Etar vs khal
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Etar | khal |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 69 · Good |
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,603 | ★ 3,053 |
| First released | 2016 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Google Calendar | Google Calendar |
What are Etar and khal?
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
khal
khal is a standards-based command-line calendar program that reads and writes iCalendar files and works with vdirsyncer to synchronize against self-hosted CalDAV servers. It offers an interactive console interface.
- Command-line CalDAV calendar
- Works with vdirsyncer
- Interactive console interface
Etar vs khal: key differences
Etar is written in Java, while khal is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Etar versus MIT for khal. Khal is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Etar. Khal is the more established project (first released 2013), while Etar arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose Etar if…
- Open ecosystem
- No vendor lock-in
Watch out for
- Mainly a client project
- Server piece is minimal
Choose khal if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (3.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Etar or khal better?
Neither is universally better. khal has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Etar and khal free and open-source?
Yes. Etar is licensed under GPL-3.0 and khal under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Etar and khal with Docker?
Etar: check the project docs for container support. khal: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Etar or khal?
khal has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Etar. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.