for every plan | No |
| Polling Tools | Yes – Vote on dates/times/locations via polls | No |
| Syncing | Seemlessly sync Google, Apple, Outlook, anynative phone calendar | Google/Apple (Requires setup) |
| Price | Free with no ads, with an optional upgrade access to Howbout+ premium features | Free (Ads) / $39/yr (Gold) |
Deep Dive: Howbout vs. Cozi Family Organizer, which is better for you?
Cozi: Family Organizer
1. Seeing Availability: "When’s everyone free?"
The biggest friction in any shared calendar is the back-and-forth of finding a date everyone can make.
Cozi is a static calendar, you see what is already booked. If you want to know when your partner or child is free for a last-minute plan, you have to look for the white space in the calendar and hope they haven't just forgotten to add something.
Howbout is full of features to help get your plans locked in. When someone wants to plan a group catch-up, use the Instant Availability feature to automatically overlay everyone’s schedules to find the "magic window" where everyone is free. You can also sync existing calendars (work, uni, college, personal) to make sure your Howbout calendar is always accurate.
2. Planning vs. Organizing
There is a massive difference between organizing a household and planning a social event.
- Cozi is for organizing. It’s great for remembering that Tuesday is "Taco Night" and that someone needs to buy milk. Imagine it like a digital fridge door.
- Howbout is for keeping up with your friends and planning. Every plan on Howbout has a built-in chat, so no more 45-message-long WhatsApp threads trying to decide on a place to eat. You can drop a poll for the location, a poll for the time, and keep the guest list and RSVP status all in one place!
3. The "Group Chat" Fatigue
Speaking of the 45-message WhatsApp thread, it’s time to move on. The details get lost, the text with all the info is buried 200 messages up, and someone inevitably asks "what time again?" five minutes before it starts.
Howbout kills that group chat chaos. Because the chat is tied directly to the calendar event in the Howbout app, as well as the time, location, and guest list, the important stuff’s always at the top of the screen.
Cozi lacks integrated messaging. If you choose Cozi, you’ll still need a separate app for your group chats.
4. User Experience & Aesthetics
Cozi is functional, meaning all your events are clear on the calendar. The only downside is that it can be heavy on ads in the free version.
Howbout is fast, visual, and lets you customize colors across calendars, plans, friends, and groups!
The Verdict: Why Howbout Wins
While Cozi remains a solid tool for managing a household with young kids, Howbout is the superior shared calendar for almost everyone else.
If your life involves more dinners, trips, gym sessions, and social meetups, rather than grocery lists and school drop-offs, Howbout is the tool you need.
Why trust our review?
At Howbout, we’re more than just developers; we’re a team that was tired of the "let's see each other soon" lie and group chat planning chaos.
We've helped over 6 million users coordinate over 2 million events each week. This comparison is based on direct feedback from users who switched from traditional calendars to a more social way of planning.
Co-founder and CEO of Howbout, Neil Tanna, said:
“Before raising our Series A, many believed we couldn’t break through the noise. We’ve only made it this far because of our obsession with building a product people genuinely love — and a mission they resonate with.”
