The calendar plays an important role in helping you organize a busy day. It’s particularly helpful as our work/life balance is ready to be upended during the work-from-home period. Google Calendar is the default choice for the majority out there as it is available on every platform. Microsoft is taking a different route to make the Calendar app the default on your device. How about comparing them to see which one is better for you?
Microsoft bought the popular Sunrise Calendar and stopped further development. The company has integrated the calendar functionality into the Outlook mail application.
As expected, both calendar apps are feature-rich with tons of options to create the perfect meeting or task. In this article, we will compare both calendar apps to find a suitable solution for you. The benchmark compares the UI, features, cross-platform availability, third-party calendar support, etc. covers. So let’s start.
Cross-Platform Availability
In terms of calendar apps, cross-platform usability is important. If you sync events and reminders with Gmail, all your upcoming items will be with you on every platform.
But using the same calendar app on all platforms allows you to have a seamless UI/UX experience across all devices. Google Calendar is available on iOS, Android, and the Web.
Outlook Calendar is accessible on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac.
user interface
Google has updated its calendar app with Material Theme 2.0 design guidelines. The interface uses lots of white backgrounds that look consistent with other Google apps. The calendar app also plays well with the Android 10 dark theme.
My biggest issue with the current UI is that it still uses a hamburger menu. And navigation is confusing with Android 10 full-screen gestures. Sometimes it re-records the movements, sometimes it opens the hamburger menu, which is confusing and annoying.
The Outlook calendar is integrated into the Outlook application. It works as a plugin, not a separate application. If you’re a fan of the Sunrise calendar, you’ll definitely appreciate Microsoft’s app. Unlike Google Calendar, it uses a nice blue header with the day entries below.
Swipe up or down and you will see a nice animation on the calendar icon. Nice touch. As expected, Outlook supports dark mode on Android 10 and above.
Creating a New Event
Both apps have the usual provisions for adding a new event. With Outlook, you can create a new event and add details such as title, time, location, notes, and attach files. I like that Outlook has Skype integration. Makes group video/audio calls smooth and easy.
With Google, the app will ask you to create an event, reminder, or Goal (more on that later). Tap the event and the screen will suggest adding a title, timer location, notification timer and event color. You can even add attachments from Google Drive and invite other members to the event.
The app also lets you create reminders. You can also add them via Google Assistant.
widgets
Typically, widgets don’t get much attention when comparing apps, but they play a vital role with calendar apps.
With Google Calendar, you can choose the upcoming event widget or choose a monthly widget. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to create an event from the home screen.
As for Outlook, you can add the regular 2×3 widget or a shortcut to open the application directly in the Calendar menu. If you want to create a new event quickly, long press the app icon and add a new event with relevant details.
Extra Features
Google Calendar’s Goal function is excellent. You can choose the activity you want to do daily and its duration. Installation is pretty simple. In fact, it will usually ask you when you did such an operation. After installation, the app will add it to your calendar according to your busy schedule.
As a bonus, you can also sync it with the Google Fit account. Examples are fitness-related activity, meditation, calling friends and family, and more. It is useful for building habits and following routines more punctually.
In Outlook, you can add Facebook events, Evernote reminders through the calendar apps in the settings menu. Useful for integrating your friend’s birthdays directly into the calendar.
Outlook also offers interesting calendars where you can add your favorite TV shows, sports teams or sports events schedule right in the app. Although none of that matters in 2020, right?
It supports most of the popular sports leagues and in the example below, you can see the supported sports category in the Outlook calendar app.
Go to Setting > Interesting Calendars and select your option from it. Google Calendar does not provide such third-party calendar functionality.
Google or Microsoft
Outlook Calendar comes with many options right out of the box. Also, in terms of UI, it looks a little nicer than Google’s plain approach. Google’s target functionality is something you won’t find in any Calendar app. It’s a game changer for someone like me who keeps track of time for events and habits. Which calendar app will you use and why? Share your opinion in the comments section below.
Next: Outlook also works perfectly as an email application. Read the post below to find its comparison to the Gmail email app on Android.
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