Debs vs Google Calendar
You set up the family calendar with great intentions in September. By October it has your dentist appointment, one football match and none of the six things the school emailed about.
Google Calendar is a brilliant free calendar, and a Google family group gets a shared Family calendar for up to six people. It only knows what someone types in. Debs reads the school's emails and letters and fills in the school side, and you can see all of it inside Google Calendar.
What Google Calendar is great at
Google Calendar is a free calendar with a shared family calendar.
- Free, fast and on every phone and computer
- A shared Family calendar for a Google family group (up to six people)
- Reminders, invites and sharing with anyone
What Debs adds
- Fills in the school side for you, from the school's emails, letters and website
- A night-before packing list for each child, not just an event
- Forms, payments and replies as to-dos with Done buttons
- Shows up inside Google Calendar, so you still see one calendar
Side by side
| What matters | Google Calendar | Debs |
|---|---|---|
| How school dates get in | You type them in | Automatically* |
| Night-before packing list per child | No | Yes |
| Forms, payments and replies to do | No | Yes, with deadlines |
| Works with the other | Shows Debs's calendar | Imports other calendars and shows in Google Calendar |
| What it costs | Free | Free to try, then £5.49 a month to read your school emails, or £3.49 a month for Debs Diary, which doesn't (UK pricing) |
*After a few minutes’ setup: pick your school, add your children and connect your email inbox. Debs then checks the inbox for the senders you choose (the school, its apps and your clubs) and keeps your school’s term dates up to date. Don’t want to connect email? You can show Debs a screenshot or photo instead.
What we say about Google Calendar comes from Google Calendar and Google for Families help pages, checked on 28 September 2026. Prices and features change, so check their website before you decide. Google Calendar is a trademark of its owner; Debs isn’t connected to it.
Using both
This is the easy one: keep Google Calendar, add Debs's calendar link to it, and the school dates appear alongside everything else.
Which should you pick?
- Pick Google Calendar if your family is good at typing everything in, and the school doesn't send much.
- Pick Debs if you want the school's dates, kit and forms to arrive without anyone typing them.
Questions parents ask
Will Debs mess up my Google Calendar?
No. Debs gives you a separate calendar you add to Google Calendar. You can hide it or remove it any time.
Does Debs need my Google password?
No. To read school emails from Gmail, Debs uses an app password you make in your Google Account, and only reads the senders you choose.