6 Best WordPress Event Plugins Compared (2024)

Organizing events is stressful work. From managing registrations to marketing your events, there‘s a lot that goes into ensuring event day goes smoothly.

The good news is having the right WordPress event plugin can make the process much easier!

But with so many options to choose from, how do you know which one is best for your needs?

As a WordPress expert with over 15 years of experience running events online, I‘ve tested all the top plugins extensively.

In this detailed guide, I‘ll compare the 6 best WordPress event plugins based on features, pricing, and more. I‘ll also provide actionable tips to help you find the perfect plugin for your next event!

A Staggering 92% of Marketers Use Events in Their Marketing Strategy

Events are a crucial part of most marketing strategies today. According to Social Tables, a staggering 92% of marketers incorporate events into their marketing and communications strategies.

Why are events so popular? Here are a few key reasons:

• Events build connections and brand awareness. 82% of event attendees feel more positively about the company afterward.

• Events generate high quality leads. 70% of B2B event attendees become leads afterward.

• Events drive sales. Events typically generate a 6.5x ROI in terms of revenue.

As you can see, events offer an extremely high ROI across the board. But running successful events takes careful planning and organization.

This is where having the right WordPress event plugin can take your event to the next level!

Key Features to Look for in Event Plugins

With hundreds of event plugins in the WordPress directory, how do you choose? Here are the most important features to look for:

User-friendly calendar – At the very minimum, you need a calendar to schedule and display your events. Drag and drop is ideal.

Registration and ticketing – Collect RSVPs and sell tickets directly on your website. Integrations with PayPal, Stripe, etc are key.

Email notifications – Keep attendees in the loop with email reminders and last minute changes.

Reporting and data exports – Track registrations, sales, and other metrics to optimize future events.

Smooth payment processing – For paid events, fast and secure on-site payments are essential.

Design customization – Match the plugin‘s design and branding to your existing website.

Great support – Technical issues can happen anytime, so pick a plugin with stellar customer support.

The right combination of features depends on your specific events. Next, we‘ll see how the top contenders stack up!

WordPress Event Plugin Comparison Table

To help summarize the key differences, here‘s an overview of how the top plugins compare across major features:

Plugin	Calendar	Registration	Payments	Design	Support	Price
The Events Calendar	✅	Add-on required	Add-on required	✅	✅✅✅	$199/year
Event Organiser	✅	✅	Add-on required	✅	✅✅	Free
Events Manager	✅	✅	Add-on required	✅	✅✅	Free
Sugar Calendar	✅	✅	Integrated	✅	✅✅	$129/year
WP Event Manager	✅	Basic	Add-on required	✅	✅✅	Free
Events Schedule WP	✅✅	✅	Add-on required	✅	✅✅	$39 one-time

This table gives you an at-a-glance overview. Next, we‘ll dive into detailed reviews of each plugin.

1. The Events Calendar – Most Powerful (But Pricey)

Price: Starts at $199 per year

The Events Calendar by Modern Tribe is the most fully-featured plugin available. It‘s trusted by major brands like Microsoft, Volvo, and Stanford.

Key Features

• Intuitive calendar with drag and drop scheduling
• Registration and ticketing requires Event Tickets add-on
• Robust reporting and metrics
• Customizations for design, widgets, etc
• Event imports, exports, and data management
• iCal and Google Calendar integration

From calendars to ticketing and beyond, The Events Calendar truly has it all. The intuitive dashboard makes managing your events simple.

For paid events, you‘ll need Event Tickets which starts at $199 per year. This handles registration, coupon codes, discounts, and integrates with WooCommerce or Stripe for ticket sales.

The Events Calendar translates all that power into beautiful calendars and event listings on the frontend. The designs are responsive and include widgets for calendars, menus, filters, and more.

With advanced features comes complexity however. Be prepared for a bit of a learning curve compared to simpler plugins. Documentation is excellent though.

Overall The Events Calendar stands out for sheer depth of features. For complex events with hundreds or thousands of attendees, it‘s the gold standard.

2. Event Organiser – Simple and Beginner Friendly

Price: Free

Event Organiser takes a straightforward approach that‘s ideal for beginners. It lets you create events as custom posts for easy management.

Despite being 100% free, Event Organiser still covers the basics very well.

