How to Share a Calendar Without Google

Google Calendar is great, but sharing it requires everyone to have a Google account. What if your parents don't use Gmail? What if your team members prefer other platforms? Here's how to share calendars when Google isn't an option for everyone.

The Problem with Google Calendar Sharing

Google Calendar's sharing feature is powerful, but it comes with a significant limitation: everyone needs a Google account. This creates friction in several common scenarios:

• Family members who don't use Gmail or aren't tech-savvy
• Colleagues who use Outlook or other corporate email systems
• Friends who value their privacy and avoid Google products
• Groups with mixed platforms and preferences

While you can share a "public" link to a Google Calendar, recipients can only view the calendar—they can't add or edit events. True collaboration requires accounts.

Solution 1: Use a No-Login Shared Calendar (Recommended)

The simplest solution is to use a shared calendar that doesn't require any accounts at all. BCalendar was built specifically for this use case.

This approach works perfectly for:

• Families - Share with grandparents who don't do email
• Friend groups - Coordinate trips and events without forcing signups
• Small teams - Quick project coordination without IT overhead
• Roommates - Manage shared responsibilities easily

Solution 2: iCal Feed Sharing

Most calendar apps support iCal (.ics) format. You can export your calendar and share the file directly. However, this has limitations:

• It's a one-time export (not live sync)
• Recipients can only view, not edit
• Updates require re-exporting and re-sharing

Verdict: Good for sharing your schedule once, but not for ongoing collaboration.

Solution 3: Shared Spreadsheet

Some people use Google Sheets or Excel Online as a makeshift shared calendar. While this allows collaboration without a calendar app:

• No calendar view (just rows and columns)
• Manual data entry without date pickers
• Easy to make formatting mistakes
• Still requires accounts for editing (Google Sheets or Microsoft)

Verdict: Works in a pinch, but frustrating for actual calendar use.

Solution 4: Doodle or When2meet

These tools are great for finding meeting times but aren't designed for ongoing calendar management:

• Built for one-time scheduling decisions
• Can't add recurring events or details
• Not meant to be a persistent calendar

Verdict: Use for finding a date that works, then put it on a real shared calendar.

What to Look for in a Shared Calendar

When choosing a calendar sharing solution without Google, consider these factors:

The Bottom Line

If you need to share a calendar with people who don't have (or don't want) Google accounts, skip the workarounds and use a tool built for this exact purpose.

BCalendar lets you create a shared calendar in seconds, share it via a simple link, and collaborate with anyone—no accounts, no apps, no friction.