Do you want the best calendar plugin for your WordPress site?
Many of our clients ask us to integrate a robust calendar system into their WordPress websites. They want calendars for different reasons – to show events, schedule appointments, or just highlight important dates.
To find the best calendar options, we’ve tried out many WordPress calendar plugins myself. We’ve also paid attention to what other website creators and WordPress experts say about their experiences. This has helped us understand what works well and what doesn’t when it comes to calendar plugins.
A well-chosen calendar can make a website much more useful and engaging for visitors.
So let’s take a look at WordPress calendar plugins and see how they can make your website better and more user-friendly.
How We Test and Review Plugins
To give you a fair and transparent review, our team talks about plugins that we’ve used ourselves or ones we’ve tried and tested.
Here’s our general testing process:
- Install the plugin on a test site to check how easy it is to set up.
- Explore all its features, looking at how it looks, what you can customize, and how well it works.
- Check if it works well with other WordPress plugins, looks good on phones and computers, and has good instructions and support.
We also compare it to similar plugins to see if it’s a good choice for different WordPress users.
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What to Look For in a WordPress Calendar Plugin?
When choosing the right WordPress calendar plugin for your website, make sure you define the specific needs and the features that are important to you. For instance, you may need robust scheduling features over ticketing and payment integrations.
Aside from that, here are the essentials you’ll want in any calendar plugin:
- Ease of use: Make sure the plugin is easy to understand and use without being too complicated.
- Customization: Check if you can change how the calendar looks to match your website’s style.
- Mobile-friendly: Most customers like to book/schedule things on their phones. Make sure your calendar works on mobiles too.
- Email integrations: It’s important to communicate with the user once they’ve interacted with your calendar. You may need to send confirmations, reminders, payment details, and so on. Make sure the plugin lets you integrate with your email account.
- Search & Filters: Check if users can easily search for events or filter them based on what they’re interested in. You may also want to be able to organize different types of events using categories and tags.
- Speed & Performance: Make sure the calendar plugin is lightweight so that it doesn’t hang while users are interacting with it. It also shouldn’t slow down your site.
You also want to make sure your plugin is backed up by a good support team and documentation. With all WordPress plugins, you’ll generally need help troubleshooting issues, setting up, and navigating the interface. It’s critical to have access to the support staff that can guide you.
Now, let’s check out the best WordPress Calendar Plugins.
1. The Best WordPress Calendar Plugin for Beginners: Sugar Calendar
Sugar Calendar is hands down the best calendar plugin out there. It’s user-friendly and powerful so it’s a great place to start if you’re a beginner. At the same time, it also comes with advanced calendar features that will take your event and booking management to the next level.
With this plugin, you can create and manage events, appointments, and schedules directly within the WordPress dashboard.
Next, you can set up events with details such as date, time, location, and descriptions. Everything about this plugin is simple and easy so you can manage various aspects of events smoothly.
There are customization options so you can adjust the appearance of the calendar to match the design of your website. Plus, the calendar designs are responsive so it displays well on different devices, including mobile phones and tablets.
Highlights
- Unlimited events
- Event locations and categories
- Single and multi-day events
- Supports recurring events
- Supports time zones
- Lightweight & fast
- Translation ready for localization
- Integrates with Stripe and Woo for ticket sales
- Sync your calendars to Google, iCal, and other systems
Why I Recommend Sugar Calendar: Its user-friendly interface makes this the perfect calendar plugin for beginners. Plus, its integration with tools like Google Calendar is a real highlight. I’ve found that this simple connection makes it much easier to keep all my personal and professional calendars in sync.
Get started with Sugar Calendar »
2. The Best WordPress Plugin for Versatile Display Options: The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar makes it easy to organize and show your events in a clear and user-friendly way on your site.
With this plugin, you can easily create events and share all the important details like when and where they’re happening. The result? A neat calendar right on your website. You can display it in List view, Day view, Week view, Photo view, Map view, and Summary View.
Whether you’re a business owner or a blogger, this plugin is handy for announcing anything from product launches to webinars or regular content updates. It helps you stay organized and keeps your audience in the loop.
What’s cool is that this plugin is easy to use for WordPress users. You don’t need to be a tech expert to figure it out. It lets you focus on your event details and get more conversions.
In a nutshell, The Events Calendar Plugin is a useful tool for WordPress website owners. It makes managing events a breeze and ensures a clean and professional look for your audience.
Highlights
- Elementor compatible
- Custom events and recurring events schedule
- Subscribe with iCal / Google Calendar / Outlook
- Add event tickets and RSVPs to your WordPress site
- Events manager
- Location search
- Zoom integration
There’s a free and pro version available.
Why I The Events Calendar: This is an ideal choice if you’re looking for a versatile, flexible plugin that lets you display events in a variety of ways like List, Day, and Map views. That said, The Events Calendar plugin is suitable for all kinds of websites and projects, from a simple list of webinars right through to a detailed map of local events.
