Everyone loves a party, but organizing one takes work. There are a lot of factors to consider when planning an event: registration, ticketing, payments, etc. The larger the event, the more complicated it is to manage.
Whether you’re an event planner, a business expanding your offerings, or a venue looking to improve customer experience, using WordPress event management plugins can streamline the process and save you time and money.
Keep reading to learn the top 10 best event plugins for WordPress.
What is event management software?
Event management plugins are software that adds functionality to your WordPress website, specifically for event planning. Good event management plugins will have the following basic features:
- Registration management
- Ticketing
- Payments
- Calendaring
- Venue and speaker/performer management
- Email notifications
- Easy-to-use information entry forms
There are a variety of plugins that handle these aspects individually. Some cover several functions, and others provide everything an event manager might need.
10 best WordPress event management plugins
Below, we’ll review some of the best event management plugins, free and paid.
1. The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar is one of the most widely used event management plugins for WordPress. It allows you to create and manage events, display event calendars, and customize the look and feel of your event listings.
The plugin’s functionality has only grown over the years, adding features that assist with virtually everything an event planning business needs. The Events Calendar (TEC) team provides regular updates and excellent support.
It’s fast and easy to import existing calendars, helping to reduce time spent duplicating information. Filtering for days, weeks, and months makes navigating easy for customers. While not a total events management suite, TEC also offers advanced features for an upcharge.
TEC has a free option and a paid Pro option that starts at $99/annually. The free version offers multiple calendar views, an events list widget, integrated calendar subscriptions, and event status. You can even integrate Google Maps.
If you want enhanced functionality, the Pro option offers additional widgets and blocks, Elementor integration, premium support access, and more.
TEC is an excellent option for new event planners and professionals alike with its user-friendly interface and various features that can be customized, added, or integrated.
Pros
- User-friendly
- Multiple calendar views
- Easy categorization and filtering
- SEO friendly
Cons
- Limited functionality in the free version
- More complex configuration when adding custom features or integrations
- Limited flexibility for design
- Heavy customizations can impact performance
2. Amelia
Amelia is a powerful calendar management plugin that streamlines appointment setting and helps automate related tasks.
Users will appreciate the easy WooCommerce integration, sleek UI, and booking wizard. The dashboard is user-friendly and lets you create unlimited service options.
You can also set your availability and manage multiple venues. The built-in performance dashboard lets you track appointments, revenue, and more.
Additional features include Zoom, Google Meet, and WhatsApp integrations.
Customers will benefit from the several payment gateway options, email and SMS notifications, and easy booking for recurring appointments. The front-end booking feature lets customers and employees alike manage appointments.
Amelia’s basic plugin is free, with premium plans ranging from $79 to $249 annually.
Geared more toward appointment setting for salons, gyms, or other services, Amelia is an easy-to-use and feature-rich plugin that’s great for all levels of expertise.
Pros
- Flexible appointment booking
- Multiple venues
- Options for hands-off booking
- Intuitive dashboard with performance tracking
Cons
- Geared more toward service booking rather than ticketing
- No free version
- Customization can be too restrictive for some
3. Timetable & Event Schedule
The Timetable & Event Schedule plugin by Motopress is a calendar management extension for WordPress.
The plugin allows you to manage, filter, and customize events all in one place. With custom color settings and responsive design, the UX of this plugin is aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate.
Several column types and visual time frames make filtering down events and making edits fast and easy. The flexibility of the platform is great for beginners and pros alike.
Timetable & Event Schedule’s greatest feature is that it is completely free.
If you’re looking for an event calendar plugin with lots of customization options for complex event bookings, Timetable & Event Schedule is the plugin for you.
Pros
- Free
- High customizability
- Easy integrations with Elementor and WordPress block editor
- Color-coded timetables
- Responsive design
Cons
- Fewer features than paid plugins
- Doesn’t offer ticketing
4. Event Espresso
Event Espresso is a comprehensive event management plugin offering event registration, ticketing, payment processing, and attendee management.
More suited for people seeking a registration solution, Event Espresso still offers some calendar functionality.
