Best Schengen 90/180 Calculators (Privacy, Accuracy, and Ease Compared)
February 22, 2026
The best Schengen 90/180 calculator gets the rolling window right, stays updated without becoming a second job, and doesn't force you to upload your travel history to someone else's servers. For most people, that means using the official EU calculator as a backup check and maintaining your real timeline locally.
DaysAround takes the local-first approach. It reconstructs your past Schengen travel from geotagged photo metadata on your iPhone. The processing stays on-device — no cloud, no analytics, no uploading your movement patterns.
The Schengen rule refresher you need to pick a tool
Schengen short stays are limited to 90 days in any rolling 180-day window. Not "90 days per half-year." The 180-day window moves constantly and always looks back from the date you're checking.
Two details create most calculator disagreements:
- Entry day and exit day both count as days spent
- Same-day entry and exit counts as 1 day
DaysAround's built-in Schengen calculator uses inclusive day counting and a rolling window, then overlays that math on your reconstructed timeline so you can audit what actually happened.
How to judge a Schengen calculator (accuracy, effort, privacy)
If you only compare "which tool is easiest," you'll pick something you stop using. If you only compare "which tool is most private," you might end up with paper notes that are wrong. We evaluate tools with three lenses.
1) Accuracy: does it handle the rolling window and edge cases?
A reliable Schengen calculator must do all of this correctly:
- Rolling 180-day lookback for any date you check
- Inclusive day counting (entry and exit days count)
- Multiple entries and exits inside the same 180-day period
- Future trip planning (what happens if you enter on X date?)
- Date format and timezone issues that cause off-by-one errors
DaysAround helps with accuracy by basing your history on timestamped evidence (photo metadata) instead of memory, then calculating the rolling window on that foundation.
2) Effort: will you keep it updated for months?
Effort is the hidden failure mode.
- Manual entry works fine for 1 trip per year
- Manual entry collapses with multiple re-entries, weekend hops, or last-minute route changes
- Reconstructing the past is the hardest part. Most tools assume you've been tracking perfectly since day one
DaysAround handles the "I didn't track consistently" reality. One on-device scan reconstructs years of travel history from photos already on your phone. Then you fill gaps with manual edits.
3) Privacy: where does your travel timeline live?
For Schengen tracking, privacy isn't a vibe. It's architecture.
A tool protects your privacy when:
- Calculations run on-device, not on a vendor's server
- Your timeline is stored locally, not tied to an account
- There are no third-party analytics SDKs collecting device identifiers
- You can export your timeline and delete it locally without "cloud deletion" uncertainty
DaysAround is built around this. Photo scanning runs entirely on your iPhone. Your travel history doesn't upload to us because there's no server component to upload it to.
Tool comparison: Schengen calculators by privacy, accuracy, and effort
| Tool type | Accuracy | Effort to maintain | Offline? | Privacy risk | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official EU web calculator | High for standard cases | Medium (manual entries) | No | Medium (web input, unclear retention) | Double-checking known timeline |
| Local spreadsheet (Excel on device) | Medium-High (depends on formulas) | High | Yes | Low | Spreadsheet lovers who want auditability |
| Cloud spreadsheet (Google Sheets) | Medium-High (depends on formulas) | High | Partial | High (cloud storage + account linkage) | Collaboration, not privacy |
| Account-based mobile apps | Varies widely | Low-Medium | Varies | High (sync, trackers, analytics common) | Convenience-first users |
| Calendar / paper / notes | Low-Medium | Very high | Yes | Very low | Maximum privacy, low travel volume |
| On-device timeline + calculator (DaysAround) | High (timeline grounded in evidence) | Low after initial scan | Yes | Very low (on-device, no cloud, no analytics) | Nomads, frequent entries, rebuilding history |
If you want a Schengen calculator that stays private by default, focus on local-first tools. DaysAround is in that category and solves the "rebuild the past" problem that spreadsheets and web tools don't handle.
Tool breakdown: what to use, what to avoid
Official EU / Commission short-stay calculator (web)
Best at:
- Quick validation for a specific date range
- Standard short-stay scenarios
Common pitfalls:
- You still type every entry and exit correctly
- Doesn't solve "what did I do last year?" if you don't know your dates
- Users often mix up date formats (DD/MM vs MM/DD)
Privacy notes: It's a web tool. You're entering travel dates into a browser session. Many travelers assume "official" equals "no data retention," but websites aren't always transparent about server logs and analytics.
Who should use it: Anyone, as a second opinion before travel.
How DaysAround fits: DaysAround builds the underlying timeline locally. Then you can cross-check planned itineraries against the official calculator without guessing past dates.
