Top 5 Event Calendar Plugins for WordPress
Overview: Event Calendar Plugins for WordPress
In this article, we’ll explore the top five event calendar plugins for WordPress. We’ll compare their features, advantages, and limitations to help you decide which one best suits your needs. Finally, we’ll explain why The Events Calendar continues to be the most trusted and widely used solution for WordPress event management.
Event management is an essential part of running a business, nonprofit, school, or community organization. Whether it’s hosting an online webinar, arranging a local meetup, or organizing a large-scale conference, managing events effectively can make the difference between success and confusion.
For WordPress users, event calendar plugins offer a convenient way to simplify this process. These plugins integrate directly into your website, eliminating the need for external platforms or complex coding. With features such as recurring events, RSVP management, ticket sales, venue details, and Google Calendar or Eventbrite integration, they provide everything needed to run events efficiently. The result is a streamlined workflow for organizers and a user-friendly experience for visitors who want quick access to event information.
The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar, developed by StellarWP, is the most popular and widely used WordPress event calendar plugin. With over 800,000 active installations, it has become the industry standard for event management. It offers a powerful free version and multiple premium add-ons, such as Event Tickets, Event Aggregator, Filter Bar, and Community Events. The plugin is flexible enough for small businesses, schools, nonprofits, or enterprise-level organizations. It’s known for its clean interface, extensive customization options, and scalability. Whether you need a simple monthly calendar or a fully automated ticketing and event management system, The Events Calendar has everything covered.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Best For:
Organizations of any size that want a complete, scalable event management solution.
Modern Events Calendar (MEC)
Modern Events Calendar (MEC), built by Webnus, stands out for its visually modern layouts and feature-rich functionality. It offers numerous design templates and view styles that make events look elegant out of the box. MEC supports online bookings, ticket sales, and even front-end event submission. It integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce and other payment gateways, making it suitable for monetizing events. Its free version provides enough for small sites, while the Pro version unlocks advanced features such as reminders, ticket variations, and more. MEC is a go-to plugin for users who prioritize design aesthetics without compromising on functionality.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Best For:
Users who want modern, visually appealing event layouts with advanced booking tools.
WP Event Manager
WP Event Manager is a lightweight, modular event management plugin that provides flexibility and simplicity. Its free core is powerful enough for most users, and you can extend its functionality using paid add-ons. These include options like ticketing, registrations, recurring events, calendar widgets, and integrations with WooCommerce. The plugin works seamlessly with popular page builders like Elementor, Divi, and Gutenberg. WP Event Manager’s clean interface and developer-friendly structure make it a solid choice for those who want control over which features they pay for, without the weight of a bloated plugin. It’s especially useful for event directories and listings.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Best For:
Developers and site owners who want a modular, lightweight plugin for event directories.
Events Manager
Events Manager is one of the oldest and most mature event calendar plugins for WordPress. It has a reputation for offering powerful booking and location management features. The free version includes recurring events, user submissions, and basic booking management. The Pro version expands this to include PayPal, Stripe, and offline payments, along with coupon codes and premium support. Events Manager is best suited for sites that need detailed bookings, class registrations, or recurring classes. Its interface may feel a bit dated, but it’s still a highly functional and reliable plugin with an active user base.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Best For:
Sites that need a reliable booking and registration system with recurring events.
All-in-One Event Calendar (Time.ly)
All-in-One Event Calendar by Time.ly focuses on beautiful, shareable event calendars. It provides elegant monthly, weekly, and agenda views, making it a strong option for public-facing event listings such as community calendars, city sites, or schools. It supports recurring events, filtering, and front-end submissions. Its dashboard is available in multiple languages, which is ideal for international organizations. While it does not provide as deep ticketing functionality as The Events Calendar or MEC, it excels in event publishing and syndication. Time.ly’s hosted event network allows broader visibility for events, making it appealing for organizations that want wide exposure.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Best For:
Community calendars, schools, and organizations that prioritize design and visibility.
Comparison Table: Best WordPress Event Calendar Plugins (2025)
Plugin | Best For | Free Version | Ticketing Support | Recurring Events | Integrations | Ease of Use | Pricing (Pro) |
All-in-one scalable event management | WooCommerce, Eventbrite, Google Calendar, iCal | From $99/year | |||||
Modern Events Calendar (MEC) | Stylish, modern event layouts & booking | WooCommerce, Google Maps, iCal, Eventbrite | From $79/year | ||||
WP Event | Lightweight, modular | WooCommerce, Elementor, | Add-ons from $39 each | ||||
Events Manager | Class bookings & detailed registration | Google Maps, PayPal, Stripe | From $75/year | ||||
All-in-One Event Calendar (Time.ly) | Community calendars & public listings | Google Calendar, | From $14.99/month |
Why The Events Calendar is the First Choice
While many WordPress event calendar plugins offer useful features, The Events Calendar (TEC) continues to be the most trusted and widely adopted solution. It strikes the perfect balance of usability, scalability, and reliability, making it the go-to plugin for businesses, schools, nonprofits, and enterprise websites alike. Here are the top reasons why The Events Calendar comes first:
Massive User Base
With over 800,000 active installations, TEC is trusted worldwide. A large community means consistent feedback, better support, and long-term reliability.
Robust Free Version
Unlike many competitors, the free version is feature-rich and valuable even without upgrading. You can manage basic events without paying a dime.
Recurring Events in Pro
The Pro version allows flexible recurring schedules, ideal for weekly classes, monthly meetups, or annual conferences.
Event Tickets Integration
Sell tickets or collect RSVPs seamlessly with Event Tickets, whether free or paid.
Event Aggregator
Save time by importing events from Eventbrite, Google Calendar, Meetup, or iCal automatically.
Filter Bar Add-on
Give visitors an easy way to find relevant events quickly with advanced filtering options.
Community Events
Allow users to submit their own events, making it easier to manage community-driven websites.
WooCommerce Support
Sell paid tickets effortlessly by connecting with WooCommerce for secure transactions.
Developer Friendly
Built with hooks and template overrides, TEC is highly customizable for developers.
Scalable for Any Website
From small blogs to large enterprise portals, TEC is designed to grow with your website.
Conclusion
Choosing the right event calendar plugin for WordPress depends on your needs. If you prioritize beautiful designs and booking systems, plugins like Modern Events Calendar or Events Manager may be ideal. For modular, lightweight options, WP Event Manager shines. For community and visibility, All-in-One Event Calendar works well. However, for a complete, scalable, and reliable solution that covers both small and enterprise-level needs, The Events Calendar remains the top choice. Its combination of a robust free version, powerful Pro features, extensive ecosystem
Ready to skip the tech headaches? Try The Events Calendar and build your WordPress site today
