Modern Events Calendar vs The Events Calendar
Updated 11 Oct 2026. 20 features compared side by side.
Feature-dense events calendar from Webnus with dozens of layouts, a free Lite edition and a Pro version for bookings, tickets and integrations.
Widely used WordPress events calendar with venues, organisers and month/list/day views, plus paid tiers for recurring events, ticketing and seating.
Choose Modern Events Calendar if…
- You want the lower entry price ($99/yr vs $259/yr)
Choose The Events Calendar if…
- You prefer the more widely used option
Modern Events Calendar and The Events Calendar include the same 20 of the 20 features we track, so the choice comes down to pricing, approach and ecosystem.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Modern Events Calendar The Events CalendarCreating events6/66/6
Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly and custom repeat rules are available without the Pro flag.
Recurring events and series come with Events Calendar Pro in every paid plan.
Reusable locations and organisers in Lite; Pro adds images for them and location maps.
Venues and organisers are saved once and reused across events.
Paid Virtual Events ($39/yr), Zoom ($39/yr) and Webex ($39/yr) add-ons.
Pro features add virtual/hybrid events with Zoom, Meet, Webex, Teams and YouTube/Facebook Live.
Events can be grouped with categories, tags and labels.
Free plugin includes event categories and tags.
Front-end event submission, including guest submissions, is in Lite.
Community Submissions with moderation are included in all paid plans.
Imports from Google Calendar, Facebook and other event plugins; Advanced Importer add-on adds Eventbrite/Meetup.
Free CSV importer; Event Aggregator (paid plans) imports Google Calendar, iCal, Meetup and Eventbrite.
Calendar & display5/55/5
Monthly, weekly, daily, list and grid views free; yearly, timetable, masonry and map are Pro.
Free month, list and day views; paid plans add week, photo, map and summary views.
Location maps and advanced Google Maps are Pro; OpenStreetMap via the $49 Advanced Map add-on.
Google Maps embeds for venues are free; a map view comes with the paid plans.
Search bar and search filters for shortcodes are not marked Pro.
Free keyword/date search; Filter Bar in paid plans adds advanced front-end filters.
Works with Gutenberg, Elementor, Divi and WPBakery; dedicated Elementor builders are paid add-ons.
Events are built with block-editor event blocks; Pro adds shortcodes and Elementor widgets.
Schema-ready structured data, including event status, is listed as a core feature.
Outputs JSON-LD event structured data in the free plugin.
Tickets & attendees6/66/6
Booking system with ticket types, limits and payment gateways is Pro-only.
Free Event Tickets plugin sells tickets via Tickets Commerce (2% fee without a Plus licence).
RSVP Events add-on ($69/yr) lets attendees reply without paying.
RSVPs are collected with the free Event Tickets companion plugin.
Pro can take payment via WooCommerce; the $39 WooCommerce Integration add-on adds tickets to the cart.
WooCommerce ticket sales come with Event Tickets Plus in the Pro plan.
Seat add-on ($119/yr) adds seat maps with per-seat pricing.
Interactive Seating builder and VIP seat types are Elite-only.
Pro QR Code module verifies bookings by scanning tickets; Ticket & Invoice add-on adds fuller check-in.
Ticket QR codes and the check-in app are included from the Pro plan.
Pro lets you add/remove attendees, edit bookings and export to CSV, Excel, JSON or XML.
Free Event Tickets includes attendee and sales reports; Pro plan adds fuller attendee management.
Engagement & integrations3/33/3
Add to Google Calendar and .ics download for iCal/Outlook are core features.
Visitors can export events to Google Calendar or download iCal files.
Booking notifications, confirmations and reminders are Pro; Lite sends submission emails.
Free Event Tickets sends customisable confirmation emails; Promoter campaigns are Elite-only.
Pro integrates with Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, MailerLite, ActiveCampaign and more; Zapier is a $39 add-on.
Events Calendar Pro connects to Zapier and Microsoft Power Automate.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Modern Events Calendar Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Lite | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Pro 1 site | $99 per year, 1 site |
| Pro 5 sites | $199 per year, 5 sites |
| Pro 10 sites | $299 per year, 10 sites |
| Pro Unlimited | $999 per year, Unlimited |
The Events Calendar Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Free | Free per year, Unlimited |
| Essentials | $259 per year, Not stated |
| Pro | $399 per year, Not stated |
| Elite | $599 per year, Not stated |
Downloads trend
Modern Events Calendar
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
The Events Calendar
335,446 downloads last week
Verdict
Modern Events Calendar and The Events Calendar are closely matched on features (98/100 and 97/100). Paid plans start at $99/yr for Modern Events Calendar and $259/yr for The Events Calendar. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
Which would you choose?
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FAQ
Which is better, Modern Events Calendar or The Events Calendar?
Modern Events Calendar and The Events Calendar are closely matched on features (98/100 and 97/100). Paid plans start at $99/yr for Modern Events Calendar and $259/yr for The Events Calendar. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
They are level: both include 20 of the 20 events & calendars features we track.
Is Modern Events Calendar free?
Modern Events Calendar has a free version. Paid plans start at $99/yr.
Is The Events Calendar free?
The Events Calendar has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $259/yr.
Feature data last changed 11 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Modern Events Calendar or The Events Calendar. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.