Sova
We make Sova, so read this with that in mind. Cozi has helped families for years, and for many households it is the right pick. Facts about Cozi below come from Cozi's own website and App Store listing as of September 2026; check there for anything that may have changed.
The short version
Cozi is a family organizer: one shared family calendar, shopping and to-do lists, and a recipe box that everyone in the family can open on a phone or a computer. Sova is an everyday planner for iPhone: notes, to-dos and your calendars kept in separate groups (Family, Work, Friends, a trip), brought together on one Today view and one large Home Screen widget, with each group shared by link or QR.
Side by side
| Cozi | Sova | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A family organizer: shared calendar, lists, recipes | A planner: notes, tasks and calendars in separate groups |
| Devices | Any phone or computer, according to Cozi | iPhone, with widgets and Apple Watch |
| Who shares what | One family account; Cozi's listing says everyone signs in with their own email and the shared family password | Each group is shared on its own, by link or QR. People join with Sign in with Apple, and you decide who can view or add |
| Meals and recipes | Recipe box, ingredients to the shopping list, meal planning | Not a recipe app. A recipe can live in a note |
| Ads | Free is ad-supported; Gold removes ads | No ads, on Free or Pro |
| Price | Free; Gold $39 a year; Max $79 a year (Cozi's plan page) | Free, complete. Optional Pro $5.99 a month or $47 a year |
What Cozi does well
Everyone, on any device. Cozi says its calendar, lists and recipe box work from any mobile device or computer. If one parent is on Android or the family calendar lives on a kitchen laptop, that matters more than any feature on this page.
Built around family routines. Colour codes show who is involved in each event, and the lists cover groceries, chores and packing. Recipes connect to the shopping list and the calendar.
One upgrade for the household. Cozi's plan page says one Gold subscription covers everyone in the family. Gold ($39 a year) removes ads and adds month view on mobile, calendar search, up to three reminders per event, change notifications, a birthday tracker and a shopping mode. Cozi's App Store listing also says Gold is what lets you add, edit and view events more than 30 days ahead. Max ($79 a year) adds AI tools, including turning emails into calendar events.
Where Sova is different
Groups instead of one family account. Real life has more than one circle: the family, a partner, flatmates, the team at work, the friends you travel with. In Sova each of those is its own group with its own people, and nobody sees a group they were not invited to. Today and the widget still show your whole day in one place.
Your own calendars, alongside. Sova shows the calendars and reminder lists already on your iPhone (Apple, Google and Outlook accounts you added there), plus supported calendar links, next to your groups. Free includes two calendars and two reminder lists; Pro removes that limit.
Private by default. Groups you don't share stay on your iPhone and work offline. Shared groups are stored online so members get changes, using encrypted connections and account permissions. No ads, and product analytics are optional.
A free tier without a date window or ads. Sova Free includes notes, Today, every calendar view, widgets, six active groups, and two shared lists with up to 10 people and 100 items each. Pro adds Screenshot Scan and AI Dictate, unlimited shared lists and people, photo and file attachments, and more.
Choose Cozi if…
Someone in the family is on Android or plans from a computer, or the recipe box and meal planning are half the reason you want an app. Cozi was built for exactly that household, and it covers everyone with one account.
Choose Sova if…
Everyone you plan with has an iPhone, and your week is more than one family calendar. You want the grocery list with your partner, the trip with friends and your work calendar on one Home Screen widget, each shared only with the people it belongs to, and no ads on the free tier.
Trying Sova after Cozi
Sova does not import from Cozi. The quickest start is to copy your current shopping list, paste it into a Sova group, and let Sova split it into separate items. Then invite your partner with a link: here is how sharing works. For groceries specifically, see the best way to share a grocery list on iPhone.
The honest line: Cozi wins on devices and on recipes. Sova wins when a household's plans live in more than one circle and you want them on one calm day view, with sharing by link and a free tier without ads.
Sources, as of September 2026: Cozi plans, Cozi on the App Store, Sova Free and Pro. More comparisons on the blog.