Still juggling spreadsheets and emails to manage events on your WordPress website?
Struggling to find a scheduling tool that actually works for your specific needs?
Managing events on your WordPress site shouldn't be a headache. The right WordPress calendar plugin can transform your website into a powerful event management hub.
This post delves deep into the best WordPress calendar plugins. Whether you're looking for a simple schedule plugin WordPress or a comprehensive event booking plugin, we'll guide you through the top contenders and provide insights to help you pick the perfect fit.
A Quick Primer On How We Compare Plugins
Our team chooses all the plugins in this series based on the criteria listed below. Our process involves checking plugin reviews and ratings on the WordPress Plugin Repository and verifying whether the plugin is regularly updated. We also look for a well-maintained support forum and check for compatibility with the latest WordPress version. It is also important to assess the developer’s reputation and track record.
We also analyze each plugin from a security perspective. Please keep in mind that a high rating in security doesn’t mean the plugin has never had vulnerabilities or hasn’t been exploited in attacks. Instead, we focus on how quickly plugins respond to security issues, and how well they communicate security updates to their users.
We use four categories to analyze a plugin:
- Functionality
- Code quality
- Security practices
- Reputation
By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of which WordPress calendar plugin is the best fit for your site, and how to get started with it.
Why Do You Need a WordPress Calendar Plugin?
A WordPress calendar plugin is essential for businesses, organizations, and content creators who need to showcase events, manage bookings, or coordinate schedules. Whether you're running a small business, managing a busy organization, or coordinating community activities, calendar plugins are essential for effectively scheduling and event promotion.
Without a calendar plugin, you must manually update event information through regular posts or pages. This is cumbersome to maintain and makes it difficult for users to track upcoming activities. These plugins automatically organize events chronologically, handle recurring schedules, and provide intuitive interfaces for administrators and visitors.
Calendar plugins are particularly valuable for businesses offering services or hosting events. They can manage online bookings and registrations, eliminate the need for manual appointment scheduling, and reduce double bookings. This automation saves time and significantly reduces administrative overhead and human error.
Moreover, calendar plugins enhance your website's SEO performance by creating structured data for events, which makes them more visible in search engine results.
How To Choose The Right WordPress Calendar Plugin
There are many things that you should consider when selecting a calendar plugin for your WordPress website:
- Core Functionality: The plugin should offer comprehensive event management capabilities aligning with your needs and requirements. Essential features such as event categorization, recurring events, and multiple view options must be readily available and easily implemented.
- User Interface and Experience: The calendar interface should be intuitive and user-friendly. It should allow visitors to easily navigate through events and find relevant information.
- Customization Options: The plugin should offer sufficient flexibility to match your website's design aesthetic and branding requirements. It should offer customization options for various visual elements, such as colors, fonts, and layout options, without requiring extensive coding knowledge.
- Support and Documentation: The plugin developer should maintain active support channels and respond promptly to user inquiries and issues. It should also provide regular updates and security patches to ensure long-term stability and compatibility.
Top 6 WordPress Calendar Plugins
Here are the six best WordPress calendar plugins, according to the security experts at Patchstack:
The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar powers over 700,000 WordPress sites and offers unmatched flexibility for event organizers. Its free version includes essential tools like month, list, and day views, responsive design, and integration with Google Calendar.
If you need additional functionality, you can upgrade to Pro for advanced features such as recurring events, custom fields, Zoom integrations, and map views. The plugin supports hybrid events, allowing seamless virtual and in-person gathering management.
While beginners may face a learning curve, its Pro features justify the investment for high-traffic sites. The Events Calendar excels in scalability and customization and is ideal for professional organizers, educational institutions, and nonprofits. You can try the demo yourself at The Events Calendar Demo Site.
Pricing
The free version is good enough for basic calendar needs, but you can invest in Pro for $149/year (one site) to unlock premium views, automation, and priority support.
Security
The Events Calendar prioritizes security by releasing transparent changelogs detailing the recent updates and the necessary information for end users. Additionally, it is part of the Patchstack Vulnerability Disclosure Program, a fact clearly displayed on the plugin website's home page. This makes it easy for security researchers and bug bounty hackers to report vulnerabilities securely.
We noticed that, in the past, they have released security patches bundled with regular updates, rather than separately. This is not considered best practice, because if the update contains a breaking change, most users will hesitate to upgrade to the latest version and continue using the vulnerable software.
Reputation
The Events Calendar maintains a strong 4.3 star rating across 2,300+ reviews on WordPress.org. Most users praise the plugin's extensive features and responsive support team, as the development team regularly releases updates and improvements based on community feedback.
Some users have indicated that the interface requires time to master due to its extensive functionality. However, Modern Tribe addresses these concerns through detailed documentation and video tutorials.
EventON
EventON streamlines event management for WordPress users by providing a visually striking design and robust functionality. It is tailored for small businesses, artists, and single-venue organizers, and this plugin transforms event calendars into more immersive experiences.
Its modern interface supports recurring events, ticketing add-ons, and social sharing, making it ideal for users who prioritize visual appeal and seamless attendee engagement. While the setup may require initial effort, the payoff lies in its adaptable layouts and professional presentation.
