Color-coded self-hosted calendars

Problem Context

Users rely on color-coded events in calendars to organize their schedules, but self-hosted calendar clients lack this feature. They currently use a mix of Google Calendar, Notion, and Samsung Calendar with manual syncs, which breaks their workflow. Without color-coding, they struggle to visually distinguish between different types of events (e.g., work, personal, meetings).

Pain Points

Self-hosted clients like Baikal don’t support individual event coloring, forcing users to stick with proprietary services. Manual workarounds (e.g., Notion + Google sync) are clunky and unreliable. The lack of color-coding disrupts their ability to quickly scan and prioritize events, leading to missed deadlines or double-bookings.

Impact

Wasted time (5+ hours/week) on manual syncs and reorganizing events. Frustration from broken workflows when color schemes don’t transfer between apps. For teams, this creates inconsistency in event labeling, reducing productivity. Privacy-conscious users also lose control over their data when forced to use Google Calendar.

Urgency

This is a daily pain for power users who depend on visual organization. Without a fix, they’ll continue to waste time on workarounds or accept a subpar experience. For teams, it risks miscommunication and missed deadlines. The problem can’t be ignored if they want to self-host without sacrificing functionality.

Target Audience

Self-hosting enthusiasts, privacy-focused individuals, remote teams, and small businesses that rely on color-coded calendars. Also affects users of Nextcloud, Baikal, or other self-hosted calendar clients who need Google Calendar-like features. Includes tech-savvy professionals who manage multiple calendars across devices.

Solution Approach

A self-hosted calendar client that syncs via CalDAV (compatible with Nextcloud, Baikal, etc.) and adds individual event coloring. Users get a modern, Google Calendar-like interface with full color-customization, while keeping their data private and self-hosted. The tool bridges the gap between self-hosting and the features users expect from proprietary services.

Key Features

1. Individual Event Coloring: Let users assign custom colors to each event, just like Google Calendar.
2. Team Color Schemes: For teams, sync shared color schemes (e.g., all ‘meetings’ are blue across the company).
3. Cross-Device Sync: Works on desktop and mobile (via web app or PWA), mirroring Google Calendar’s convenience.

User Experience

Users install the web app, connect their self-hosted calendar via CalDAV, and start coloring events immediately. The interface mimics Google Calendar for familiarity, but with self-hosting control. Teams can enforce consistent color schemes, and individual users can customize colors per event. No admin rights or complex setup required—just a few clicks to restore their workflow.

Differentiation

Unlike Baikal or Nextcloud, this tool focuses *only- on color-coding and CalDAV sync, doing it better than any existing self-hosted option. It’s lighter than full calendar suites (e.g., Nextcloud) but more functional than manual workarounds. The team plans add collaborative features missing in other self-hosted clients, making it a must-have for groups.

Scalability

Starts with individual plans ($10/month), then expands to team plans ($10/user/month for 5+ seats). Add-ons like custom color scheme templates or API access for developers can increase revenue per user. The CalDAV-based architecture ensures compatibility with any self-hosted backend, future-proofing the product.

Expected Impact

Users regain their color-coding workflow without compromising privacy or self-hosting. Teams standardize event labeling, reducing miscommunication. The tool saves 5+ hours/week on manual syncs and workarounds. For businesses, it’s a cost-effective alternative to Google Calendar that stays within their self-hosting ecosystem.