Couples and families on different calendar services can see each other's commitments in two ways: copy each person's events onto the other's calendar, or share one calendar link that shows when someone is busy. Keeper.sh is a calendar sync service that copies events between Google Calendar, Outlook, iCloud, Fastmail and any CalDAV server, so every calendar shows you as busy at the same times. It is free for 2 calendar accounts and 3 connections, and Pro is $5 a month for unlimited calendars.
When a household needs calendar sync
Two people who both use iCloud, or both use Google, can share a calendar inside that service. Keeper.sh fits the households where that stops working:
- Different services. One of you keeps an iCloud calendar and the other a Google or Outlook calendar, and neither wants to move.
- A work calendar in the mix. A partner's work travel should show on your personal calendar, or the school run should block time on a work calendar that colleagues book against.
- A calendar that arrives as a link. A school, club or rota publishes an
.icslink, and its dates should sit on the family calendar as events.
Copy each other's events between two calendars
Two connections, one in each direction, put your partner's commitments on your calendar and yours on theirs. Each connection runs one way, so two-way sync is two connections. Two partners syncing both ways use 2 accounts and 2 connections.
Each copy is a busy block named after the source calendar. The title, description and location are hidden by default, Pro can turn them back on per calendar, and guest lists are never copied.
On Free, your calendar shows a block at 6pm on Thursday titled with the name of your partner's calendar. On Pro, switching on Sync Event Name for that calendar makes the block carry the event's own title, with the same 2 accounts and 2 connections. The setting is per calendar, so a partner's personal calendar can show titles while their work calendar stays as plain busy blocks.
Set it up
- Create a Keeper.sh account with an email address and a password.
- Connect your own calendar: choose Google Calendar, Outlook or Microsoft 365 or iCloud. Fastmail is under Fastmail, CalDAV or a calendar link.
- Connect your partner's calendar. Your partner signs in on Google's or Microsoft's own permission screen, or creates an app-specific password in their Apple account settings for iCloud. Keeper.sh never sees a Google or Microsoft password.
- On the Ready to sync screen, leave both directions on and choose Start syncing.
- Open each calendar and set Calendar Name to something you both recognise, such as the person's first name. The name is used inside Keeper.sh only, and it is the title each busy block carries.
Copies cover one month back to two years ahead. A copy follows its original: when your partner moves or cancels an event, Keeper.sh moves or deletes the block on your calendar.
Share a busy-times link
A shareable calendar link is one link covering the calendars you choose. Your partner, a grandparent or a childminder subscribes to it in Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar, and nothing is written into their calendar.
- Open iCal Feeds on the Keeper.sh dashboard and open your feed.
- Under Calendars, tick the calendars the link should include.
- Check the line under the link reads "This link shares event times only", then send the link.
Every event in the link reads "Busy" by default. Pro can show titles in a link and create more than one, so your partner's link can carry titles while the childminder's link shows times only. The person subscribing needs no Keeper.sh account, and their calendar app decides how often it re-reads the link. Anyone holding the link can subscribe, so send it only to the people it is for.
Put family and school calendars on a work calendar
A shared family calendar usually lives inside one person's account, and an account is one signed-in calendar service however many calendars it holds. A personal calendar, a family calendar and a work calendar across two accounts use 3 connections:
- Personal calendar to work calendar
- Family calendar to work calendar
- Work calendar to personal calendar
That is 2 calendar accounts, personal and work, and 3 connections.
A school or club calendar published as an .ics link connects under Subscribe with a calendar link. A calendar link is read-only: events copy out of it and nothing writes back. Each link counts as one calendar account, so a personal account, a work account and a school link together need Pro.
How quickly changes show and what it costs
On Pro, Google and Outlook changes land within seconds, and iCloud, Fastmail and CalDAV changes land every minute. On Free, changes land every 30 minutes.
Free covers 2 calendar accounts and 3 connections. Pro is $5 a month or $45 a year for unlimited calendars (pricing). The table lists the accounts and connections each layout uses.
| Layout | Accounts | Connections | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two partners, both directions | 2 | 2 | Free |
| Personal, family and work calendars across two accounts | 2 | 3 | Free |
| Two partners both ways, plus a work calendar both ways with one partner's calendar | 3 | 4 | Pro |
| Personal, work and a school calendar link | 3 | 3 | Pro |
The calendar sync features page lists what each connection can be set to do. For shopping lists, chores and meal plans beside the calendar, the shared calendar apps for couples comparison covers the apps built for them.
Common questions about calendar sync for couples and families
Can my partner and I sync our calendars for free?
Yes. Keeper.sh's Free plan covers 2 calendar accounts and 3 connections, and two partners copying events both ways use 2 accounts and 2 connections.
Does it work if one of us uses iCloud and the other uses Google Calendar?
Yes. Keeper.sh reads and writes iCloud, Google Calendar, Outlook, Fastmail and CalDAV calendars, and a connection can run between any two of them.
Will my partner see the titles of my events?
No, not by default. Keeper.sh copies each event as a busy block named after your calendar, with the title, description and location hidden. On Pro you can switch titles on for the calendars you choose.
Does my partner need their own Keeper.sh account?
No. Your partner either grants access to their calendar once on their provider's sign-in screen, or subscribes to a Keeper.sh calendar link in their own calendar app.