Short answer
Photo2Calendar is the general-purpose option: it takes photos, screenshots, text and PDFs, lets you tick which events to keep, saves to Google, Apple and Outlook calendars, exports .ics, and says it uses Gemini to extract data; a subscription or lifetime purchase saves several events at once. Its website lists both iPhone and Android. SnapCal is iPhone only and focuses on screenshots of Chinese chats and posters, one event per screenshot, written to the iPhone calendar and optionally Feishu. For a Google or Outlook calendar, PDFs or Android, pick Photo2Calendar; for iPhone plus Feishu and mostly Chinese screenshots, pick SnapCal. Third-party facts checked 2026-10-16.
The differences at a glance
| Photo2Calendar | SnapCal | |
|---|---|---|
| What it mainly does | Per its page: import from photos, screenshots, text or PDFs; finds dates, times and event details; tick the events to keep; add straight to Google, Apple or Outlook calendars; export .ics; subscription adds saving several events at once and more accurate detection, plus a lifetime option | Triggered from the share sheet, a Shortcut or the in-app Recent Screenshots; a confirmation screen lets you edit title, date, time and place; writes to the iPhone calendar and can sync to Feishu Calendar; one screenshot makes one event |
| Platform and requirements | iPhone (iOS 15.5 or later); its website lists both App Store and Google Play; the store page lists an English interface only | iPhone |
| Price | Free to download in the US store; monthly/yearly subscriptions and lifetime access are in-app purchases, exact prices: not verified | Free tier of 10 recognitions a month; subscription (US$1.99 monthly, US$9.9 yearly) or a lifetime plan unlocks unlimited use; the price in the app applies |
| Where data goes | The page says it uses Gemini to extract data from images and text and its website says no account is required; how images are sent and kept: not verified | The screenshot is compressed and sent to an AI service for recognition and not kept afterwards; on-device OCR is only for the preview and is not uploaded |
| Store reputation (check date) | US rating 4.6 from 59 ratings; latest update 2.3.3 (2026-09-30); its website shows 4.5 on the App Store | See each App Store page for current details |
Third-party entries come from the other product's official pages (read on 2026-10-16) and are its own statements, not our tests. Prices and requirements change, so check the official page on the day you download. "Not verified" means we did not see it on an official page, not that it does not exist. Our own column comes from our home page and privacy policy.
When to pick Photo2Calendar
- Your calendar is Google or Outlook, you want events added there directly, or you need an .ics file to send around.
- You process more than screenshots, such as photos and PDFs, and your phone might be Android.
- You like picking which detected events to keep before saving.
When to pick SnapCal
- Most of your screenshots are Chinese chats and notices from WeChat or Feishu and you want recognition and an editable confirmation screen tuned for them.
- You want events written to both the iPhone calendar and Feishu Calendar.
- You want to try the free tier first: 10 recognitions a month without looking at a subscription.
Limits of SnapCal
- One screenshot makes one event, so an image with several events has to be captured in several passes.
- The screenshot is compressed and sent to an AI service for recognition (not kept afterwards), so it is not purely on-device; on-device OCR is only for the preview and is never uploaded.
- iPhone only for now: no Mac or Android version.
Three things to test yourself before you commit
- Take a Chinese group notice screenshot and compare how each app reads phrases such as "Wednesday at 3 pm".
- Take a PDF or a photo and see which app handles it; SnapCal only handles screenshots.
- Settle your calendar destination: Google or Outlook points to Photo2Calendar, iPhone calendar plus Feishu points to SnapCal.
Moving over from Photo2Calendar, or using both
Events live in the system calendar or whichever calendar you chose, so what Photo2Calendar already saved needs no migration. To switch to SnapCal, finish any unsaved events in Photo2Calendar first, then install SnapCal and use the share sheet or Recent Screenshots for new screenshots. If you need Google or Outlook calendars the two can coexist: Chinese screenshots to SnapCal, photos and PDFs to Photo2Calendar.
FAQ
Are Photo2Calendar and SnapCal the same kind of product?
Both turn times in images into calendar events. Photo2Calendar is broader (photos, screenshots, text, PDFs, several calendar services); SnapCal is narrower but tuned for Chinese screenshots and Feishu.
Does Photo2Calendar data leave the phone?
Its page says it uses Gemini to extract data, so content is sent to an AI service; the retention policy is not stated, so we mark it not verified. SnapCal also compresses the screenshot and sends it to an AI service and does not keep it after recognition.
Is there an Android version of Photo2Calendar?
Its website lists both App Store and Google Play. SnapCal is iPhone only.
Can I install both?
Yes. Both write to the system calendar and do not conflict.
Sources and check dates
- Photo2Calendar: Scan Schedule App Store 页面（美区，Apple iTunes Lookup 读取） (checked 2026-10-16)
- Photo2Calendar 官网首页 (checked 2026-10-16)