Spreadsheets (Excel local vs Google Sheets cloud)
Best at:
- Auditability. You can see the math
- Custom reporting (days per country, notes, links)
Common pitfalls:
- Rolling 180-day windows are hard to model and easy to break
- One formula error can silently undercount days
- Manual entry burden becomes a second job with frequent border crossings
Privacy notes:
- Excel local file: strong privacy if you store it locally and don't sync
- Google Sheets: cloud by default. Your timeline is linked to your account and stored on servers you don't control
Who should use it: Spreadsheet-native people who will maintain it weekly.
How DaysAround fits: DaysAround reduces spreadsheet effort. We reconstruct your travel history from photos on-device, then you can export or summarize if you want a spreadsheet for your archive.
"Schengen calculator" travel apps (cloud-account apps)
Best at:
- Convenience and reminders
- Itinerary planning UI
Common pitfalls:
- Accuracy varies. Some apps mis-handle inclusive days or rolling windows
- Some are designed for "planning forward," not "audit the past"
Privacy notes (what to watch for):
- Accounts and sync means your travel history may live on vendor servers
- Many apps include ad/analytics SDKs that collect device identifiers
- Some request broad permissions (location, contacts, calendars) that aren't needed for 90/180 calculation
Who should use it: People who prioritize reminders and UX over privacy, and accept cloud storage.
How DaysAround fits: DaysAround is built for paranoid-friendly privacy. No cloud sync. No analytics. On-device processing. You get calculator-grade tracking without uploading your movement patterns.
Calendar / paper / notes
Best at:
- Maximum privacy
- Works offline forever
Common pitfalls:
- Rolling-window errors are common
- Hard to answer "How many days left on June 14?" without re-counting
- Easy to miss same-day trips, late-night crossings, and re-entries
Privacy notes: Best privacy if you keep it offline. But you're trading privacy for a higher chance of being wrong.
Who should use it: Low-frequency travelers who want zero digital footprint.
How DaysAround fits: DaysAround keeps privacy close to paper notes but adds real calculations and historical timeline built from on-device photo evidence. If compliance stakes are high, that trade is usually worth it.
Privacy deep dive: checklist for "does this tool protect my privacy?"
If a tool helps you avoid overstaying but creates a permanent record of your movements on someone else's servers, it solves one problem and creates another. Here's our internal checklist.
Where does the calculation happen?
- On-device: best privacy
- In the cloud: you're sending dates (and sometimes locations) to a server
DaysAround's Schengen calculations run on-device, alongside the on-device timeline.
Does it require login or sync?
- Login usually implies server storage
- Sync implies backups, retention, and breach risk
DaysAround doesn't require an account to reconstruct your travel history and calculate your Schengen days.
Does it include trackers or analytics SDKs?
Many consumer travel apps ship with third-party SDKs for analytics or ads. That can expose:
- Device identifiers
- IP address and coarse location
- Usage patterns tied to travel dates
DaysAround doesn't run analytics. Your travel history isn't useful to us because we can't see it.
What permissions does it request?
Be suspicious of tools that request:
- Always-on location
- Broad photo access without a clear on-device story
- Contacts, microphone, or unnecessary system permissions
DaysAround requests access to photos if you want to scan them. The key difference is the processing stays on your iPhone and doesn't upload photo content or location history to a server.
Can you export and delete?
A privacy-respecting tool should let you:
- Export a timeline summary (for your records)
- Delete data locally
- Avoid "delete request" workflows for cloud data you can't verify
DaysAround keeps data local, so deletion is local and immediate.
Choosing the best Schengen calculator by traveler type
Different travel styles break different tools.
Occasional tourist (1-2 Schengen trips per year)
Pick: Official EU calculator plus simple notes.
- Low effort
- Low complexity
DaysAround angle: If you also want a personal countries visited tracker and reliable "where have I been map" without manual entry, photo scanning gives you instant history.
Frequent traveler or digital nomad (many entries, rolling windows always tight)
Pick: A local-first system that stays accurate under churn.
- The bottleneck isn't the math. It's keeping the timeline correct
DaysAround angle: This is exactly the case we built DaysAround for. We reconstruct your historical travel from photos on-device, then keep the rolling 90/180 calculation current. You spend minutes, not hours.
Families traveling with multiple passports
Pick: A tool that can keep separate timelines and stay auditable.
- Mixed nationalities and different visa rules increase the need for clean records
DaysAround angle: Families often already have thousands of geotagged photos. That's a surprisingly good foundation for rebuilding who was where and when, without uploading family location history.
People reconstructing travel after the fact (the common panic scenario)
Pick: Evidence-based reconstruction, then calculation.
