WordPress event calendar plugins are one of the most useful tools for site owners. While there are so many of them around, choosing the right one is challenging. Aside from ease of use and what features the plugins come with, security is also a concern.
Today we’ll be sharing some of the best WordPress event calendar plugins available.
Best WordPress Event Calendar Plugins
The word ‘best’ can be subjective at times. This list of WordPress Event Calendar plugins was purpose-built to offer a choice of scope. Not everyone needs a plugin that can do everything, including bay at the moon.
Hence, in no particular order, here we go;
1. The Events Calendar
Website: https://theeventscalendar.com/
800,000 Active installations may not sound like much for a top-notch plugin. Still, The Events Calendar is easily one of the most popular events plugin for WordPress. It also happens to be so powerful you can build an entire WordPress site around its functionality alone.
Instead of adding an events calendar to your WordPress site, you can build an entire calendar-based site that’s modern and sleek. While this may sound a bit much for most people, it offers event planners a formidable option in business.
This plugin is honestly one of the cleanest yet, at the same time, beautiful event calendars around. It’s well supported and built to integrate efficiently with WordPress. According to them, even Fortune 100 companies have scaled the plugin for use.
Pros
- Feature-rich
- Easy to use
- Looks stunningly beautiful
- Payment gateway support
Cons
- Pro version slightly pricey
- Limited free version
2. JetEngine Dynamic Listing Calendar
Website: https://crocoblock.com/
JetEngine is a powerful WordPress plugin that helps with dynamic content. It includes a dynamic listing calendar that displays events accompanied by event list items. Its agile nature allows you to easily showcase upcoming events in nearby months, show or hide past events, and sort and order events.
Additional JetEngine features will help you to add a map with details, show further information with a popup, add buttons to booking forms, and even redirect events to a web page. It can fill multiple roles, such as in the fields of education (lectures), sports (workouts), entertainment (festivals), and business (webinars, courses, meetings).
Pros
- Multi-feature dynamic calendar
- Payment gateway support
- Good support via chat, ticket, or Zoom
- Works with Elementor and Gutenberg
- Modular design
Cons
- No free version
- Too complex for those with basic needs
3. Amelia
Website: https://wpamelia.com/
If you’re looking for something easy to use and straight to the point, Amelia is good to consider. It offers very traditional capabilities in meeting two demands – accepting appointments and listing of events.
The simplicity is also a big part of why some owners love it. There isn’t anything that needs to be delved in too deeply – just install the plugin and place the widget where you need it. Configuration is a breeze.
That doesn’t mean it has no bells and whistles though. For example, it has an SMS notification system that lets you connect with both employees as well as your customers regarding bookings.
Pros
- Details calendar options
- SMS notifications
- Recurring appointments
- Handles custom fields
Cons
- Very basic design
- Lack of marketing integration
4. Modern Events Calendar
Website: https://webnus.net/
For those impressed by The Events Calendar, Modern Events Calendar is even more powerful. This power is perhaps a two-edged blade, though, since not many people will likely need everything it has to offer.
To get an idea of the scope that Modern Events Calendar covers – they have a search function to help users navigate features. From event bookings to payment handling and scheduling, this plugin simply rocks.
There are two versions of Modern Events Calendar – Pro and Lite. The latter is a watered-down (but still powerful) version. Pro offers a lot more but for more advanced goodies, expect to pay for each feature you want.
Pros
- Mind-boggling event features
- Looks stunningly beautiful
- Payment gateway support
Cons
- Too feature-rich for average use
- Add-ons can increase prices significantly
5. All-in-One Event Calendar
Website: https://time.ly/
Despite its name, the All-in-One Event Calendar by Timely isn’t precisely that. While the name and actual use case may be a bit contradictory, it’s more realistic than having a business-class events plugin.
The plugin offers users an easy way to manage events that isn’t overwhelming. You get the typical design and layout features and the capability to import and export events. Synchronization lets you update multiple website calendars at one go – pretty neat.
As far as All-in-One Event Calendar goes, the only downside I can see is perhaps the slightly complicated way the company has segregated related products. If you’re the average consumer, Timely’s solutions can be frustrating for those with simple needs.
Pros
- Excellent essential event calendar features
- Easy calendar synchronization
- Color coding and map embedding
Cons
- Users must have a Timely account
6. Essential Addons for Elementor
Website: https://essential-addons.com/
For those who are using Elementor, you may not need to search for a dedicated events calendar plugin. Elementor is so widely used now that it has a great ecosystem of its own. The Essential Addons for Elementor plugin is a Swiss Army knife of features.
