# CalReader vs The Grid

The clearest difference is price: The Grid at Free against CalReader's $6.99. The Grid also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 40%) and ratings volume (388 vs 3). CalReader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

The Grid is free to download; CalReader costs $6.99 up front. The Grid sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. CalReader asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Grid holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Grid has 388 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of CalReader's written reviews are positive against 71% of The Grid's.

CalReader ships an update every 3 months, The Grid every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CalReader | The Grid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calreader-calender-logs/id405583558/reviews) | **[4.6 (388 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-grid-calendar/id578246316/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **388** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **70.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 16 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Imaja](https://appshunter.io/developer/405583561) | [Birdsoft LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/293366061) |

## What reviewers say

### CalReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calreader-calender-logs/id405583558)

Enhance your calendar's readability with customizable fonts and sizes. Easily filter events by date, calendar, or search terms, and export your data and time calculations in various formats like TEXT, CSV, or TSV. This tool is ideal for logging work or personal events and generating invoices.

**Highlights:** Customizable font and size, Event filtering by date, calendar, and text, TEXT, CSV, TSV export, Time calculation for billing, Siri Shortcuts integration, Dark Mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### The Grid

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-grid-calendar/id578246316)

This app offers a visually appealing and intuitive calendar experience. It allows users to see event details directly on the calendar, filter events easily, and manage their schedule with features like drag-and-drop rescheduling and event templates.

**Highlights:** Event text displayed on calendar, One-touch calendar filtering, Drag-and-drop event rescheduling, Event templates for recurring events, Natural language event entry, Syncs with default calendar events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weather | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version - Sale | $1.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Version - Sale | $2.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Version | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pro Version | $3.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Version | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Customizable color themes
- 🔍 Good calendar view with event details
- 🗓️ Sync with iPhone calendar

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with repeating events
- 🐛 Disappearing calendar entries
- 🔍 Limited calendar view options
- 🔍 Cluttered calendar view with too much text
- 🔍 No landscape mode

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after iOS updates
- Calendar entries disappearing
- Repeating events not working correctly
- Syncing issues with other calendars

**Requested features**

- Add a search feature
- Improve sync with Google Calendar
- Add a weekly calendar view
- Allow customization of text size and colors
- Implement a 'today' button to quickly return to current date


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CalReader free?

CalReader costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is The Grid free?

The Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CalReader or The Grid?

The Grid is rated higher. CalReader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while The Grid averages 4.6 from 388 ratings.

### Do CalReader or The Grid have ads?

Neither CalReader nor The Grid shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CalReader or The Grid?

CalReader ships an update every 3 months, and The Grid every 5 weeks. Most recently, CalReader was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Grid on November 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*