A free MergeCal alternative
Updated
MergeCal and iCal Merge do the same core job: you give each of them a set of iCal/ICS feed URLs, and they publish one combined calendar link you can subscribe to. If you're comparing the two, the differences that actually matter are the free tier, how often the merged feed refreshes, and how many sources each calendar can hold.
The short version: MergeCal has no free plan. Every tier is paid after a trial, and its cheapest tier refreshes only every 12 hours. iCal Merge has a free plan that refreshes hourly, and Pro is $5/mo or $50/yr.
iCal Merge vs MergeCal at a glance
| iCal Merge | MergeCal | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Merges iCal feeds into one read-only link | Merges iCal feeds into one read-only link |
| Free plan | Yes: 1 calendar, 3 sources, hourly refresh | No: trial, then paid |
| Entry paid tier | $5/mo · $50/yr: 10 calendars, 25 sources each | $2/mo: 2 calendars, 3 feeds each, updates every 12h |
| Mid tier | n/a (Pro is the only paid plan) | $10/mo: 5 calendars, 5 feeds each |
| Top tier | Pro caps at 10 calendars / 25 sources | $20/mo: unlimited calendars and feeds |
| Refresh speed | Hourly on free; 15 min default on Pro, down to 5 min | Every 12h on the $2 tier; real-time on $10+ |
| Custom event titles | No: events are labelled with their source name | Yes, on paid tiers |
| Works with | Any iCal/ICS feed | Any iCal/ICS feed |
MergeCal details reflect its published plans at the time of writing (verified August 2026); check their pricing page for the latest.
Where iCal Merge wins
- There's a free plan that actually works. One calendar with up to three sources, refreshed hourly, no card. MergeCal gives you a trial and then asks for $2/mo, and that $2 tier updates only every 12 hours. That is slower than what iCal Merge does for free. If your league publishes a fixture change the morning of a game, a 12-hour refresh can miss it.
- More sources per calendar. Pro holds 25 sources in a single calendar. MergeCal's tiers cap sources per calendar at three ($2/mo) or five ($10/mo). A family tracking four kids across two sports plus a school feed hits that ceiling quickly.
- Faster refresh on Pro. Pro defaults to 15 minutes and can be set as fast as 5 minutes per calendar.
- Cheaper where it counts. Pro is $50/yr for 10 calendars. The nearest MergeCal tier is $10/mo ($120/yr) and it covers 5 calendars.
Where MergeCal does more
We'd rather be straight with you than oversell:
- Unlimited calendars and feeds. Their top tier ($20/mo) lifts every cap. iCal Merge's Pro stops at 10 calendars and 25 sources each. If you genuinely need more than that, MergeCal sells it and we don't.
- Rewriting event titles. Their paid tiers let you customise event titles and descriptions in the merged output. iCal Merge labels each event with its source name so you can tell feeds apart, but it isn't a general rewriting tool.
- Built for hosts and operators. MergeCal markets to vacation-rental hosts, tour operators and event coordinators. If that's you, their positioning and support are aimed squarely at your workflow.
What the merged feed looks like
Both tools produce the same shape of thing: one link, many sources behind it. Here's what that looks like in iCal Merge. Each source keeps its own label, so a combined feed still tells you where every event came from.
| Source Name | Calendar Title | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Outlook - work calendar | |
| Kids' soccer | TeamSnap - U10 Rovers | |
| School | District calendar |
Which one should you pick?
- Pick iCal Merge if you want to try it without paying, you need more than a handful of sources in one calendar, or you want the merged feed to update in minutes rather than twice a day.
- Pick MergeCal if you need unlimited calendars and feeds, you want to rewrite event titles in the merged output, or you want a tool positioned specifically around rental and tour operations.
If you're merging channel calendars for a rental, the Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com guide walks through that setup end to end.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free MergeCal alternative?
Yes. iCal Merge has a free plan that merges one calendar with up to three sources into a single read-only feed, refreshed hourly, with no card required. MergeCal has no free tier: you get a trial and then its cheapest plan is $2/mo, which updates every 12 hours.
How is iCal Merge different from MergeCal?
They do the same core job: combining several iCal/ICS feeds into one subscribe-able link. The differences are commercial rather than conceptual: iCal Merge has a free tier and allows more sources per calendar (25 on Pro, versus 3 to 5 on MergeCal’s tiers), while MergeCal sells unlimited calendars and feeds at its $20/mo tier and can rewrite event titles in the merged output.
Does iCal Merge work with the same calendars as MergeCal?
Yes. Both work from iCal/ICS feed URLs, so anything that publishes one works: Google, iCloud, Outlook, Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, TeamSnap, school districts, league fixture lists. Neither needs you to connect an account with write access.
How fast does the merged calendar update?
iCal Merge refreshes hourly on the free plan. Pro defaults to every 15 minutes and can be set as fast as every 5 minutes per calendar. MergeCal’s $2/mo tier updates every 12 hours; real-time updates start at its $10/mo tier. Note that your calendar app also decides how often it re-reads a subscribed feed, which can add a delay on top of ours.
Can I move from MergeCal to iCal Merge?
Yes, and there is nothing to migrate. Both tools read the original feeds rather than storing your events, so you paste the same source URLs into iCal Merge, get a new combined link, and subscribe to that instead. Your source calendars are untouched either way.