Five apps to replace your iOS Calendar

Calendars are the cornerstone of our busy 21st century lives. Without them, many would not remember the long list of things they need to do and all the places they need to go. For some, the iOS default calendar is suitable, but many people want a calendar with a bit more oomph. Here's a list of five calendar apps for this group of power calendar users (all prices are USD).

CalenGoo ($6.99, universal)

CalenGoo is a calendar replacement that let you sync with Google Calendar. It easily syncs all your calendars (not just the default) and keeps their status so your hidden calendars remain hidden. It also supports Google calendar-specific features like Google tasks and Google's invitation system, so you can see whether someone accepted or declined an invite. If you don't have an Internet connection, CalenGoo will save all your changes offline and sync up with Google calendar when you have an active connection. At $6.99, this universal app is pricey, but worth it for heavy Google calendar users.

Fast Calendar + Tasks (Calvetica) ($2.99, universal)

Calvetica is an another favorite, but unlike CalenGoo, it pulls its calendar entries in from your default iOS calendar. This means setup is easy as you don't have to provide login information for Google and other services. It also means you can sync with a variety of calendars including iCloud, Exchange calendars and Google Calendar. This convenience comes at a cost as you lose some specialized features like Google task syncing. Calvetica does support tasks, but they're restricted to Calvetica, not an external calendar. If all you need is a good events calendar with alarm support, then Calvetica is fantastic. It's visually stunning and chock full of options to tweak how it looks and performs. There's also a bunch of gestures that let you navigate through the app with ease. And at $2.99, it is a very reasonably priced.

Pocket Informant ($12.99 for iPhone, $14.99 for iPad)

Pocket Informant is an oldie, but goodie. It was "the" calendar app for Windows Mobile and has been successfully ported to iOS and Android. Just like its older Windows Mobile counterpart, Pocket Informant for iOS is filled with features and options. That's one of the first things you notice about Pocket Informant - the five different views and all the settings that let you tweak the app to your heart's content. It's also more than a calendar app and includes tasks, notes and contacts as well. It may be $12.99, but you get a lot of bang for your buck.

TouchBase Calendar ($0.99)

TouchBase is described as "smart calendar" that works more as a digital assistant and less as a static calendar. It helps you add contacts and map information to each event you add to your calendar. This information can then be used with the apps 1-touch feature, which lets you notify others that you have arrived at your meeting location or send them a SMS to say you'll be late. It also has 1-touch calling and 1-touch access to maps. It syncs to a variety of calendars including Exchange, Google, Outlook, CalDAV and MobileMe. TouchBase is definitely different from most calendar apps out there and, at 99-cents, it's worth a look.

Easy Calendar ($1.99)

Easy Calendar is easy. It lets you create a new event with only three taps and edit an existing event with only two. It has a clean UI with support for colored calendars and search function that is integrated into the week view. It ties into the default iOS calendar and, as a result, can sync with MobileMe, Outlook, Google Calendar and other CalDAV calendars. It's an excellent choice for someone who wants something prettier than the default iOS calendar, but doesn't need the complexity of Pocket Informant.