If you own a community-oriented or events-based WordPress site, you already know how difficult it is to keep track of all the events you need to schedule and promote.
WordPress doesn’t come with any functionality for hosting events or booking appointments by default, so you will have to look to an appropriate plugin for this task.Using a WordPress calendar plugin can ease your work tremendously regardless of the type of events you are hosting.
By using such a plugin, you can create and keep track of official events, webinars, seminars, parties, concerts, informal events, or any other type of scheduled meeting. A WordPress calendar plugin will let you keep everything under control and organized, with just a few clicks.
This article created by our team at Amelia, helps you to learn more about how WordPress calendar plugins work and what benefits they bring to the table. Further down, we will offer you a list of the most popular WordPress calendar plugin examples so you can choose the one that suits you best.
Why Do You Need a WordPress Calendar Plugin?
Not sure if you need a WordPress calendar plugin or not? Think about how easily your website visitors could find information about the upcoming events you host if you could automate the process.
A blog announcement is great, but having a neat system in place to manage registration and actual attendance? Priceless!
Some WordPress calendars come equipped with all sorts of features you can think of and more, while others focus on very basic features for managing events. Both options are useful, based on what you need for your website.
Certain WordPress event plugins are even so powerful that you can manage multiple calendars on the same website and add eCommerce functionalities to it, like buying tickets or booking a place.
WordPress is very flexible when it comes to adding different services to a site and using an event calendar to keep everything organized is easily achieved with a good plugin – no need for fancy (and costly) custom development.
How Can You Choose the Best WordPress Calendar Plugin?
When choosing between WordPress calendar plugins, you will have to keep in mind one big criterion – what features does it offer? Naturally, different plugins suit different needs.
If you are managing a lot of events, you will likely need a plugin that offers a powerful set of tools all in one.On the other hand, if you are managing one-time events that don’t require much effort to manage, you can happily opt for a simpler plugin.
Each WordPress calendar plugin is built fora certain purpose that may or may not meet your goals. You need to research your options and find the plugin that is aligned with your own intentions and requirements.
For instance, a medical-related website should be equipped with an appointment calendar that tells patients when a place can be booked and what times are available for further bookings. Of course, not all WordPress calendar plugins are built for that specifically.
You will have to research the market and find the one that suits your website best. Think of your goals and purposes, list them, and see what plugins respect these needs.
See below for a list that will help you find the most suitable WordPress event plugin.
8 Popular WordPress Calendar Plugins
Amelia
The first on this list is Amelia. Amelia is a complete, enterprise-grade WordPress event booking plugin that has a highly user-friendly interface and is very flexible in terms of customization and usage.
With Amelia, you can help your website’s visitors book any type of appointment or meeting – from medical visits, lawyer meetings, repair services, massage sessions, and much more – while keeping all your booking details organized and easy to manage in one place.
The wizard for booking a spot is a breeze for visitors and is extremely effective at converting online visitors into real-world clients. To list a few of the best features of Amelia:
- It is super easy to use.
- It is modern and well-designed.
- It comes with payment method integration.
- It gives you access to centralized analytics and reports.
- It can be integrated with other software like Google Calendar.
Amelia also has an Events Calendar module integrated within its features.
What this means is that you can now automate your event bookings as well: you will be able to schedule a single day, a multi-day, and also recurring events with Amelia.
To test things for yourself, I’d suggest checking out the demos and see how things look on the front end as well in the back-end.
The Events Calendar
Much like Amelia, The Events Calendar is a great plugin perfect for those who want to keep track of all sorts of events from meetings to social gatherings. You simply install the plugin and create and publish an event with ease – all within minutes.
The user interface is intuitive, and it can be integrated with any website design or theme. The dashboard is neat and organized,and allows the website owner to create everything from simple to complex events (even those with multiple venues).
The Events Calendar is very convenient to navigate as it offers in-built tools and filters, and you can also add a separate widget to your website for easy access.
All-in-One Event Calendar
An all-round solid events management plugin, All-in-One Event Calendar is another of the most popular options out there. It is ideal for those who’ve never used such a plugin before, as it is beginner-friendly and easy to learn. The interface is intuitive and simple, while the tools it offers are just enough to manage events fast and efficiently.
This plugin can also be integrated with Google Maps to help your website’s visitors spot the venue of the event easier, and you can even sync it with Google Calendar. The plugin supports iCal and you can add other third-party services to it in order to improve its functionalities (e.g. buying tickets directly from the website).
Events Manager
Another WordPress calendar that is worth mentioning is Events Manager. It has just been updated to its fifth version and it’s more powerful than ever. The latest update added a few excellent new features that users have been requesting for a while now.
Using this WordPress calendar plugin, you can create events, add them to a calendar, allow users to register and make appointments, make reoccurring events, and so on. Moreover, the plugin is social media friendly, and you can easily add elements of social engagement that are useful for attracting a larger attendance.
The visual appearance of the interface can be personalized too, to make it fit the rest of your website’s design.
WooCommerce Bookings and Appointments
If you’re already familiar with WooCommerce, you might want to opt for a calendar plugin like WooCommerce Bookings, created by the original developers of WooCommerce.
For any money-making oriented website, premium plugins are the most suitable because they offer a large collection of tools that will come in handy, and also offer good support. With WooCommerce Bookings you can rest assured that this plugin is of the highest quality.
Simple Calendar
Simple Calendar is just as its name denotes – simple. It can be integrated with Google Calendar, which means you can create and manage events with Google Calendar and they will be synced with the plugin via your feed URL.
Simple Calendar has all the tools you would need to control the events included on your site. You can use shortcodes for fast changes and customize the appearance of the interface using stylesheets.
My Calendar
My Calendar is a free WordPress calendar plugin that is interactive and easy to work with. This plugin adds another section on your Dashboard where you can add, edit, and manage all of the events in one place, just like you manage pages and posts.
As for the end user side, it is very simple and organized, so that your audience can quickly find what they are looking for and easily interact with the calendar themselves.
Events Schedule
Events Schedule is one of the most useful calendar plugins on the market. It is straightforward, responsive, easy to use and very powerful. You have it all in one single plugin.
The events can be displayed in twelve different styles and the plugin is compatible with educational events, like classes or seminars. It can be set up using Visual Composer and it can be integrated with eCommerce websites as well.
Calendarize it! for WordPress
This premium WordPress calendar plugin is worth all the money considering how much bang you get for your bucks. With Calendarize It! you can beautifully display the calendar anywhere on your site, and it is highly compatible with Visual Composer.
The event manager was never this easy, so give it a try if you are happy to spend $25 on a good software product.
Ending thoughts on these WordPress Calendar Plugins
As you can see, the options are numerous when choosing a WordPress calendar plugin. Analyze these options carefully and choose the one that is suitable for your website and particular type of business or organization. Calendar plugins are the most efficient way to handle events, so don’t hesitate and add one to your website as soon as you’ve made your decision.
If you enjoyed reading this article about these WordPress Calendar Plugins, you should read these as well:
- 15 Sketch Plugins You Wish You Knew About Earlier
- The best event registration software options that you should know
- Payroll Software for Clinics, Gyms, and Law Firms
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