A Raspberry Pi in a drawer and a spare 24-inch monitor in the garage is enough to build a family wall calendar that pulls Google Calendar, iCloud, weather, and today’s to-do list into one always-on display. The XDA piece last week walked through the hardware side. Here we cover the software: the best apps for building a Raspberry Pi wall calendar and the desktop tools we use to flash, configure, and manage the Pi over its life.
We picked eight apps that handle the whole build, from writing the SD card to composing the final dashboard layout. Some are calendar-first, some are digital-signage frameworks that we bend to the calendar use case, and a few are utilities we run from a macOS or Windows desktop to keep the Pi maintained.
What to look for in a wall-calendar app
A wall calendar Pi lives on 24/7 in a hallway or kitchen. That constrains what matters:
- Reliable auto-restart on power flicker without a manual login
- Support for the calendars people actually use (Google, Apple, Outlook, CalDAV)
- Custom layout so the display fits the physical monitor’s proportions (portrait or landscape)
- Weather and to-do integrations without piling on subscriptions
- Remote update path so we don’t unmount the monitor to fix a typo
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| MagicMirror² | Modular calendar dashboards | Free, open source | Linux (Pi), macOS, Windows |
| DAKboard | Turnkey hosted dashboard | Freemium | Web control, Pi client |
| Home Assistant | Full smart-home hub with calendar view | Free, open source | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| Screenly OSE | Digital-signage framework | Free (OSE), paid tier | Pi (Linux) |
| PiSignage | Managed digital signage | Freemium | Pi (Linux), web control |
| Raspberry Pi Imager | Flashing SD cards | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Balena Etcher | Alternative flasher | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Homer | Static dashboard | Free, open source | Any Docker host |
1. MagicMirror², best for modular dashboards
MagicMirror² is the community-driven framework that ships with a calendar module out of the box and a hundred community modules for weather, chores, transit, and family messages. MagicMirror² for Raspberry Pi wall calendar builds is the default choice because the calendar module supports iCal, Google, and CalDAV without external glue.
Where it falls short: Every layout tweak requires editing a JavaScript config file. Fine for us, a wall of text for non-technical partners.
Pricing:
- Free, open source
- No paid tier
Bottom line: The best starting point. Start with the default config and prune modules from there.
Download: magicmirror.builders
2. DAKboard, best turnkey option
DAKboard offers a hosted dashboard that runs in Chromium on the Pi with a browser at 24/7 kiosk mode. DAKboard for wall calendar builds skips the config-file dance: everything is drag-and-drop on the web, and the free tier covers a single household screen.
Where it falls short: The best layouts sit behind a paid tier. The free plan restricts screen count and some widgets. Cloud-hosted means the display is dead when their service is.
Pricing:
- Free: one screen, limited widgets
- Essential: about $6 a month
- Plus / Pro: paid tiers for family sharing and photo backgrounds
Bottom line: Fastest path from “SD card” to “calendar on the wall” for non-technical households.
Download: dakboard.com
3. Home Assistant, best for a smart-home hub with calendar
Home Assistant ships with a calendar entity type and a Lovelace card that renders a full month view. Home Assistant for wall calendar builds works if the Pi is doing more than showing dates: lights, thermostats, security cameras, and the calendar all on one dashboard.
Where it falls short: The learning curve is real. Building just a calendar in Home Assistant is like buying a truck to move a bookshelf.
Pricing:
- Free, open source
- Home Assistant Cloud: about $6.50 a month (Nabu Casa, optional)
Bottom line: The right pick if the Pi is running smart-home duty already. Overkill otherwise.
Download: home-assistant.io
4. Screenly OSE, best digital-signage framework
Screenly OSE is the open-source edition of the Screenly digital-signage product, tuned for a Pi. Screenly OSE for wall calendar builds pulls a web dashboard (any URL, so any calendar view) and shows it fullscreen with rotation and scheduling.
Where it falls short: It’s built for signage, not calendars specifically. Calendar customization means pointing it at a hosted calendar view (Google Calendar embed, DAKboard, etc.).
