Baïkal review
A free, open-source calendar server for people who want to host their own data.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Baïkal is a lightweight, self-hosted CalDAV calendar server and CardDAV contacts server for individuals, teams, and organizations that want to manage their own calendar and contact data. Its web-based administration interface covers users, calendars, and address books, while calendar sharing supports collaborative access. Baïkal is free and open-source software released under the GNU GPL v3 license, making it a fit for self-hosters who are comfortable operating server software rather than looking for a ready-to-use hosted calendar app.
Its strongest practical advantage is client and storage flexibility. The server supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite, and users can connect through iOS, macOS, Android via DAVx5, and Mozilla Thunderbird. Calendar synchronization is two-way, and the platform supports shared calendars. That combination makes Baïkal suitable for households, small teams, and technical users who already have preferred calendar or contact applications and want those clients connected to a self-managed server.
The trade-off is scope. Baïkal handles server administration, user management, calendar management, and address-book management, but it is not a complete end-user calendar application. Client support depends on compatible CalDAV and CardDAV software, and the product does not provide booking or time-blocking features. Choose Baïkal if ownership of calendar and contact data, open-source licensing, and broad client compatibility matter more than a managed service experience. Choose another calendar product if you want built-in scheduling workflows or an all-in-one interface for everyday calendar use.
Questions about Baïkal
What does Baïkal run on? Web. It runs in the cloud and self-hosted.
What does Baïkal integrate with? 5 integrations: iOS, macOS, DAVx5, Android and Mozilla Thunderbird.
Who is Baïkal built for? Solo users, small businesses, mid-market companies and enterprises (our editorial estimate).
Baïkal pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free, open-source server for calendars and contacts
- Supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite storage
- Works with iOS, macOS, DAVx5, Android, and Thunderbird
- Where it doesn't
- Requires self-hosting rather than a hosted calendar service
- Client support depends on CalDAV/CardDAV-compatible apps
- Provides server administration, not booking or time-blocking tools
Baïkal fact sheet, pricing and score →
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