The free Canvas feed in Google Calendar is fine if you only need dated Canvas items on a calendar. Secretariat is the upgrade: a to-do list you check off, syllabus dates when Canvas is wrong, and your other apps, and it still works with Google Calendar.
Side by side
| Secretariat | Google Calendar with the Canvas feed | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A day-by-day to-do list and calendar built from Canvas, your syllabi, your calendars and the apps you already use. | The free do-it-yourself setup: copy your Canvas Calendar Feed link and subscribe to it in Google Calendar. |
| Price | Free plan. Student Pro $8.99 a month, $29.99 a semester or $49.99 a year. | Free. |
| Where it runs | Web app in any browser, including on your phone's home screen, plus a Chrome extension. Native iPhone app coming soon. | Anywhere Google Calendar runs. You add the feed on a computer; after that it shows on your phone. |
| Canvas and other school systems | Canvas, connected in one tap with the Chrome extension. Google Classroom. Moodle, Blackboard and Brightspace by calendar link. | Canvas only, through its read-only iCal feed of course events and dated assignments. |
| Reads syllabi | Yes. When the syllabus and Canvas disagree, the to-do lands on the syllabus date, except where that could make you late. | No. |
Google Calendar with the Canvas feed facts checked October 2026 from Boise State: syncing your Canvas calendar, Murray State: Canvas calendar feed, Canvas Community: Google Calendar sync issue. Prices change, so check their site before you buy.
Where Google Calendar with the Canvas feed is better
- It's free and uses an app you already have on every device.
- Setup is one link: copy your Canvas Calendar Feed and add it in Google Calendar.
Where Secretariat is better
- The feed only carries items that have a due date. Secretariat also reads each class's syllabus, so exams and work Canvas never had can still land on the right day.
- Feed items are calendar events you can't check off. Secretariat gives you a to-do list, and can check work off when Canvas says you turned it in.
- Google refreshes subscribed calendars on its own schedule, often taking hours. When Canvas moves a date, Secretariat shows you and lets you Move or Keep.
- Secretariat reads your Google Calendar too, along with Outlook, Notion, Todoist, Slack and GroupMe, and can send your list back to Google Calendar as its own calendar.
Which one to pick
Stick with the feed if you just want Canvas due dates on your calendar for free.
Pick Secretariat if you want a list that's complete, right when Canvas is wrong, and something you can check off.
Common questions
- Can I use Google Calendar and Secretariat together?
- Yes. Secretariat reads every Google Calendar you have turned on, and it can send your list to Google Calendar as a separate one-way calendar. See Canvas and Google Calendar.
- Is the Canvas feed in Google Calendar free?
- Yes. Here's how to set it up. Secretariat is free to start too, with no card.
- Does the Canvas feed include my syllabus dates?
- No. It only has items with a due date in Canvas. Secretariat reads the syllabus as well. See syllabus vs Canvas dates.
JoinFree to start, no card. See pricing