When comparing Rainlendar vs Calcurse, the Slant community recommends Calcurse for most people. In the question“What are the best calendar apps for UNIX-like systems?” Calcurse is ranked 4th while Rainlendar is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose Calcurse is:
E.g. CalDAV. Via its load/save hooks.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Integration
Your calendar data doesn't need to be stored with your computer. Data can be retrieved from Google, RTM, and even Outlook. (With the pro version removing annoying unregistered marks)
Pro Blends in with the desktop
This calendar stays out of your way, while remaining readily available to tell you what's coming up.
The Shadow skin make it look like a wallpaper calendar, but has the benefit of being interactive.
Pro Customizable
Take control of your calendar by scripting new functionality, take skins already created, or just disable all the fluff.
Rainlendar provides a platform to present your data in the way you desire.
Pro Supports arbitrary backends
E.g. CalDAV. Via its load/save hooks.
Pro Efficient
Uses very few resources, starts in the blink of an eye.
Pro Scriptable
You can use it in scripts via its command-line interface, and run scripts from it via hooks. So you can automate everything away, instead of being forced to use a GUI. A powerful feature.
Pro Fully customizable
Shortcuts, data sources, you name it. As real software should be.
Pro Simplicity
Cons
Con Can be unstable
The calendar crashes from time to time when entering new data.
Con Not made for app users
If you come to any professional or console software, expecting it to just behave like your Windows GUI apps, … you’re gonna have a bad time.
You will need to know what you want, and actually tell the program so, by configuring it. So that then, it will fit you like a glove instead, of you having to fit into a dumbest common denominator mold. Like all professional software.
Con No built-in help
The “help” function only tells you that you can use help on the program’s functions. But not what functions there are! How can you know what to ask for when you don’t know what there is? It’s like a text adventure game or Family Feud all over again.
Con Keybindings also used by certain graphical terminals
The keybindings of either program have to be changed in that (rare) case.