Get started with The Events Calendar »
3. The Best All-in-One Form and Calendar Plugin: WPForms
WPForms is the best form builder plugin for WordPress. It’s known as the most popular contact form plugin.
But it’s not just about contact forms – it lets you build any kind of form you need including booking, appointments, and event registration forms. You can tailor forms according to your event details, feedback, or everything else you may require.
You can even run surveys and polls for your events. This gives you valuable insights into what the users expect from your events or what they’d like it to include. You can also use it to boost engagement and gain momentum for your upcoming events.
Next, WPForms also lets you insert a link to ‘Add to Google Calendar’. This lets users save the event to their own calendar so they don’t forget.
What we love about WPForms is that it’s user-friendly. You don’t need coding superpowers. Just drag, drop, and you’re good to go. Your forms will look slick, and the info gathered can easily feed into your event calendar.
Highlights
- 1200+ form templates
- Drag and drop visual builder
- Event submissions
- Powerful addons and integrations
- Email integration with services like Constant Contact, Mailchimp, and AWeber
- Automatic email notifications for both customers and administrators
- Event tickets with payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, and Square
- Google Maps and calendar features
There’s a free version with essential features. However, if you want access to payment integrations and powerful addons, then you’ll want to sign up for the premium version.
Why I Recommend WPForms: This is my top pick if you want to create custom registration forms for in-person or virtual events without needing any coding skills. WPForms’ drag and drop builder and template library make it easy to get started, and its email integration helps you communicate with attendees.
4. The Best WordPress Plugin for Easy Scheduling: Start Booking
Start Booking is a great plugin for your website if you need to schedule events, meetings, or appointments.
Start Booking streamlines the whole booking process. It’s not just about you; it’s about making it super easy for your clients or visitors to schedule time with you.
This booking plugin provides a sleek and user-friendly interface that integrates seamlessly with your site. Clients can easily pick a date and time, and you get notified instantly. No more back-and-forth emails or missed opportunities.
The best part? It’s versatile. Whether you’re running a service-based business, a consultancy, or you just need to manage your time effectively, Start Booking has got your back.
To sum it up, Start Booking is your go-to WordPress plugin for painless scheduling. It’s all about making life simpler for you and your clients.
Highlights
- Guided setup
- Online booking, scheduling & appointments
- Classes & group booking
- Customer relationship management
- Customer communication
- Online payments
- Powerful integrations with Google, Mailchimp, Stripe, and more
Why I Recommend Start Booking: This plugin is ideal for service-based businesses because it lets clients easily book time slots with you. This helps you schedule your time effectively and reduces the back-and-forth communication and confusion that can really hurt the customer experience.
Get started with Start Booking »
5. The Best WordPress Plugin for Managing Appointments: BirchPress
BirchPress is a WordPress plugin that’s all about simplifying your scheduling and appointment management.
If your website deals with appointments, reservations, or meetings, BirchPress is here to make that process smooth as butter.
Now, why consider BirchPress for your WordPress site? The answer is straightforward: efficiency. BirchPress offers a user-friendly and customizable booking system. Clients or visitors can easily pick a time slot that works for them, and you get the details in a snap.
The plugin is versatile, catering to various industries. Whether you’re in the service sector, running a salon, a consultancy, or organizing events, BirchPress can be tailored to your needs.
Another perk? It syncs with your calendar. No worries about double bookings or missed appointments. BirchPress keeps everything organized and in one place.
Highlights
- Customizable booking form
- Support minimum time requirement prior to booking
- Accept online payment
- Email notifications and reminders
- Send reminder emails
- Cancel/Reschedule appointments by customer
- Syncs with Google, iCal, iPhone, Android, or Outlook
Why I Recommend BirchPress: If you’re looking for a powerful, customizable booking system, then BirchPress is a great choice. It even syncs with popular calendar applications, so you can avoid those embarrassing double-bookings that can damage your reputation.
I’ve personally found this feature to be a lifesaver because it makes sure my schedule is always up-to-date across all my devices. For me, that peace of mind is invaluable.
6. The Best Plugin for WooCommerce Integration: WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments
WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments is a powerful extension for the WooCommerce plugin on WordPress, designed for booking and scheduling appointments or reservations directly through your online store.
So you can manage bookings and appointments alongside your products and services in a unified interface.
Customers can see real-time availability for appointments or reservations. This feature helps in preventing double-bookings and provides a smooth booking experience for your customers.
Added to this, you have the flexibility to set up various booking rules, such as specific time slots, buffer periods between appointments, and minimum or maximum booking durations.
Tailor the booking form to collect specific information from customers during the booking process. This could include details like names, contact information, or any other relevant information for the appointment.
