For families using TimeTree
TimeTree does a few things really well - shared calendars, a comment thread on every event, free two-way Google Calendar sync. But it never touches the part that actually wears you down: reading the school newsletter and typing in every date yourself. Sense reads the email and creates the events for you. And there are no ads sitting on your calendar - not on the free tier, not anywhere.
The honest version
We are not going to pretend TimeTree is bad. It is one of the cleaner shared calendars out there, and for some families it is enough. The question is whether it solves the problem you actually have.
Multiple shared calendars, a comment thread on each event so the "did you see my text about Tuesday?" question mostly goes away, and free two-way Google Calendar sync. The interface is genuinely pleasant. If your only need is a shared calendar the whole family can see and discuss, it delivers.
Every event still starts with you typing it in. TimeTree has never read an email. The six-page school newsletter with one date buried in paragraph four? You still read it and enter it yourself, every single time. Comments and a nicer view do not change the part of the week that actually eats your evening.
Side by side
Where each one lands on the things families actually do every week.
| Sense | TimeTree free | TimeTree Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forward emails to calendar | Yes | No | No |
| AI chat assistant | Yes | No | No |
| Ads on the calendar | None | Yes | None |
| Ad-free for the whole family | Included | No | Each person subscribes |
| Shared calendar the family can see | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Comment thread on each event | Via AI chat | Yes | Yes |
| Google Calendar sync | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Meal planning | Yes | No | No |
| Chores with rewards | Yes | No | No |
| Routines (bedtime, morning prep) | Yes | No | No |
| Lists and reminders | Yes | Memos only | Memos only |
| Tablet display mode | Yes | No | No |
| Cost | Free, $6.99/mo Premium | Free with ads | $4.49/mo per person |
Sound familiar
This is the one TimeTree was never built to fix. The newsletter, the practice schedule, the field-trip slip - you read each one and type the dates in by hand. Forward the same email to Sense and the AI pulls out every date, time, and location, and drops them on the calendar for you.
TimeTree's free tier shows ads, and reviewers describe them as intrusive - banners on the calendar, the occasional loud full-screen one. Going ad-free means a Premium subscription, and it is per person, so making the whole family ad-free means everyone pays. Sense has no ads anywhere, on any tier.
TimeTree is calendars and memos. When you also want the week's dinners planned, the kids' chores tracked, the bedtime routine to run itself, and one shopping list everyone can see, you end up back in three more apps. Sense keeps the calendar and all of that in one place.
Families who prop an old iPad on the counter find TimeTree still shows a phone-sized layout on a big screen. Sense has a display mode built for exactly that: turn any old tablet into a kitchen hub that shows the whole family's day at a glance.
How to switch
TimeTree does not have a plain export, but it does sync two-way with Google Calendar - and that is the bridge. If your TimeTree calendar is linked to Google, Sense can pull those events straight in. If it is not, you rebuild from your inbox in a few days, without typing.
Step 02
If your TimeTree calendar syncs to Google, connect that Google account in Sense and your existing events appear right away. If it does not, skip to the next step and let your inbox refill the calendar.
Step 03
Forward last week's newsletter, the practice schedule, the field-trip slip. Each one becomes a batch of events. A handful of emails fills most of the next month - and it keeps building itself as you forward more.
Beyond the calendar
Forward newsletters, sports schedules, or activity emails. Sense reads them and pulls out every event, deadline, and detail - no typing.
Ask "what's happening this week?" or "give me a dinner idea with what we have." It knows your schedule and your family.
Plan the week's dinners, get AI suggestions, and stop having the "what's for dinner" conversation every night.
Assign chores, set recurring schedules, and let kids earn feathers they can redeem. The app does the nagging.
Bundle bedtime, morning prep, or after-school into one named routine. Kids work through the steps in order, and it celebrates when they finish.
Shopping lists everyone can add to, plus reminders that actually surface - not just a memo pinned to a calendar.
Turn any old tablet into a kitchen hub. Everyone sees what's happening today at a glance, sized for the screen.
We make money from Premium, not from your attention. Your calendar stays your calendar, on every tier.
Try Sense free. If it doesn't save you time, go back to TimeTree - no hard feelings.
