Routine vs Fantastical

The last time we checked out Routine, we went in thinking it was was a lightweight daily planner. Fifteen minutes later, we were scared we'd just deleted their entire task database...😂 Search Routine Review Gone Wrong on YouTube and you'll see what we mean.

Routine is a daily planner with lots of features like task scheduling, label creation, and, of course, a calendar, but with so much happening, a lot of the features don't work fully like you'd want them to. The glaring problem is that their execution makes it hard to understand what it actually wants to be 🫠

Routine is says its for busy professionals and modern teams, but we feel like a student or busy parent is a more appropriate audience based on the limited way many of the features work. Maybe someone who wants a free tool to drag tasks onto a calendar, loosely organize their day, or experiment with time blocking, but gosh, as a business, it will not do what it needs for you. It has a free tier (which is rare in this category), but we can definitely see why, so if you decide to try it, lower your expectations.

• Has a free tier (rare in this category)
• Drag-and-drop task scheduling onto calendar
• Tasks can contain detailed notes

• Not a ton of integrations
• Not intuitive (basic actions require trial and error)
• Labels system adds complexity without clear payoff
• Feels unstable (easy access to database-level settings)
• Too basic for a primary business calendar
• Identity crisis: calendar vs. daily planner vs. knowledge management tool

Routine allows you to create tasks and drag them directly onto your calendar. You can adjust time blocks and rearrange your day visually. The time-blocked task planning works, but it feels basic.

They even tried integrating natural language, but even that has its hang-ups. For example, when creating a task, typing "3 days" schedules it for December 3rd instead of three days from now. To get the result you're looking for, you have to type "in 3 days." A small detail that shows good intention, but poor execution.

Routine introduces a labels system that acts almost like a relational database. You can assign labels to tasks and events and view counts across categories.

In theory, this would allow for deeper organization, but in practice, it feels like an added mental load. You can see numbers, but you won't extract any valuable insight.

Again, we have some clarity issues. Routine has tasks that function as full notes, so you have the option to expand well beyond a simple checklist item. This leans into their "all-in-one" ambition, and looks like they were attempting to blend planning with knowledge management.

However, the separation between tasks and notes is confusing, and it's not always clear where things live or how they relate.

• Free: Best for individuals & students looking to become more productive.
• Professional: $10/mo. Best for professionals who want AI notes and time tracking capabilities.
• Business: $15/mo per user. Best for teams who want workspaces and access control.
• Enterprise: Contact for more details. Best for large teams in need of extra security.

Fantastical is a calendar app only for MacOS and iOS users (Android users, skip this review and check out Notion Calendar, Morgen, or our favorite: Motion instead). It became popular early on for being the first to do natural language event creation, which for a long time made Fantastical stand out.

Today, Fantastical is best suited for individuals or families who are deep in the Apple ecosystem and want an Apple-native calendar experience. It's not a calendar we'd recommend for professional use or teams, as there are far better, more powerful, and modern calendars on the market. But we know people who love it for it's fast keyword shortcuts and usable mini-calendar features.

The biggest limitation is that Fantastical feels dated. It does all the basic features like event creation and light task management, but there are other features that seem out of place and unnecessary.

• Apple-native (macOS and iOS)
• Clean, familiar interface for Apple users
• Supports iCloud, Google, Microsoft, and Exchange

• Apple-only (no Android support)
• Not recommended for professional teams
• Feels outdated compared to modern alternatives

Fantastical built its name on natural language, and it still does this really well.

It's as simple as typing something like, "Meeting with Stephanie at Starbucks in Stone Oak on Wednesday at 10 for two hours,"and it understands the title, location, date, time, and duration without you clicking through all the drop downs.

It's not a full AI assistant that’s going to reschedule your life, but for quickly adding events throughout the day, it's fast and reliable.

For those who love a good keyboard shortcut you'll be happy to know that Fantastical has a few.

A favorite being that with a few clicks on your keyboard you instantly open a small calendar overlay on your Mac.

From that mini view, you can:

• Switch between month, week, or list views
• Toggle between different calendar sets (personal, business, finance, etc.)
• Quickly peek into the future
• Check availability without breaking your workflow

There's also smart behavior in a week view that helps you jump to today. The calendar shifts so that today is always on the far left. Most apps lock you into a static Sunday–Saturday grid, so "today" keeps moving visually.

All these seemingly little details add up to a pretty big reduction in mental friction.

Like more calendars, when someone books time with you using Fantastical’s "Openings" feature, the app can automatically attach a Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Webex link to the event. It lets you choose your preferred provider inside your meeting template.

Overall, it's convenient and removes extra steps, but again, most calendars offer similar functionality, so while it’s helpful, it’s not a reason to switch altogether.

• Free: Available with limited functionality
• Individual/Team:
• • 14 day trial, then $4.75 per month billed annually
  • 14 day trial, then $6.99 per month billed monthly.