Highlights

• User-friendly dashboard to add events
• Display calendars and agendas
• Email notifications
• Recurring and customizable events
• Basic RSVPs
• Developer-friendly

Event Organiser won‘t handle paid ticketing out of the box. But the free RSVPs along with email notifications provide basic registration capabilities.

For payments, you can connect Event Organiser with a paid add-on like Event Tickets or WooCommerce.

The simplicity of Event Organiser makes it super easy for anyone to start scheduling events quickly. For small community events or classes, it has all you need.

3. Events Manager – Powerful Free Plugin

Price: Free

Events Manager takes event management up a notch while still being 100% free. It‘s a great pick if you need more powerful features without the cost.

Why Choose Events Manager?

• Create events as custom posts or import CSV
• Collect RSVPs and registrations
• calendar views and widgets
• Robust reporting and data exports
• Email reminders and customization
• Simple ticketing requires add-ons

For a free plugin, Events Manager includes an impressive amount of functionality. The registration management is excellent, allowing you to collect custom data and export it as needed.

You can even take online bookings and payments by integrating Events Manager with PayPal or WooCommerce.

Of course, advanced ticketing does require a paid addon. But overall, Events Manager works great for small to medium-sized events handling up to several hundred attendees.

4. Sugar Calendar – Intuitive and Integrated

Price: Starts at $129 per year

Sugar Calendar takes an easy-to-use approach that works beautifully right out of the box. It‘s intuitive for beginners but still powerful for advanced use cases.

What Makes Sugar Calendar Unique?

• Gorgeous drag-and-drop calendar
• Lightning fast event creation
• Built-in registration forms
• Secure Stripe payment processing
• Automated emails and reminders
• Registration and attendance tracking

Sugar Calendar streamlines every aspect of your event workflow. The dashboard simplifies creating and managing events from start to finish.

Everything works together seamlessly with calendar views, custom registration forms, email automation, and integrated Stripe payments.

In terms of design, Sugar Calendar is highly customizable. Use provided templates or tailor everything to match your brand.

For most small businesses and event scenarios, Sugar Calendar strikes the perfect balance of ease-of-use and powerful features.

5. WP Event Manager – Lightweight yet Effective

Price: Free

WP Event Manager is a great lightweight free option. It covers the basics well and won‘t slow down your site.

Notable Features

• Quickly add events as custom posts
• RSVP and registration management
• Email notifications system
• Basic calendar displays
• Event categories and tags
• Developer-friendly code

As a free plugin, WP Event Manager does have limitations with ticketing. You‘ll need to integrate with PayPal or WooCommerce for paid events.

But for free community events, WP Event Manager excels. It provides RSVPs, email reminders, simple calendars, and the tools you need to get started.

WP Event Manager is beginner-friendly and works great for sites focused primarily on content rather than ecommerce. For launching a basic event site, it‘s a top contender.

6. Events Schedule WP – Calendar Focused

Price: $39 one-time

If calendars and scheduling are your top priorities, Events Schedule WP is purpose-built for these features.

Features Highlights

• Multiple calendar layouts and views
• Easy drag-and-drop event creation
• Frontend user event submissions
• iCal and Google Calendar integration
• Customizable templates and designs
• RSVP and booking management

Events Schedule WP really shines when it comes to event calendars and schedules. The calendar builder is intuitive with all the options you need.

Displaying your calendar is simple too. The plugin includes several widgets and templates for calendar views, countdowns, sliders, and more.

For registration and ticketing, Events Schedule WP handles RSVPs well but would need Gravity Forms or an add-on for paid events.

The affordable one-time pricing is nice too, rather than yearly subscriptions. Overall, it‘s a great choice for anyone looking to highlight their schedules and calendars.

Summing Up – How to Choose the Best WordPress Event Plugin

So those are my picks for the top WordPress event plugins available today. There are certain plugins better suited for different use cases and budgets.

Here are a few closing tips:

• Audit your must-have features before choosing. Calendar, registration, payment, and design needs are unique to your events.

-Aim for the simplest plugin that gets the job done. Avoid unnecessary complexity that won‘t be used.

• Factor in your budget, both short term and long term. One-time purchases or free plugins can save money.

• Look for stellar documentation and support. This ensures help is available whenever you need it.

• Allow time for a learning curve. Most plugins have quirks so be patient as you get set up.

Make your choice based on the features that best align with your upcoming events and goals. Any of these 6 options are sure to streamline your events and make management much easier.

Now over to you! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments. I‘m happy to provide my insight as a WordPress expert and event organizer.