WordPress events plugins fall into two camps: free-first plugins with premium extensions (The Events Calendar) and premium-from-the-start plugins (EventON, Modern Events Calendar). The right choice depends on what your events need to do and how much you want to spend for the full feature set.
The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar free is the market leader by install count. The free version covers basic event listing, month/list/day views, venue and organiser management, category filtering, and Event schema markup. For a community site or small business with straightforward event listings and no ticket sales, the free version is complete.
The extension plugin library is broad: Events Calendar Pro adds recurring events, venue and organiser archives, additional calendar views (week, photo, map), and shortcodes. Event Tickets adds RSVP and free ticket management. Event Tickets Plus adds paid ticketing via WooCommerce. The modular approach means you pay only for what you need, but a fully-featured installation costs $200-400/year across multiple extensions.
EventON
EventON is a CodeCanyon premium plugin ($25 one-time) that includes its own calendar view system separate from The Events Calendar’s views. Its accordion-style event list and tile grid are visually distinct from the typical WordPress events calendar. EventON is appropriate for sites where the events calendar is a design feature as much as a functional one – corporate event pages, entertainment venues, and sites where the calendar visual presentation matters more than the breadth of features.
EventON’s one-time purchase model is attractive compared to The Events Calendar’s annual extension fees. The trade-off is a smaller feature set – no built-in ticketing, more limited recurring event options, and fewer integrations with third-party services. Addons for EventON exist but the addon library is smaller than The Events Calendar’s extension library.
Modern Events Calendar
Modern Events Calendar (MEC) sits between the two: a premium plugin with a free version on WordPress.org and a paid Pro version. MEC Free includes more features than The Events Calendar Free – multiple calendar skins, booking and RSVP without extensions, and some recurring event capability. MEC Pro ($75/year or $179 one-time) adds advanced booking, payment integration, and additional views.
MEC is the value play: more features at a lower price than The Events Calendar’s full extension stack. The trade-off is a smaller user community, less documentation, and fewer third-party integrations.
| Feature | Events Calendar Free | EventON ($25) | MEC Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar views | Month, List, Day | Accordion, Tile, Month | Multiple skins |
| Recurring events | Pro only | Limited | Yes |
| Built-in ticketing | Extension needed | No | Basic (free) |
| Google Maps | Yes (API key) | Yes | Yes |
| Event schema | Yes | Basic | Yes |
| Full cost estimate | $0-400+/yr | $25 one-time | $0-179 |
Not sure which events plugin fits your site? Describe your needs and get a free recommendation.
Which to Choose
Use The Events Calendar free for straightforward event listing with no ticketing. Add extensions as specific needs arise. Use EventON if the visual calendar presentation is a priority and you do not need ticketing. Use Modern Events Calendar if you want more features than The Events Calendar free without the annual extension cost, and do not need The Events Calendar’s broad integration library.
Community and Long-Term Support
The Events Calendar has the largest community of the three. With over 800,000 active installs, answers to almost every configuration question exist in public support forums, blog posts, and developer documentation. When you hit an edge case, you can usually find a solution without opening a support ticket.
EventON’s support is primarily through the CodeCanyon comments and support system. It works but has less public knowledge available than The Events Calendar. Modern Events Calendar has a dedicated support system and growing documentation, though its community is smaller than TEC’s. For self-sufficient WordPress builders who solve problems through research rather than support tickets, The Events Calendar’s knowledge base is the most helpful resource.