EventON provides advanced features such as multi-date repeats, unlimited categories, and time zone localization. Users can create detailed event cards with expandable content galleries, and also integrate Google Maps. This plugin optimizes events for search engines through auto-generated Schema markup, which improves SEO.
You can try the demo version of EventON at https://addons.myeventon.com/ and the EventON Demo site.
Pricing
EventON offers a Regular License for single-site use at $19, ideal for non-commercial projects. For monetized platforms, you will need to subscribe to the $299 Extended License, which covers premium end products. These licenses include six months of support, updates, and quality checks.
Security
The EventON developers actively maintain security by releasing regular patches and updates. Additionally, the development team consistently releases updates with detailed changelogs, which allows users to track security improvements and bug fixes effectively.
However, the absence of a dedicated security contact point and vulnerability reporting mechanism on the plugin website’s homepage is a matter of concern. Unlike leading WordPress plugins, EventON has not joined any vulnerability disclosure program. This is problematic, as joining bug bounty programs encourages cybersecurity professionals to discover vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
Reputation
EventON has established itself as a market leader with over 64,000 sales on CodeCanyon and maintains a strong 4.36/5 rating. Users particularly value:
- Design flexibility across different WordPress themes
- Built-in tools for virtual event management
- Quick response times from support staff
The support team has successfully resolved over 11,800 tickets, demonstrating its commitment to user success. While new users may need time to master all features, comprehensive documentation helps smooth the learning process. The plugin's sustained popularity and high satisfaction rates make it a reliable choice for WordPress event management.
Event Espresso
Event Espresso is a WordPress plugin that can transform your site into a dynamic event management hub. Its modern design and feature-rich interface prioritize visual appeal, making it a standout choice for events like workshops, conferences, or fundraisers.
It offers extensive customization, including social sharing, recurring events, and ticketing add-ons. Its focus on seamless attendee management and automated processes ensures your events run smoothly while saving time and resources.
You can use it to create custom registration forms to gather attendee data, set group registrations for multiple attendees, and easily automate recurring events. It supports over 20 payment gateways, including Stripe and PayPal, and ensures GDPR compliance for secure data handling.
Furthermore, Event Espresso’s smart single-page checkout simplifies ticket purchases and provides customizable confirmation emails that maintain brand consistency. You can also purchase add-ons that extend its functionality with features like QR code ticketing, waitlists, and calendar integrations.
You can try the free WordPress Event Registration Plugin demo to see how it works for yourself.
Pricing
Event Espresso offers three tiers: the Personal License ($99.95/year) covers basic features for single-site users. In contrast, the Everything License ($359.96/year) includes 35+ add-ons like promo codes and recurring events, making it ideal for growing businesses. Agencies and developers benefit from the Developer License ($359.95/year), which supports five sites. All plans include 12 months of updates and support.
Security
While evaluating the security of the Event Espresso plugin, we liked that Event Espresso provides a dedicated security vulnerability reporting page on its website. However, we didn’t like that this isn’t prominently highlighted on its homepage. As this page is not readily available, it might be difficult for security researchers to find it, and it is also possible that many security researchers inadvertently end up submitting vulnerabilities through the generic contact form.
We like that the plugin developers have published a GitHub repository where they also add changelogs. This makes it easier for users to track new releases and decide whether to skip an upgrade. Furthermore, Event Espresso's 122 GitHub stars and active development team show that the community trusts it. But, to keep things as secure as possible, always use robust WordPress security practices alongside it.
Reputation
Users consistently praise Event Espresso for its flexibility and responsive support. The plugin website has published testimonials from nonprofits, educators, and event planners, highlighting its cost-effectiveness compared to its competitors. This plugin receives top marks for its ability to manage a wide range of events, from intimate art classes to massive conferences.
Additionally, the developers of the Event Espresso plugin maintain an active YouTube, Twitter, and blog presence. This makes it easier for end users to communicate with the developers and voice their opinions.
Sugar Calendar
Sugar Calendar simplifies event management with a clean interface and provides core calendar functionality for WordPress websites. It allows you to create events effortlessly, set recurring schedules, and integrate ticketing via Stripe or WooCommerce.
You can also organize events into categories and display them using WordPress or Elementor blocks to ensure seamless integration with your site’s design. Advanced users can sync events with Google Maps for location visibility and enable calendar feeds so visitors can export events to personal calendars.
Pricing
You choose from four pricing tiers, which are tailored to different scales. The Basic plan starts at $49.50/year for one site, offering core features such as recurring events and Stripe ticketing. You can upgrade to Plus ($99.50/year) for premium support and all add-ons. The Pro tier ($199.50/year) covers three sites, while the Elite ($299.50/year) supports ten sites with VIP support.
Note: updates and support expire with your subscription, so factor renewal costs into long-term planning.
Security Practices
Sugar Calendar follows standard WordPress plugin security practices but lacks a dedicated vulnerability disclosure program. When releasing a new version of this plugin, the developers bundle security fixes with new features. While this approach works for minor updates, it may delay visibility into critical patches.
