Alf.io vs GNOME Calendar
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
| Feature | Alf.io | GNOME Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,601 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2025 | 2015 |
| Replaces | — | Google Calendar |
Why pick each one
Choose Alf.io if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose GNOME Calendar if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Alf.io or GNOME Calendar better?
Neither is universally better. Alf.io has the larger community, while GNOME Calendar is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Alf.io and GNOME Calendar free and open-source?
Yes. Alf.io is licensed under GPL-3.0 and GNOME Calendar under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Alf.io and GNOME Calendar with Docker?
Alf.io: check the project docs for container support. GNOME Calendar: check the project docs for container support.