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What is the difference between iCalendar and CalDav?

schnatterer
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abj
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    See [this answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/30053513/5389585) for the user's perspective on subscribing to an iCal over HTTP vs. CalDav. – sondra.kinsey Jun 12 '19 at 19:17

3 Answers3

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CalDAV is a protocol extension for WebDAV and can used to manipulate data in the iCalendar format. So CalDAV is like the HTTP for calendar stuff, and iCalendar is like HTML.

track0
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Nikolaus Gradwohl
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    People on the internet use the terms icalendar and CalDAV interchangeably. "so caldav is like the http for calender stuff, and ical is like html". I think this explains it best. – abj Feb 28 '11 at 15:08
  • I think this is a good analogue, though some calendars may expose a calendar both through the caldav protocol and some icalendar link. In that case the answer below from Bobik is correct. – tobixen Mar 15 '21 at 13:15
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iCalendar is a file format that can be used to store and transport calendar entries.

CalDAV is a protocol specification, based on HTTP/WebDAV, that can be used to interact with remote calendars.

CalDAV uses the iCalendar format to represent the actual entries.

Joachim Sauer
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In case a calendar is exposed either through a caldav link or an icalendar link, the difference is:

iCal

  • Read-only
  • Just one file with all events, so client have to download whole feed (so syncing is not data effective)

CalDAV

  • Read-write
  • Like multiple files, so client can download only some events (support effective syncing)
  • Access control list
  • Read-free-busy (see only time, not details about event)
tobixen
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Bobík
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  • I initially downvoted this one because I think it's incorrect (ref the accepted answer), but thinking twice - you are completely right for the case when a calendar is exposed both with a caldav link and an icalendar link. I'll take the liberty to edit this answer a bit. – tobixen Mar 15 '21 at 13:19