Howbout
Howbout is a social planning and calendar app for coordinating time with friends, family, roommates, and other groups.
What Howbout is
Howbout is a social planning and calendar app for coordinating time with friends, family, roommates, and other groups. Its shared calendar lets users see whether friends are free, busy, or possibly available on a date they are considering. Plans can include a name, place, time, RSVP details, and reminders; each plan also has a chat for messages, photos, videos, GIFs, tickets, and other details. Users can set plans to be visible to Friends, Close Friends, or only themselves. The app provides invitation and plan-change notifications, reminders, and home-screen widgets. It connects directly to Google Calendar and can sync through a phone’s native calendar, including Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook. When export is enabled, Howbout events can be sent to the phone’s calendar and shared with calendar apps. The app is available on Android and iOS. The Free plan is listed as free and includes shared calendars, availability sharing, plans, and notifications. Howbout+ adds premium customization and additional planning features; its price varies by country and platform, with billing and refunds handled through the app stores. With permission, the service may collect contacts, location, calendar information, and uploaded media.
Good
- Shows friends' availability for possible dates.
- Plan chats support messages and shared media.
- Privacy controls include Friends, Close Friends, or private.
- Can sync with phone calendars and Google Calendar.
Watch out
- Howbout+ prices vary by country and platform.
- Billing and refunds go through app stores.
- Some personal data collection depends on user permission.
Who it suits
Howbout suits groups that coordinate social plans and want a shared view of schedules, event details, and availability. It may also fit people who want plan chats, reminders, and calendar syncing in one app.
Verdict
Howbout brings group availability, plan details, and event conversations together with calendar syncing. Its Free plan covers core coordination, while Howbout+ adds unspecified premium customization and planning options.
Plans and prices
From Howbout's own pricing page, checked 21 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Shared calendar · Availability sharing · Plans and event details · Real-time notifications |
| Howbout | Free | Shared calendar · group planning · availability sharing · event chats · core features |
| Howbout+ Annual | — | Calendar themes · unlimited color categories · 30+ event colors · week view widget · unlimited countdown widgets · multi-add · scan-to-plan · dim past events · choose home tab · VIP status · Price varies by country and platform; shown in the App Store or Google Play before subscription |
| Howbout+ Monthly | — | Calendar themes · unlimited color categories · 30+ event colors · week view widget · unlimited countdown widgets · multi-add · scan-to-plan · dim past events · choose home tab · VIP status · Price varies by country and platform; shown in the App Store or Google Play before subscription |
The facts
Each one read from Howbout's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Age limit
- The privacy policy says users represent that they are at least 13 years old and that Howbout does not knowingly collect data from children under 13.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Availability
- Users can see which friends are free, busy, or maybe on a date they are considering.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Calendar export
- Users can export Howbout events to their phone’s native calendar and share the calendar with apps such as Google Calendar, Outlook, or iCal when export is enabled.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Data collection
- With permission, Howbout may collect phone contacts, location, third-party calendar and event information, and media uploaded by the user.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Howbout can connect Google Calendar directly and sync calendars through a phone’s native calendar app, including Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Notifications and widgets
- The app offers notifications for invitations and plan changes, reminders, and home-screen widgets.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Privacy controls
- Users can choose to share plans with Friends, Close Friends, or only themselves.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Product
- Howbout is a social planning and calendar management app with a shared calendar for coordinating time with friends, family, roommates, and other groups.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- Howbout says it uses encryption in transit with TLS/HTTPS and at rest, and restricts internal access to personal data to people who need it.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Subscription limits
- Howbout+ applies to the individual subscriber and its price varies by country and platform; billing and refunds are handled through the App Store or Google Play.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- Users can contact support by email at [email protected] or through Howbout’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.checked 11 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 21 Sep 2026
- Plan chat
- Each plan has a chat for messages, photos, videos, GIFs, tickets, and other details.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Plans
- Users can create plans with a name, place, time, RSVP details, and reminders.checked 11 Oct 2026
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