# Basic Calendar vs Lumina Calendar

The clearest difference is monetization model: Basic Calendar at free against Lumina Calendar's free with in-app purchases. Lumina Calendar's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basic Calendar sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Lumina Calendar sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lumina Calendar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively.

Basic Calendar ships an update every 2 weeks, Lumina Calendar every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic Calendar | Lumina Calendar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-calendar/id6450149987/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumina-calendar/id6753099749/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 761 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [dotori king](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441655751) | [Timothy Markey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1842510791) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic Calendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-calendar/id6450149987)

Organize your schedule with a clear month view and daily event list. Customize your calendar with color themes and display events on your Home Screen with widgets. Supports lunar dates for Korean and Chinese calendars.

**Highlights:** Month view and daily event list, Home Screen widgets, Customizable color themes, Support for Korean/Chinese lunar dates, Selectable calendar display

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Me a Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


### Lumina Calendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumina-calendar/id6753099749)

Transform your device into a personalized smart display combining your calendar, clock, and favorite photos. View your schedule with elegant layouts that showcase your chosen backgrounds, perfect for desks or everyday use.

**Highlights:** Photo calendar and smart display, Day, week, and month layouts, Clock display, Event and daily agenda, Custom photo backgrounds, iPhone and iPad support, Calendar search

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nature Backgrounds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Space Backgrounds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Fall Backgrounds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Winter Backgrounds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Spring Backgrounds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Summer Backgrounds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lumina Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic Calendar free?

Basic Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Lumina Calendar free?

Lumina Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Basic Calendar or Lumina Calendar?

Lumina Calendar is rated higher. Basic Calendar averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Lumina Calendar averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Basic Calendar or Lumina Calendar have ads?

Neither Basic Calendar nor Lumina Calendar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basic Calendar or Lumina Calendar?

Basic Calendar ships an update every 2 weeks, and Lumina Calendar every 5 days. Most recently, Basic Calendar was updated on November 3, 2026 and Lumina Calendar on October 30, 2026.

---

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