DAViCal is a free, self-hosted CalDAV and CardDAV server built on PHP and PostgreSQL. See its features, setup requirements, GPLv2 licensing, and alternatives.
Category
Calendar
Pricing
Free / Open Source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2007
Headquarters
New Zealand
Free PlanAPIOpen SourceSelf-Hosted
Overview
DAViCal is a free, open-source CalDAV and CardDAV server created by New Zealand developer Andrew McMillan, with early releases dating back to around 2007. It lets individuals and organizations self-host their own calendar and contacts synchronization server instead of relying on a commercial cloud provider.
The project is released under the GPLv2 license, is written in PHP, depends on Andrew McMillan's companion AWL library, and stores calendar and contact data in a PostgreSQL database.
Key Features
DAViCal supports multi-user shared calendars with delegated read/write access, free/busy time lookups for meeting scheduling, and a web-browser-based administrative interface for managing users, calendars, and address books.
Because it implements the open CalDAV and CardDAV standards, it works with a wide range of third-party client apps across Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
Pricing
DAViCal is completely free and open source with no purchase price or subscription fee of any kind.
The real cost to adopters is the effort required to install, secure, and maintain a PHP and PostgreSQL server, since DAViCal is self-hosted and not offered as a managed SaaS product by its maintainers.
Key Features
CalDAV Protocol Support — Implements the open CalDAV standard for syncing calendar events and tasks between server and client devices.
CardDAV Protocol Support — Implements CardDAV for syncing address book and contact data alongside calendars.
Shared Calendar Delegation — Allows calendar owners to grant read or write access to specific other users or groups.
Free/Busy Lookups — Lets meeting organizers check the availability of other users on the same server before scheduling.
Web-Based Admin Interface — Browser-based administration for managing users, calendars, address books, and permissions.
PostgreSQL-Backed Storage — Stores calendar and contact data in a PostgreSQL relational database for reliability and queryability.
Broad Client Compatibility — Works with any standards-compliant CalDAV/CardDAV client across desktop and mobile platforms.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free and open source under the GPLv2 license
Full control and ownership over calendar and contact data via self-hosting
Implements open CalDAV/CardDAV standards, ensuring broad client compatibility
Mature, long-standing project with a stable feature set for group calendaring
Cons
Requires manual setup and maintenance of a PHP and PostgreSQL server stack
Administrative interface is functional but visually dated compared to newer alternatives
No official commercial support channel; relies on community and third-party providers
Less actively developed than some newer self-hosted alternatives like Baikal or Nextcloud
Pricing
Open Source Free N/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DAViCal free?
Yes, DAViCal is completely free and open source under the GNU General Public License version 2, with no purchase price or subscription.
What protocols does DAViCal support?
DAViCal implements the CalDAV protocol for calendar synchronization and CardDAV for contact/address book synchronization.
What are the server requirements for DAViCal?
DAViCal requires a web server capable of running PHP and a PostgreSQL database (version 8.1 or later).
Who maintains DAViCal?
DAViCal was created and is primarily maintained by New Zealand developer Andrew McMillan, alongside community contributors.
What are alternatives to DAViCal?
Common alternatives include Radicale, Baikal, SOGo, and Nextcloud's built-in Calendar and Contacts apps.
Can DAViCal be used with mobile calendar apps?
Yes, since it implements the open CalDAV/CardDAV standards, it works with most standards-compliant calendar and contacts apps on iOS and Android.