Pricing:
- OSE: free, open source
- Screenly (managed): paid, from about $20 per screen per month
Bottom line: A good option if the wall calendar shares hardware with other signage or photo-loop displays.
Download: screenly.io/ose
5. PiSignage, best managed signage
PiSignage is closer to Screenly Managed than to Screenly OSE. PiSignage for wall calendar builds runs a lightweight agent on the Pi and a hosted web dashboard for content management.
Where it falls short: Overkill for a single home calendar. Its strength is fleet management, so the value shows up when you run five Pis, not one.
Pricing:
- PiSignage Free: single player, limited features
- Pi Player: about $2 to $6 per player per month depending on features
Bottom line: Consider only if the calendar Pi will scale into a small deployment.
Download: pisignage.com
6. Raspberry Pi Imager, best for flashing
Raspberry Pi Imager is the official flasher and the first app to install on the desktop. Raspberry Pi Imager for wall calendar builds handles the SD card, plus optional pre-configuration (Wi-Fi, SSH, hostname) so the Pi comes up headless.
Where it falls short: The custom OS list is Raspberry Pi Foundation curated. Third-party images need the “Use custom” path.
Pricing:
- Free
- No paid tier
Bottom line: Install it once. Use it every build.
Download: raspberrypi.com/software
7. Balena Etcher, best alternative flasher
Balena Etcher is the alternative flasher that also verifies the write. Balena Etcher for wall calendar builds saves the day when Raspberry Pi Imager’s headless config screen won’t respect a static-IP setting.
Where it falls short: The interface is minimal (three steps and done). No headless pre-config, so you may have to boot with a keyboard once to set Wi-Fi.
Pricing:
- Free
- No paid tier
Bottom line: A quick fallback. Keep it installed for when Imager acts up.
Download: etcher.balena.io
8. Homer, best static dashboard
Homer is a static HTML dashboard built from a YAML file. Point Homer at the calendar’s public iCal URL and it renders a tidy grid without any backend. Homer for wall calendar builds is the fastest way to get a good-looking dashboard without running Node.
Where it falls short: The stock Homer dashboard is a launcher first. Rendering a full calendar view means combining Homer with a calendar embed rather than using its native cards.
Pricing:
- Free, open source
- No paid tier
Bottom line: Pair with a Google Calendar embed for a minimal Pi setup.
Download: github.com/bastienwirtz/homer
How to pick the right one
If this is a first Pi project and you want a working wall calendar this weekend: DAKboard or MagicMirror². Both are on the wall in an hour.
If you’re the household’s designated tinkerer: MagicMirror². The community modules will keep you interested.
If the Pi is a smart-home hub already: Home Assistant. Add a calendar entity to the dashboard.
If the display doubles as photo loop or menu board sometimes: Screenly OSE. It handles content scheduling.
If you like YAML more than JavaScript: Homer plus a Google Calendar embed. Simplest stack that works.
FAQ
Do we need a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 for a wall calendar? A Pi 3B+ is enough for MagicMirror² or a browser kiosk. A Pi 4 or 5 gives smoother scrolling and faster reboots on updates.
Can we mirror a Google Calendar without a login prompt? Yes. Both MagicMirror² and Home Assistant support secret iCal URLs from Google Calendar. DAKboard and Homer read those same URLs.
Does the Pi need to run 24/7? Yes for a wall calendar. Schedule a nightly reboot (systemd timer or cron) to keep memory clean.
Which app supports Apple Calendar? MagicMirror² (via iCloud iCal URL), Home Assistant, and DAKboard all work with Apple Calendar shared links. Screenly and Homer work by embedding a webview of iCloud’s calendar page.
Can we display weather alongside the calendar? MagicMirror², DAKboard, and Home Assistant all bundle weather modules. Screenly and PiSignage need a separate weather widget URL.
Do these apps work offline? MagicMirror² and Home Assistant cache the last fetch and keep displaying it during network outages. DAKboard needs a live connection because it’s hosted.
