How to Merge Multiple Calendars into One (5-Minute Tutorial)

Managing multiple calendars is exhausting. Between Google Calendar for work, Apple Calendar for personal stuff, and shared calendars with your team or family, you're constantly switching apps and missing important events. I built MergeCal to solve this exact problem - and I'm going to show you how to merge all your calendars in less than 5 minutes.

Why You Need to Merge Your Calendars

If you're juggling multiple calendars right now, you know the pain:

• Switching between 3-4 different calendar apps just to see your full schedule
• Missing important meetings because they're buried in a calendar you forgot to check
• Double-booking yourself because you can't see everything in one place
• Wasting 10+ minutes every day just figuring out what's on your schedule

There's a better way. One unified calendar that shows everything, updates automatically, and works with whatever calendar app you already use.

How to Merge Your Calendars with MergeCal (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Start Your Free 14-Day Trial

Head to mergecal.org and sign up. No credit card required - just use your Google account or email. You get full access to all features for 14 days.

Step 2: Create Your First Merged Calendar

Click "Create Calendar" and give it a name that makes sense for you:

• "Complete Schedule" if you're merging everything
• "Work + Personal" if you want to keep some things separate
• "Family Calendar" if you're combining multiple family members' schedules

Step 3: Add Your Calendar Sources

This is where the magic happens. For each calendar you want to merge:

1. Click "Add Source"
2. Give it a clear name (like "Work Gmail", "Personal iPhone", "Team Events")
3. Paste in the iCal URL from that calendar

Where to find your iCal URL:

• Google Calendar: Settings → Calendar settings → Integrate calendar → Secret address in iCal format
• Apple Calendar: Right-click calendar → Share Calendar → Public Calendar → copy the URL
• Outlook: Calendar → Settings → Shared calendars → Publish calendar → copy ICS link

Step 4: Get Your Merged Calendar URL

Once you've added all your sources, MergeCal instantly generates a new iCal URL that combines everything. Copy this URL - you'll need it for the next step.

Step 5: Subscribe to Your Merged Calendar

Now you can view your unified calendar anywhere:

• Google Calendar: Other calendars → + → From URL → paste your MergeCal URL
• Apple Calendar: File → New Calendar Subscription → paste your MergeCal URL
• Outlook: Add calendar → Subscribe from web → paste your MergeCal URL

That's it. You now have one calendar that shows everything, automatically updates, and works in your favorite calendar app.

Why MergeCal Works Better Than Manual Syncing

You might be thinking: "Can't I just manually export/import my calendars?" Sure, but:

• Manual syncing takes 15-20 minutes every time you need to update
• You'll forget to do it and end up with outdated information
• Changes don't sync both ways - it's a one-time snapshot
• You lose color coding and organization from your original calendars

MergeCal updates automatically, so you always see the latest events without lifting a finger.

Real-World Use Cases

For Vacation Rental Hosts: Stop Double Bookings

If you list properties on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, you know the nightmare of double bookings. Merge all your booking calendars into one feed, then push that merged calendar back to each platform. No more manually blocking dates across three different sites.

For Families: See Everyone's Schedule at Once

Merge calendars from multiple family members, school schedules, and sports teams. Finally answer "What's everyone doing this weekend?" without asking five different people.

For Professionals: Work-Life Balance Made Simple

Keep your work and personal calendars separate in their native apps, but view them together in one unified feed. See conflicts before you accept that 5 PM meeting on date night.

For Community Organizers: Combine Multiple Team Calendars

Running a community with multiple chapters or teams? Merge all the individual calendars into one master schedule. This is how Code & Coffee (30+ developer communities) manages events across all their chapters.

Advanced Features You'll Love

• Keyword Filtering: Exclude events with specific words (like "Tentative" or "Maybe")
• Custom Prefixes: Add tags to events so you know which source they're from
• Unique Integrations: Merge Discord events, Twitch streaming schedules, and Meetup.com calendars
• Privacy First: Your calendar data stays yours. MergeCal is open source and can be self-hosted

Pricing That Actually Makes Sense

Unlike other calendar sync tools that charge $10-15/month:

• Personal ($2/month): Up to 3 calendars, unlimited sources, hourly updates
• Supporter ($10/month): Up to 10 calendars, faster updates, perfect for teams
• Business ($20/month): Unlimited calendars, priority support, advanced filtering

All plans include automatic updates and work with any calendar app that supports iCal subscriptions. Try any plan free for 14 days - no credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does MergeCal update my calendar?

Personal tier updates hourly. Higher tiers offer faster update intervals, and you can manually trigger an update anytime from your dashboard.

Can I merge calendars from different services?

Absolutely. Mix Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, Office 365, Discord, Twitch, Meetup - anything with an iCal feed.

Will my original calendars be changed?

Nope. MergeCal only reads your source calendars - it never modifies them. Your merged calendar is a new, read-only feed.

What if I need to remove a calendar source?

Just click "Remove Source" in your MergeCal dashboard. The change takes effect on the next sync.

Is my calendar data secure?

Yes. MergeCal is open source (you can review the code on GitHub), uses encrypted connections, and can be self-hosted if you want complete control.

What happens after my 14-day trial?

You can choose a plan that fits your needs, or simply stop using the service - no credit card required to start, so there's nothing to cancel.

Try MergeCal Free for 14 Days

Stop juggling multiple calendars. See your complete schedule in one place, automatically updated, in the calendar app you already love.

Start merging your calendars now →

No credit card required. Full access to all features for 14 days.

About the Author

I'm Abe Hanoka, founder of MergeCal. I built this because I was managing calendars across three different apps and missing events every week. After serving 200+ users (including developer communities, vacation rental hosts, and busy professionals), I've learned what actually works for calendar management. Questions? Reach out anytime - I'm always happy to help.