# HiCal vs GroupCal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HiCal at none against GroupCal's 10. HiCal also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). GroupCal's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 55%) and ratings volume (865 vs 25). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GroupCal sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. HiCal asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for HiCal against 4.7 for GroupCal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GroupCal has 865 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of HiCal's written reviews are positive against 79% of GroupCal's.

HiCal ships an update every 2 months, GroupCal fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | HiCal | GroupCal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hical-collaborative-calendar/id913908607/reviews)** | [4.7 (865 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groupcal-shared-calendar/id1472335927/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 25 | **865** |
| Positive reviews | 55.0% of reviews | **79.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nakagawa Yugo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229738088) | [24me](https://appshunter.io/developer/557745945) |

## What reviewers say

### HiCal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hical-collaborative-calendar/id913908607)

This app facilitates collaborative event planning and scheduling for groups. Share timetables, receive real-time updates on changes, and communicate via comments. Ideal for students, project teams, and organizations to stay synchronized.

**Highlights:** Group event scheduling, Real-time push notifications, Event comments and discussion, Shared timetables, Private and public groups, Event repetition support

**In-app purchases:** none


### GroupCal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groupcal-shared-calendar/id1472335927)

Easily create and share calendars for families, teams, or any community. Invite members via phone number or link and receive real-time updates on events. Integrates with existing calendars for a unified view.

**Highlights:** Create multiple shared calendars, Invite via phone number or link, Real-time event updates and notifications, Integrates with existing calendars, Public calendars for businesses and communities, Color-coded calendars and customization, Event attendance tracking

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $14.99 | per month |
| Pro | $14.99 | per month |
| Business | $74.99 | per month |
| GroupCal Pro | $119.99 | per year |
| GroupCal Pro | $119.99 | per year |
| Business + | $224.99 | per month |
| GroupCal Business | $599.99 | per year |
| Business | $599.99 | per year |
| Business + | $1000.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Efficient scheduling and coordination
- 💡 Helpful for families and small businesses
- 🙌 Great for shared calendars and event planning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data access
- 💸 Limited features in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete shared calendars
- Calendar events not syncing properly
- Phone number verification issues

**Requested features**

- Color-coding for individual calendars
- Improved recurring event scheduling
- Integration with other calendar apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HiCal free?

HiCal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is GroupCal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HiCal or GroupCal?

HiCal is rated higher. HiCal averages 4.8 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while GroupCal averages 4.7 from 865 ratings.

### Do HiCal or GroupCal have ads?

Neither HiCal nor GroupCal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HiCal or GroupCal?

HiCal ships an update every 2 months, and GroupCal fortnightly. Most recently, HiCal was updated on October 21, 2026 and GroupCal on October 21, 2026.

---

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