AgenDAV vs Etar
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | AgenDAV | Etar |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, docker | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 826 | ★ 2,603 |
| First released | 2011 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Calendar | Google Calendar |
What are AgenDAV and Etar?
AgenDAV
AgenDAV is a CalDAV web client that lets users manage and share calendars stored on a CalDAV server. It provides a responsive Ajax interface with drag-and-drop event editing.
- CalDAV web frontend
- Drag-and-drop event editing
- Calendar sharing
Etar
Etar is an open-source Android calendar app forked from AOSP Calendar. It has no server of its own: pair it with DAVx5 and any self-hosted CalDAV server such as Radicale, Baikal or Nextcloud to keep events under your control.
- CalDAV support
- Event API
- Mobile sync friendly
- Open data formats
AgenDAV vs Etar: key differences
AgenDAV is written in PHP, while Etar is built with Java. AgenDAV is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Etar. AgenDAV is the more established project (first released 2011), while Etar arrived in 2016. Etar has the considerably larger community, at 2,603 GitHub stars versus 826. AgenDAV lists first-class Docker deployment; Etar does not.
Why pick each one
Choose AgenDAV if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Etar if…
- Open ecosystem
- No vendor lock-in
Watch out for
- Mainly a client project
- Server piece is minimal
Frequently asked questions
Is AgenDAV or Etar better?
Neither is universally better. Etar has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AgenDAV and Etar free and open-source?
Yes. AgenDAV is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Etar under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AgenDAV and Etar with Docker?
AgenDAV: yes. Etar: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, AgenDAV or Etar?
AgenDAV has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Etar. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.