TimeTree vs Cozi (2026): Which Family Calendar Wins?

Choose TimeTree for a clean, free-first shared calendar with per-event chat. Choose Cozi for a familiar calendar, lists, recipes and meal planner. Choose Kinmory when the problem extends beyond sharing a schedule: your family wants selected school information and household files to become source-linked answers, reviewable event or task suggestions, meals and grocery actions. Kinmory is our product; it is not the simplest or cheapest choice when a shared calendar is all you need.

People pit these two against each other constantly, but they solve different jobs. TimeTree asks, “Where can we share the schedule cleanly?” Cozi asks, “Where can the household keep its calendar, groceries, meals and lists?” Kinmory is a third category: an AI family assistant for households that want structured planning and selected family information connected in one workflow. Below, we state who should choose each option, what evidence supports the claims, and what has not been tested.

When Kinmory is the better third choice

Kinmory is the better candidate when the family's problem is not only “where is the event?” but also “what did the school say, what do we need to do, and where is the source?” The official product supports a connected calendar, task, meal and grocery workflow and source-linked Family Memory across selected supported files and school Newsletter information.

Choose Kinmory if: school Newsletters or family files contain details you need later; one parent repeatedly translates information into events and tasks; or meals and groceries also belong in the same weekly plan. Skip Kinmory if: everyone already maintains a basic shared calendar and you do not need AI-assisted capture or retrieval.

Verify the current scope on the official Family Organizer and Family Memory pages. For the school workflow specifically, see how a Newsletter can become an event, task or searchable memory.

Quick answer: TimeTree or Cozi?

For most families with kids, Cozi is the better single choice because it bundles the calendar with grocery/to-do lists, meal planning, and a recipe box on a permanent free tier. TimeTree is the better pick for couples or small families who want a cleaner, more modern shared calendar — its standout is unlimited shared calendars and a comment thread inside each event ("who's doing the 4pm pickup?"). Both have real free tiers with ads; paid, TimeTree Premium is $4.49/mo and Cozi Gold is $39/yr (checked July 2026). Neither has AI at its core — Cozi only adds automation on its priciest $79/yr Max tier.

What each one is

TimeTree vs Cozi vs Kinmory: side-by-side

TimeTree — for the couple who wants clean and free

TimeTree is the app to beat if a shared calendar is all you actually need. Its free tier is genuinely capable — unlimited shared calendars, event chat, reminders, and Google Calendar sync, with ads and a few limits (file size, search history). Premium removes ads and adds file attachments, a vertical hour-by-hour day view, and event pinning for $4.49/mo or $44.99/yr, with the first month free (per TimeTree's own pricing page, checked July 2026).

Who should skip TimeTree: families who want grocery lists, meal planning, and chore tracking living in the same place as the calendar — that's Cozi's turf, not TimeTree's.

Cozi — for the family that wants everything in one place

Cozi is the most complete manual organizer of the three. The permanent free tier (with ads) includes the shared calendar, shared grocery and to-do lists, and recipes; Gold at $39/yr removes ads and adds month view on mobile, calendar search, up to three reminders per event, birthday tracking, and priority support. New in 2026, Cozi Max at $79/yr layers on AI — AI Event Import (turns emails into events), an AI Recipe Creator, and an AI Meal Planner (per Cozi's own compare-plans page, checked July 2026).

Who should skip Cozi: couples who want a minimal, modern calendar (TimeTree fits better), or parents who want automation to be the default rather than a $79/yr add-on.

Where Kinmory fits (disclosed: it's our app)

TimeTree and Cozi primarily organize information after someone enters it. Kinmory is an AI family assistant designed to connect selected incoming information with the family plan. Supported school Newsletter information can be reviewed as event suggestions, task suggestions or searchable Family Memory; selected supported family files can be queried with available source links; and calendar, assigned tasks, meals and grocery lists remain part of the same household workflow. Important actions still require user review.

Disclosure: Kinmory is our own app, so weigh this section accordingly. If your honest problem is "we just need to see a shared schedule," TimeTree's free tier or Cozi is the better, cheaper answer, and we'd rather you land there than pay for automation you won't use. Kinmory earns its price only if the mental load — the remembering, the retyping, the planning — is the part wearing you out. See our broader comparison of the best family calendar apps, our honest guide to Cozi alternatives, and the deeper Cozi vs Kinmory breakdown.

How to choose (by scenario)

• You want free and clean, just a shared calendar → TimeTree. The free tier does everything a couple or small family needs.
• You want one manual app for calendar + lists + meals, cheaply → Cozi (free, or Gold at $39/yr for ad-free).
• You want email-to-calendar and meal-planning AI but don't want to leave Cozi → Cozi Max at $79/yr.
• The information-to-action gap is the real problem — you want supported school information and selected family files to remain queryable and connect to reviewed events, tasks, meals and groceries → consider Kinmory.

Frequently asked questions

TimeTree vs Cozi — which is better for families?

For families with kids, Cozi is usually the better single app because it bundles the shared calendar with grocery/to-do lists, meal planning, and recipes. TimeTree is better for couples or small families who want a cleaner, calendar-only app with a comment thread on each event. Both have real, ad-supported free tiers.

Is TimeTree or Cozi free?

Both have genuine free tiers with ads. TimeTree's free plan is fully functional — unlimited shared calendars, event chat, reminders, and Google Calendar sync. Cozi's free plan includes the shared calendar, shared lists, and recipes. Paid, TimeTree Premium is $4.49/mo (or $44.99/yr) and Cozi Gold is $39/yr (checked July 2026).

Does TimeTree or Cozi have AI?

TimeTree has no AI. Cozi added AI only on its top Max tier ($79/yr) — AI Event Import from email, an AI Recipe Creator, and an AI Meal Planner. If you want AI to be the default rather than a paid add-on, a dedicated AI app such as Kinmory is built around it.

Can TimeTree or Cozi read school emails onto the calendar?

TimeTree does not provide this workflow. Cozi Max provides AI Event Import for forwarded emails. With Kinmory, supported Newsletter information can produce event, task and searchable Family Memory suggestions; the user reviews what to keep before creating an event or task.

Is Kinmory better than TimeTree or Cozi?

Kinmory is better suited to families that need more than a shared schedule: they want selected school or household information to remain queryable and connect to reviewed events, tasks, meals or grocery actions. TimeTree is usually the better value for a focused shared calendar, while Cozi is a better fit for a familiar manual organizer.

What's the cheapest family calendar app — TimeTree or Cozi?

Both have free tiers, so the cheapest option is free either way. For an ad-free paid plan, Cozi Gold is $39/yr and TimeTree Premium is $44.99/yr — close, with Cozi slightly cheaper and TimeTree offering more calendar polish for the couple of extra dollars.

Written by the Kinmory Team. Product scope rechecked September 1, 2026; competitor pricing remains based on the cited official plan pages and can change. Kinmory is our own app—we have stated where TimeTree and Cozi are the simpler or less expensive choice.