R
- Category
- Calendar · Self-host
- Cost
- Self-host
- Country
- France
- Licensing
- FOSS
- Platforms
- Linux · macOS · Windows
Pros and cons
+ what works
- +GPL-3.0, written in Python, runs on a Raspberry Pi or any small VM
- +Standard CalDAV and CardDAV, so any third-party client (Thunderbird, DAVx5, Apple Calendar) works
- +File-based storage means backups are just copying a directory
- +Active project with regular releases (3.7.2 shipped April 2026)
− watch out for
- −Defaults are conservative: lightweight by design, capped around 8 parallel connections out of the box
- −No built-in web UI for end users; calendar and contact management happens in the client
- −Operator owns everything: TLS, auth backend, backups, reverse proxy, and updates
- −Documented compatibility-first stance: project will deviate from strict RFC behavior to keep popular clients working
Privacy notes
Radicale runs on hardware you control and stores collections as iCalendar and vCard files under a configurable directory; no data leaves the box unless a client requests it. Since 3.5.0 the default config rejects all auth until the operator explicitly configures a backend (htpasswd, LDAP, OAuth2, PAM, or Dovecot), which closes the historical foot-gun of open instances. Data stays under the operator's jurisdiction since the user is the operator. Project stewardship sits with the Kozea community in France.
Tags
#foss · #python · #caldav · #carddav · #gpl-3.0
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