Short answer: Sense and Parendipity both turn school and activity emails into calendar events. The difference is who does the work. With Sense, you forward emails, screenshots or PDFs to it. With Parendipity, you connect Gmail once and it picks up schedule emails on its own. Sense is cheaper, has a free tier and runs on Android. Parendipity saves the forwarding step and is built around two parents sharing the load.
We make Parendipity. Sense details below come from Sense's own site and App Store listing, checked in October 2026.
Parendipity vs Sense at a glance
Getting events in
- Sense: forward emails, screenshots, PDFs or WhatsApp messages to Sense. It says it only sees what you share.
- Parendipity: connect Gmail once. It monitors your inbox for schedule emails from schools, coaches, leagues and team apps and adds events, deadlines and changes. Anything it misses, you can forward.
Where the calendar lives
- Sense: in Sense, with an optional wall tablet setup.
- Parendipity: in Google Calendar, so your phones and any Skylight that follows it stay current.
Two parents
- Sense: a shared family calendar with reminders for each member.
- Parendipity: a shared view for both parents, plus assigning every pickup and dropoff and coordinating carpools with other families.
Platforms
- Sense: iPhone, Android and web.
- Parendipity: iPhone, with Gmail. Android users see everything in Google Calendar.
Price
- Sense: free tier with a small monthly allowance, Premium around $6 to $7 a month.
- Parendipity: $7.99 per child per month, capped at $19.99 per family, 30 days free.
When Sense is the better choice
- You don't mind forwarding emails as they come in.
- You want a free tier or the lowest price.
- You or your partner use Android.
When Parendipity is the better choice
- You want it to work without forwarding anything.
- Both parents need one view and a clear answer to "who's driving?"
- Your family already runs on Google Calendar or a Skylight.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sense connect to Gmail?
Sense says it only reads what you share or forward. Parendipity connects to Gmail directly.
Which is cheaper?
Sense, especially on its free tier. Parendipity is $7.99 per child per month, capped at $19.99 per family.
Can I try Parendipity first?
Yes, 30 days free with no credit card.
Related
- The 9 best family calendar apps in 2026, compared
- Best AI parenting assistants in 2026
- How to turn school emails into Google Calendar events
Try it free for 30 days: Download Parendipity on the App Store