We didn’t like that the plugin homepage does not provide information about how to securely disclose vulnerabilities to plugin developers. This might make it difficult for security researchers to communicate with plugin developers promptly and leave vulnerabilities open to exploitation.
Reputation
Sugar Calendar is a WPForms project that benefits from its parent company’s strong community reputation. Many users praise its intuitive design and find it faster than bulkier alternatives. The plugin avoids feature overload, aligning with WPForms' simplicity and reliability philosophy.
WP Booking Calendar
Although WP Booking Calendar is technically a booking plugin, its strong calendar-based system makes it ideal for appointment-based events, service bookings, and time slots. While not built for large-scale event listings, its calendar-first design excels in managing one-on-one sessions, rentals, or service bookings.
It is great for beginners, with an intuitive interface. It lets customers check availability, reserve dates or times, and pay directly through integrated gateways. The plugin simplifies email notifications and centralizes bookings in a user-friendly admin panel.
It provides a responsive front-end calendar that adapts seamlessly to any device, ensuring visitors have a smooth booking experience. Additionally, you can customize forms, calendar skins, and email templates to align with your brand or activate multi-language support via WPML.
Pricing
Booking Calendar is especially suitable for salons, therapists, rental services, or consultants who require precise time management. Choose from tiered pricing plans starting at $39 (discounted from $79) for a single site, scaling to $349 for five websites. Smaller businesses benefit from the Personal or Business Small tiers, while agencies managing multiple clients may prefer the Business Large plan. Each tier unlocks core features like payment gateways and customization, ensuring scalability as your operations grow.
Security
While the plugin lacks a dedicated security contact page, it adheres to WordPress best practices. You can track updates via detailed changelogs and blog announcements, showing that the plugin is under active development and regularly updated.
Unlike some of the plugins discussed above, this plugin does not provide security contact information on its website's home page. However, the developers of this plugin provide a Request Update page, which can be used to communicate directly with the plugin developers.
Reputation
Booking Calendar has a strong reputation for reliability and premium support. It has thousands of active users, and user reviews praise its sleek design and responsive customer service. Some users prefer its seamless integration functionality and flexibility, while others like it because it provides more value than pricier alternatives.
Amelia
Amelia is a booking and scheduling plugin tailored for service-oriented businesses. It provides access to a built-in calendar, appointment management for multiple employees, and tools for handling recurring bookings.
Its primary focus leans toward appointment scheduling rather than general event management, and Amelia excels in streamlining operations for beauty salons, healthcare providers, fitness studios, and similar industries. Amelia integrates automated SMS and email reminders to reduce no-shows and keep customers informed.
Additionally, you can synchronize appointments with Google Calendar, accept payments via Stripe, PayPal, or WooCommerce, and create custom booking forms to collect specific client details.
If your business offers classes or workshops, you can use this plugin to create event tickets, waiting lists, and recurring sessions. You can also bundle services into discounted packages, set flexible durations, and manage employee schedules across multiple locations. But that’s not all. There are many small functionalities and features that make the booking experience easier. Try them out yourself on one of many Amelia Demo Sites.
Pricing
Amelia offers four annual plans: Starter ($49), Standard ($89), Pro ($129), and Elite ($319). You choose based on the number of domains and advanced features needed. The Pro tier unlocks resource management, cart functionalities, and REST API access, while the Elite covers unlimited domains. All paid plans include a 15-day money-back guarantee and one year of support. A limited free version exists for basic needs, but businesses requiring payment processing or event management will find paid tiers more practical.
Security
Amelia follows standard security practices and releases regular updates to address vulnerabilities. The plugin developers publish changelogs regularly with the necessary information in sufficient detail. For example, a recent upgrade mentioned that they released a patch restricting unauthorized access to customer panels.
However, we didn’t like that security fixes were mixed with regular updates and bug fixes. Additionally, the absence of a dedicated security contact form on the plugin’s website means that security researchers must rely on generic contact forms to communicate security incidents. This can be problematic as customer support forms are often monitored by automated bots that might not know what to do with this information.
Reputation
Amelia has over 70,000 users, and it has received positive testimonials for its intuitive interface and reliability. Many users praise its employee-friendly design and seamless WooCommerce integration. It also has an affiliate program offering 30% commissions. This is a positive sign, as it shows users who are satisfied with the plugin are actively referring other users and building a strong community.
It is being actively developed and has a strong 4.9/5 Capterra rating, which makes it a good choice for most businesses that need a calendar plugin.
Final Thoughts
This post has discussed and analyzed the best WordPress calendar plugins. We have explained how choosing the right WordPress calendar plugin can significantly streamline your event management and enhance your website's functionality.
As you've seen, a wide array of options is available, from simple and free to powerful and premium. We have provided a list of the best plugins in the market, and we recommend you take the time to assess your specific needs, test a few options, and select the plugin that best meets your requirements.
But no matter what plugin you choose, we highly recommend Patchstack for monitoring security vulnerabilities.
Patchstack keeps you aware of the latest threats across your WordPress install and ecosystem. If you are not yet using Patchstack, then getting started for free is a quick and easy way to instantly secure your website, and your business’s reputation.
Learn more and get started with Patchstack for free.
