Sova
We make Sova, so read this with that in mind. TimeTree is a good product, and for plenty of households it is the right choice. This page exists so you can pick on facts, not ads.
The short version
TimeTree is a shared calendar: one calendar everyone joins, on iPhone, Android and the web. Sova is an everyday planner: notes, to-dos and calendars kept in separate groups, brought together on one Today view and one large Home Screen widget, with sharing by link or QR.
Side by side
| TimeTree | Sova | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A shared calendar app | A planner: notes, tasks and calendars in separate groups |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, web | iPhone (also iPad and Apple Watch) |
| Sharing | Members join a calendar in the app | One link or QR. They join with Sign in with Apple, no password |
| Beyond events | Event chat and memos on the calendar | Notes, checklists, photos, and a widget you can tick off without opening the app |
| Ads | Free tier shows ads; Premium removes them | No ads, ever |
| Privacy | Cloud calendars on their servers | Private groups stay on your iPhone; availability shares as busy blocks only, never titles |
| Price | Free with ads; Premium optional | Free, complete. Optional Pro adds Screenshot Scan and AI Dictate |
Choose TimeTree if…
Anyone in your household uses Android. That is TimeTree's decisive advantage, and no feature list beats it. Also pick it if all you want is one shared calendar with comments, and you don't mind ads in the free tier.
Choose Sova if…
Everyone planning with you has an iPhone, and your life doesn't fit in a single calendar. Sova keeps home, work and friends in separate groups, then puts the day on your Home Screen. Grocery lists, trip packing, school weeks, shared in one link and ticked off from the widget. And if you hate retyping bookings, Scan turns a screenshot into a dated draft.
The honest line: TimeTree wins on platforms. Sova wins on everything an Apple household feels daily: one widget for the day, real lists and notes, no ads, and privacy that is not a settings page.