This plethora of features course includes an events calendar. It lets you create customized event pages and integrates other popular plugins well, such as Google Calendar. It is power, beauty, and convenience wrapped up neatly in one package.
The problem with this plugin’s approach is that if you don’t want everything else in the package or aren’t an Elementor fan – that likely excludes you from its potential audience.
Pros
- Multipurpose plugin
- Neat and intuitive interface
- Decent support
Cons
- Introduces many potentially unneeded features
7. Event Calendar WD
Website: https://10web.io/
Consider Event Calendar WD if you need something that’s focused on simply being an events calendar. I love the scalable way that this calendar plugin works. The free version has what most who are seeking calendar features will need.
If you need something with commercial features like ticketing and WooCommerce integration, you can upgrade to the pro version. It makes more sense than randomly charging more for the odd feature here and there.
Event Calendar WD simply lets you build your calendar and publish it where you want. If your events management needs somehow get more involved, just pop up to the Premium version. That will cover recurring events plus more add-ons and extensions.
Pros
- Lightweight simplicity reinvented
- Unlimited number of calendars and events
- Flexible yet unobtrusive design
Cons
- May seem a bit too spartan for some
Why Use a WordPress Event Calendar Plugin
The average user might wonder about the need for an event calendar plugin. After all, WordPress comes with a calendar widget.
However, that widget is more to help users navigate the posts on your website.
WordPress calendar plugins help those who need to organize and manage events. Imagine being able to publish a schedule of the events you’re running. Then when your site visitors click on one, they can see more details and even register for the event directly from your site. Event-handling isn’t a feature that comes natively to WordPress.
Many WordPress event calendar plugins are so comprehensive that they can support event processes from pre to post-event. This capability is handy for community-driven sites or business use.
Aside from benefiting your site visitors, it also makes handling the event a lot easier for you. There is no need to answer calls, manage reservations and ticketing, maintain guest lists, or anything else. With a WordPress event calendar plugin, you’re automating the entire process.
Showcases
Here are some examples how an Event Calendar plugin is used in real life scenarios. For more ideas and use cases in your industry – check out this page on TheEventsCalendar.com.
Choosing a WordPress Event Calendar Plugin
The WordPress plugin ecosystem is both a blessing and a curse. Thousands of plugins with the same or similar functions are listed. While that gives us more choices, how do we know that we’re choosing the right one?
Areas to consider when choosing an event calendar plugin include:
Features
Knowing that the plugin can do what you need it to is the most critical element. Some event calendar plugins will include everything but the kitchen sink. While this may sound awesome, the reality is less so. The more features a plugin has, the ‘heavier’ it will be. Choose a plugin that can do what you need and a bit more to avoid draining your web hosting resources.
Ease of Use
This feature applies not just to you but to your users as well. The most impressive event calendar plugin in the world isn’t very useful if you need to spend hours working with it each time. Looking towards usability can save you countless precious hours on configuration each time.
Price
Most plugins come in free and pro versions. In some cases, free plugins will be able to do the job you have in mind quickly. Use it as a benchmark of what features you want versus what you need.
Compatibility
For those with larger, more complex sites, be aware that not all plugins work seamlessly with others. Make sure you keep an eye out for potential conflicts. In some cases, you might need it to work well with another particular plugin – WooCommerce, for example.
Support
Having help on hand is always useful, even for the most straightforward plugin around. At the very least, opt for something with a strong user community so that you won’t have to rely on the developer alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Event calendars typically come as plugins. Install them from your WordPress dashboard, then activate and configure the plugin.
Yes, but the native calendar isn’t built to handle events. For event handling features, a plugin will be necessary unless you plan to add code for it.
Most of them will follow the freemium model. The plugins will come with basic free options for general use. You can then upgrade to a paid subscription for additional features.
Not always. This feature generally depends on individual plugins. However, many will allow you to synchronize multiple calendars at one go.
These plugins are useful for those who need to organize and manage events. You can schedule, allow visitors to sign up for, and even collect payments if necessary.
Conclusion
The choice of a WordPress Event Calendar boils down to a simple question – What do you need? Options abound, and there are multiple solution levels available. Ideally, look for something that isn’t too out of your site’s scope to avoid paying unnecessary fees.
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