Moreover, WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments allows customers to book appointments for multiple people in a single booking session. This is ideal for group activities or services.
Highlights
- Display real-time availability
- Set limits on the number of bookings per time slot
- Integration with Google Calendar
- Email alerts and notifications
Why I Recommend WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments: This is a solid choice if you want to add bookings to an existing online store. As you’d expect, this plugin integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce so you can handle reservations and appointments using the tools and interface you’re already familiar with.
Get started with WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments »
7. The Best WordPress Plugin for Modern Event Design: Modern Events Calendar
Modern Events Calendar is a robust plugin to effortlessly create and manage events, calendars, and schedules. It comes with a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of creating and managing events.
The plugin provides modern and visually appealing calendar designs. Users can customize the appearance to align with their website’s aesthetics seamlessly.
It also offers a range of powerful shortcodes that enable you to embed event calendars or specific events anywhere on your website including sidebars and footers. This flexibility is useful for displaying calendars on different pages or posts.
Aside from this, the plugin ensures a consistent and user-friendly experience across various devices, ensuring that your events calendar looks and functions well on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
Modern Events Calendar comes with a user-friendly nature, modern design, and versatile features making it a good choice for those looking to showcase and manage events effectively.
Highlights
- Manage events, calendars, and schedules
- Elementor integration
- Google maps integration
- Integrated booking and ticketing system
- Share events seamlessly on social media platforms directly from the calendar
- Multiple calendar views, including monthly, weekly, daily, and even a countdown view
Why I Recommend Modern Events Calendar: If you want to add a modern touch to your event management, then it’s well worth checking out this plugin. It lets you create visually appealing calendars and is fully responsive, so your calendars look great across all devices.
Essentially, Modern Events Calendar is an excellent solution for anyone who cares about both design and functionality.
Get started with Modern Events Calendar »
What Is the Best WordPress Calendar Plugin for Events & Bookings?
It’s important to find the ‘right’ WordPress calendar plugin for you, as the wrong plugin can lead to confusing schedules, double-bookings, and a frustrating user experience.
While every business and website is unique, I generally recommend Sugar Calendar as my top choice. It’s a straightforward, user-friendly plugin that’s ideal for both experienced users and complete newcomers.
Despite its ease of use, Sugar Calendar has everything you need to manage events and appointments effectively, including recurring events, multiple calendar views, and the option to sell tickets. In my opinion, this is the perfect balance of simplicity and functionality.
There’s also a few other options that I recommend for specific use cases:
- If you need versatile display options, The Events Calendar stands out with its various views (List, Day, Map). This lets you create a calendar that perfectly matches your unique content and your target audience’s preferences.
- If you want an all-in-one form builder, WPForms lets you create a wide range of different event booking and registration forms. I particularly like using it for events because I can customize every part of the form and manage all my attendee information directly in the WordPress dashboard.
- If you run a service-based business, Start Booking simplifies the scheduling process with its intuitive interface. This reduces back-and-forth communication and provides a much smoother customer experience. This automation has saved me a ton of time every week that I used to spend on scheduling calls and emails.
Still unsure where to start? I recommend beginning with Sugar Calendar.
There’s even a free lite version, so you can try Sugar Calendar out before investing any money. It’s a great way to see if it’s the right calendar plugin for you.
FAQs on Calendar Plugins
1. Are there other calendar plugins for WordPress not mentioned in this list?
Yes, there are other plugins that are not mentioned in this list. We only reviewed the best and most popular calendar and events plugins with powerful and advanced features. Others include All-in-One Events Calendar, Amelia, My Calendar, Elegant Calendar, and WP Event Manager.
2. Which is the best WordPress calendar plugin?
Sugar Calendar. It’s feature-rich and easy to configure.
3. Is there a free calendar plugin for WordPress?
The Events Calendar has a lite version that is free to use. Timely All-in-One Events Calendar is another plugin with a free version as well as premium add-ons.
4. Is there a Google Calendar plugin for WordPress?
Simple Calendar, WP Simple Booking Calendar, and Calendar Events for Google are some of the Google Calendar plugins for WordPress.
5. Does WordPress have a calendar feature?
WordPress itself doesn’t have a built-in calendar feature for managing events or appointments. However, you can easily add calendar functionality to your WordPress site by using plugins.
6. What features to look for in a WordPress event calendar plugin?
- A robust frontend for users to view, interact, and engage with the calendar seamlessly
- Customization options and CSS styling to match the website’s design and WordPress theme
- Different calendar formats like list view, grid view, carousel, and others
- Integration with third-party tools for email, marketing, and payments
- Calendar widget, block, or shortcode for easy embedding
- Import/export features to migrate to other plugins or websites
Next, you may also want to see 11 Best WordPress Page Builders Reviewed and 7 Best Form Builder Plugins for WordPress. These tools will help you create stunning pages and forms for your website.