You can customize ticketing based on individual event needs, integrate popular payment gateways, send reminders to ticket owners, and even add reporting and marketing integrations.
The plugin allows for both multiple ticket types and multiple price points. Custom event registration forms and calendar sync options are great features that enhance the user experience. One feature not frequently found in similar plugins is Event Espresso’s invoice ability, which allows you to take offline payments.
Event Espresso offers three subscription tiers to accommodate all levels of need – Personal Support License ($79.95), Everything Support License ($299.95), and Developer Support License ($299.95). For businesses with extensive and flexible needs, Events Espresso provides a centralized platform that makes it easy to navigate while being feature rich.
Event Espresso may not have every feature you need, but for businesses focused on selling tickets, it’s a great option with an affordable single-user license.
Pros
- Centralized platform
- Flexible ticketing options
- Extensive payment gateway options
- Ability to take offline payments
Cons
- No free version
- Heavy focus on registration
- Ticket scan and attendance tracker are paid-only
- Larger businesses may find more comprehensive plugins better suited to them
5. Events Manager
Events Manager by Pixelite is a full-featured event registration plugin for WordPress.
Great for group events, Events Manager is ideal for small businesses and event managers. Featuring one-click upgrades and ongoing maintenance and support, this plugin is easy to pick up.
Events Manager lets you create single and recurring events and have the option to allow guests to create their own. Like your everyday desktop versions like iCal or Outlook, you simply add start and end times.
In addition to multisite support and WooCommerce integration (limited-time offer), Events Manager is highly compatible with other WordPress plugins.
The paid version adds useful features like waitlists, coupons/discounts management, PDF tickets, and attendance tracking.
Events Manager is free. The free version may be robust enough for your business, depending on your needs.
For those looking for additional functionality and features customers are quickly coming to expect, the Pro version begins at $89.
If you’re looking for an easy-to-learn and feature-rich event management solution, Events Manager might be the right choice.
Pros
- User-friendly management
- Easy imports
- Enhanced email management
- BuddyPress compatibility
Cons
- Customization isn’t simple
- Most of the advanced and useful features are paid
6. Event Organiser
Event Organiser by developer Stephen Harris is another feature-heavy event management plugin for WordPress. Its simplistic UX and easy event creation makes it a favorite of organizers.
It’s easy to customize forms and manage bookings, providing much flexibility. The plugin also supports widgets and shortcodes. If you purchase a license, you also gain access to a library of tutorials and code.
Where Event Organiser shines, however, is in complex schedules and exception configurations. Like desktop calendars, you can set up recurring events, skip particular events, and add custom fields.
Despite its capabilities, Event Organiser’s free version does not include user management or booking options. Premium features include customizable booking forms and emails, venue-featured images, payment gateways, and more.
Event Organiser is available free on WordPress business plans purchased through WordPress.com. Pro versions range from $65 to $154.53.
If you’re looking for a highly customizable and flexible events management solution that lets you include recurring events, Event Organiser is the most robust option on the market.
Pros
- Super flexible
- Free version is very useful
- Widget support
- Accommodates complex schedules and exceptions
- Robust tutorial library
Cons
- Lots of paid extensions
- Vital features require a premium subscription
- Getting full use of the free version requires coding knowledge
7. EventOn
EventOn is a popular and aesthetically pleasing events management plugin for WordPress.
One of the most fully-featured options, particularly with the full version, EventOn is a comprehensive plugin that features Gutenberg Calendar Blocks, basic Elementor widgets, and always-on metadata.
EventOn has over 200 features, including multiple calendar views and unrestricted event creation. The free version supports virtual and physical events. Calendar sync with iCal and Google Calendar is also included. Basic Paypal API is included.
The Pro version features integrations like Jitsi, Zoom, and Webhook support. EventOn is enhanced by different styles and themes and increased control over event durations, days, and which events are featured.
EventOn has a free option. A regular license is just $25, while an extended license runs at a much higher rate of $250.
A great option that can certainly be a total event management solution, EventOn is best for developers and large businesses that need extended functionality.
