A WordPress event plugin adds an events calendar or event listings to your site, and some go further with bookings, tickets and registration. Decide which of those you need before you install. Ten free plugins follow in no particular order, with their WordPress.org directory numbers as of Oct 2026.
Event plugins look alike from the outside, but they do two different jobs. Some are calendars: they list what's on, handle repeating events and venues, and show it all on a page. Others are booking systems that take registrations and sell tickets. Picking the wrong kind means bolting on a second plugin later.
The ten below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, with each description taken from the plugin's own WordPress.org directory page. Before adding another plugin to a busy site, it's worth reading my take on the benefits and drawbacks of website plugins.
WordPress event and calendar plugins compared
All ten are free plugins in the WordPress.org plugin directory, as of Oct 2026, so each free plan cell reads Yes. Some makers sell ticketing and booking extras separately, so check the plugin's page before you plan around them.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event Organiser | WordPress plugin | Recurring events and venues | Yes |
| Eventin | WordPress plugin | Registration, tickets and bookings | Yes |
| EventON Lite | WordPress plugin | A responsive event calendar | Yes |
| EventPrime | WordPress plugin | Free and ticketed events with bookings | Yes |
| Events Manager | WordPress plugin | Calendar with bookings and tickets | Yes |
| My Calendar | WordPress plugin | An accessible event calendar | Yes |
| Sugar Calendar | WordPress plugin | Manage events and sell tickets | Yes |
| The Events Calendar | WordPress plugin | Calendar and event listings | Yes |
| VS Event List | WordPress plugin | A lightweight event list | Yes |
| WP Event Manager | WordPress plugin | Event listings and management | Yes |
Ten event plugins, one line each
Event Organiser
Best for: Events with complex repeating patterns, venues managed on Google Maps or OpenStreetMap, and customisable calendars.
Eventin
Best for: Registration, tickets, bookings and RSVP, with recurring and virtual events that work alongside WooCommerce and Zoom.
EventON Lite
Best for: A responsive, clean event calendar with unlimited events, repeating schedules, virtual events, maps and filters.
EventPrime
Best for: Running free or ticketed events with event types, bookings, venues and performers, plus AI features.
Events Manager
Best for: Organisers who need a calendar and a booking system together, covering reservations, registration, tickets and recurring events.
My Calendar
Best for: Sites that want an accessible event calendar for single or recurring events, shown anywhere on the site.
Sugar Calendar
Best for: Managing events and selling tickets on a WordPress site with a calendar that's easy to use.
The Events Calendar
Best for: Creating and managing a full events calendar, virtual events included, from the free core plugin.
VS Event List
Best for: Small sites that only need a simple, lightweight event list and would rather skip the calendar extras.
WP Event Manager
Best for: Event listings and management with tickets, run from the frontend as well as the WordPress backend.
Calendar plugin or booking system?
- You only need to show what's on: a calendar or event list, such as a lightweight list or an accessible calendar.
- Your events repeat in complicated patterns: look for recurring events and venue management in the description.
- You take registrations or sell tickets: pick one that names bookings, tickets or RSVP.
- Some of your events are online: look for virtual events, and Zoom if that's what you use.
- You already sell with WooCommerce: check whether the plugin connects to it.
- Your venues need maps: look for Google Maps or OpenStreetMap support.
Accessibility is worth a thought too. One plugin here leads its description with the word accessible, and if your events reach older visitors or people using screen readers, that's a fair tie-breaker between two calendars that otherwise do the same job.
What Google needs to understand an event
Google Search Central's Event structured data documentation uses name, startDate, eventStatus and location in its example, and the required location needs location.address and location.name.
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In plain terms, an event page needs its name, start date, status, venue name and venue address filled in, or there's nothing complete to mark up. An event plugin earns its keep when it makes those details easy to enter every time. Once a few events are live, run one of the pages through Google's Rich Results Test and see what it finds. If one of those details has no field in your plugin's event form, that's the gap to close first.
If your events grow into a listings site, directory plugins are worth a look.
Ratings and installs, read together
The directory numbers, as of Oct 2026, show the most installed isn't the best rated. The Events Calendar has 600,000+ active installs and 84/100 from 2,460 ratings, while VS Event List (8,000+ installs) is 98/100 from 82 ratings and My Calendar (20,000+) is 94/100 from 159.
WP Event Manager is the least recently updated of the ten (22 Jul 2026) and has the lowest rating (80/100 from 249). An older update date isn't a fault on its own, but it's worth a look before you build a busy events page on any plugin.
Do you make a WordPress event plugin? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing an event plugin
Work out whether you're publishing events or selling places at them, and choose a calendar or a booking system to match. Then fill in every event the same way, with the name, date, status, venue and address, because that's what makes the page useful to visitors and readable by Google.
If you're thinking of running events online, my guide on how to create a webinar covers the planning side.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an events calendar and a booking plugin?
A calendar lists events and shows them on your site. A booking plugin also takes registrations or sells tickets. Several plugins here do both.
Can a WordPress event plugin sell tickets?
Some can. Look for tickets, bookings or RSVP in the plugin's description, and check whether ticketing is part of the free plugin.
Do event plugins handle recurring events?
Several here name recurring or repeating events in their descriptions, including complex repeating patterns.
What does Google need to understand an event page?
Google's Event structured data uses the event name, start date, status and location, and the location needs the venue's name and address. Test a page with the Rich Results Test.
Are WordPress event plugins free?
All ten here are free plugins in the WordPress.org plugin directory, as of Oct 2026.
