Etar vs Xandikos
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted calendar & contacts options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Etar | Xandikos |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Calendar & Contacts | Calendar & Contacts |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,603 | ★ 606 |
| First released | 2016 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Calendar | Google Calendar, iCloud |
What are Etar and Xandikos?
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
Xandikos
Xandikos is a lightweight CalDAV and CardDAV server that stores all data in a Git repository. This gives version history for every calendar and contact change with minimal infrastructure.
- Git-backed storage with history
- No database required
- Lightweight footprint
Etar vs Xandikos: key differences
Etar is written in Java, while Xandikos is built with Python. Xandikos is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Etar. Etar has the considerably larger community, at 2,603 GitHub stars versus 606. Xandikos lists first-class Docker deployment; Etar does not.
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 Xandikos if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Etar or Xandikos 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 Etar and Xandikos free and open-source?
Yes. Etar is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Xandikos under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Etar and Xandikos with Docker?
Etar: check the project docs for container support. Xandikos: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Etar or Xandikos?
Xandikos 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.