Pros
- Flexible
- Easily create beautiful calendars
- Lots of features
- Paypal API included
Cons
- The free version only gets forum support
- Advanced features are heavily promoted in the free version
8. Modern Events Calendar
Modern Events Calendar by Webnus is a comprehensive and full-featured event management plugin for WordPress.
Offering easy events calendar setup, front-end booking, and a handy setup wizard, Modern Events Calendar is an excellent plugin for all users. While the free version lacks theme support, you can customize colors, fonts, and custom CSS if you have coding experience.
The Pro version of the plugin is great for users looking to maintain brand consistency, as it offers robust customization, a variety of skins, and custom colors. The Pro version also includes useful features like free and unlimited tickets, booking calendars, and the ability to stop ticket sales as the event begins.
Modern Events Calendar also makes transferring data from other events plugins easy, so you don’t have to waste time duplicating work you’ve already done. There is also support for third-party tool integrations, allowing you to extend functionality that suits your business needs.
Pricing for Modern Events Calendar Pro starts at $79/year for one site and goes up to $999/year for unlimited sites.
Pros
- Multiple calendar views
- Lifetime updates
- Rich library of extensions
- Easy to port calendars from other plugins
Cons
- Support is limited to Pro subscribers
- The free version experiences some instability
9. Sugar Calendar
Sugar Calendar from Sandhills Development is a simple event calendar management plugin for WordPress that packs a punch.
If you’re a small business or organization that simply needs a calendar on its WordPress site, it’s hard to beat Sugar Calendar’s free version.
A leaner plugin than most on this list, Sugar Calendar makes it easy to import events from CSV and supports integrations like WP All Import, Gravity Forms, and Ninja Forms.
There are also several free and paid add-ons. Pro features include front-end event submissions, automatic recurring events, event URLs, ticketing, and calendar integrations with iCal, Outlook, and Google Calendar.
If the limits of the free version are too restrictive for you, Pro options range from $99/yearly to $199/annually. The plugin also has an Ultimate option for a one-time fee of $449.
Sugar Calendar is an excellent option for developers. It is also a great starter option for those who need fewer features or have coding experience and can customize it to their liking.
Pros
- Simple, clean design
- Easy integrations
- Highly customizable (if you have coding experience)
- One-time Ultimate option
- Automatic updates
Cons
- Minimal features without Pro
- Pricey upgrades for extended functionality
- Pro add-ons can’t be purchased a la carte
10. WP Event Manager
WP Event Manager is another lightweight, simple event management plugin for WordPress.
Easy to use and flexible, WP Event Manager is an excellent option for new users. An intuitive setup wizard makes setting up and publishing event pages quick and easy. Its minimalist dashboard is easy to manage and filter down.
The free version works great for event management and event registration. Premium upgrades such as Sell Tickets extend functionality and include a QR code feature. It can manage digital and offline events and has limited but useful customization options.
Event Manager Plus is $99, excluding add-ons like Ticket Selling, Virtual, and Marketing. You still get great features like DIVI Elements, REST API, and Google Analytics. Higher tiers, ranging from $199 to $399, include paid listings for WooCommerce, split payments, and name badges, among many other useful features.
WP Event Manager is an excellent fit for smaller and local businesses and can be a fully functional solution with premium upgrades.
Pros
- The free version has a lot of great features
- Easy frontend and backend management
- Multilingual support
- SEO friendly and compatible with other plugins
Cons
- WooCommerce, Google Analytics, and calendar sync are among the many advanced features that are paid
- Support is hit or miss
Fine-tune your WordPress site for performance
Now that you can manage your events like a boss, you want to drive traffic to your site. Don’t undercut your efforts with a slow site.
Nexcess fully managed WordPress hosting gives you fast speeds, free Object Cache Pro, global Cloudflare CDN, proactive server monitoring, and 24/7/365 support. Our hosting comes with a curated package of other plugins you may need, so you’ll be ready when traffic spikes during ticket sales.
Don’t leave your customers on the waitlist — make your site a rockstar with premium hosting from Nexcess.
And if you’re looking for a higher level of WordPress hosting, don’t forget to check out Liquid Web’s WordPress VPS and WordPress dedicated hosting solutions.
This blog was originally published in November 2012. It has since been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.