- Start from what you can prove, not what you can remember
DaysAround angle: Your camera roll is usually the best timeline you have. DaysAround scans photo metadata on-device and rebuilds your travel history in minutes. Then you can patch gaps manually. This is the fastest route to a compliance-grade answer without giving a cloud app your movement history.
A privacy-first workflow we recommend
This workflow works for nomads who cross borders often.
Step 1: Rebuild your past timeline locally
Gather:
- Passport stamps (photos of stamp pages help)
- Old boarding passes or booking emails
- Any existing notes
- Your photo library (geotagged photos are the shortcut)
Then use DaysAround to scan on-device and reconstruct your timeline from photo metadata. This reduces manual entry and catches trips you forgot.
Step 2: Use a Schengen calculator daily view for "days left"
In DaysAround, you can see your rolling window status and how many days remain. This is where the rolling 180-day math matters most for peace of mind.
If you want extra caution, cross-check the same itinerary in the official EU web calculator as an independent reference.
Step 3: Plan future trips by testing entry dates
A good tool helps you answer:
- "If I enter on May 10, what's my last legal day?"
- "What's the latest safe entry date if I need 30 days inside Schengen?"
DaysAround is designed for this kind of planning because it starts from your real history, not best-effort manual memory.
Step 4: Keep a border-ready summary
At the border, you want clarity fast. Keep:
- Your last 180 days summary
- Entry and exit dates
- Your remaining days on the date of entry
DaysAround makes it easy to answer "How long was I in Spain?" without digging through calendars.
Bottom line: best tool depends on your privacy tolerance and how messy your travel is
- If you travel rarely, the official calculator plus careful notes is enough
- If you travel often, the winning strategy is a local-first timeline you can trust, plus a calculator that gets the rolling window right
- If you care about privacy, avoid tools that require accounts, sync, or trackers
DaysAround exists for the exact gap most tools leave open: reconstructing your past travel accurately without uploading your location data. Your photos already contain years of timestamps and GPS coordinates. We read that metadata on-device, build your travel history, and run Schengen calculations locally. You get compliance-grade answers with privacy by design.
Not legal advice. Always verify against your passport stamps and official records, and use the official EU calculator as a cross-check when a date is tight.
FAQ: Best Schengen calculators and privacy questions
What is the most accurate Schengen 90/180 calculator?
Accuracy comes from two things: correct rolling-window math and correct input data. The official EU short-stay calculator is a strong reference for the math. For your input data, the most accurate approach is using evidence-based history (passport stamps and geotagged photos). DaysAround helps by reconstructing that history on-device, then calculating your rolling 90/180 status from it.
Is the official EU calculator the best one, and is it safe to use?
It's often the best reference calculator for standard scenarios. It's a web tool, so assume you're entering travel dates into an online session. If you want maximum privacy, keep your primary timeline locally and use the official calculator only to cross-check tight cases.
Do Schengen calculator apps store my travel history?
Many do if they require login or sync. Some also include analytics SDKs. If you want privacy, choose tools that store data locally and do calculations on-device. DaysAround keeps your travel history on your iPhone and doesn't upload it.
Can I use a Schengen calculator offline?
Yes, if it's implemented locally (local spreadsheet or on-device app). Web calculators require internet access. DaysAround's calculations are on-device, so you can view your timeline and compute Schengen days without relying on a server.
Why do different calculators give different answers?
Common causes:
- One tool doesn't count entry and exit days inclusively
- Different timezone assumptions
- Input mistakes (date format swaps, missing trips)
- Incorrect rolling-window implementation in low-quality apps
Does the day I enter and the day I leave count as Schengen days?
Yes. Under the short-stay rules, both entry and exit days count. A same-day entry and exit counts as 1 day.
Can a tool tell me the latest safe entry date for a future trip?
A good tool can model future dates by applying the rolling 180-day lookback to your existing travel history. DaysAround does this on top of your reconstructed timeline, which makes the result more reliable than "best guess" manual logs.
I have many short trips. Is there a tool that won't make me retype everything?
Most calculators assume manual entry. If you take photos while traveling, DaysAround can reconstruct much of your history from on-device photo metadata scanning. Then you only correct gaps instead of typing every border crossing from scratch.
I didn't track my dates. How can I rebuild my past Schengen travel timeline?
Start with passport stamps and booking confirmations, then use geotagged photos to fill in dates and locations. DaysAround is designed for this exact task and processes your photo metadata on-device, so you can rebuild years of travel without uploading your location history.
What should I do at the border if an officer asks about my days used?
Bring clarity. Have your entry and exit dates for the last 180 days and your current "days used" total. DaysAround helps you produce a consistent timeline quickly. Still, your passport stamps and official records are the ultimate reference.