You’ve spent countless hours scouring the internet, reading reviews, and watching demo videos. Your browser history is a graveyard of WordPress event plugin searches. Your eyes are tired, your coffee’s gone cold, but you’re determined. Why? Because you’re on a mission to find the perfect event management solution for your WordPress site.
After what feels like a century, you’ve narrowed it down to two contenders — The Events Calendar and Modern Events Calendar. These names keep popping up everywhere — in forums, recommendation lists, and “Top 10” articles. They’re the last two competitors standing in your personal event plugin showdown.
But here’s the kicker — they both look great on paper. They’re both popular, feature-rich, and promise to turn your website into an event-organizing machine. So how do you choose?
That’s why we are here. We’re about to dive deep into the world of The Events Calendar and Modern Events Calendar, comparing everything from their feature sets to their user experiences.
We’ll explore the nitty-gritty details that matter — like how easy they are to set up, how well they play with other plugins, and whether they can handle your specific event needs.
So, take a deep breath. Count to ten. And let’s begin!
Key features: Modern Events Calendar vs. The Events Calendar
Welcome to the main event between these two event management heavyweights!
In this corner, we have The Events Calendar, the reigning champion since 2009 with a whopping 800,000 fans.
And in the other corner is the challenger, Modern Events Calendar, which has been turning heads since 2016 with its 200,000-strong following.
Both contenders come equipped with powerful event management tools, from sleek calendar views to nifty ticketing options. But each has its own secret weapon. The Events Calendar packs a punch with its user-friendly interface and top-notch support, while Modern Events Calendar dazzles with its visually stunning displays.
Additionally, both of them offer ticket selling and management options through Event Tickets and Ticket & Invoice, respectively.
So, to make the best choice, you have to keep your event needs in mind. Are you after user-friendliness and rock-solid support? Or do you crave eye-catching, visually rich displays? We’ll help you pick the WordPress calendar plugin that’ll have your needs covered!
Ease of use and navigation
Nobody wants to wrestle with a complicated plugin when they’re trying to plan an event. So, how do our contenders stack up in the user-friendliness department?
The Events Calendar
Imagine walking into a perfectly organized room where everything is exactly where you’d expect it to be. That’s The Events Calendar for you. This plugin rolls out the red carpet for users with its clean, intuitive interface. Even if you’re not a tech wizard, you’ll feel right at home.
Creating an event? It’s as easy as pie. The logical layout guides you through the process step by step, like a friendly event planning assistant. And if you ever feel lost, clear instructions are always just a click away.
Navigation is a breeze, too. Menus are where you expect them, and event details are always within easy reach.
For those interested in trying before committing, an online demo version is available, allowing potential users to experience the interface firsthand.
Modern Events Calendar
Modern Events Calendar is designed to be both visually appealing and user-friendly. It features a clean and organized dashboard within the WordPress admin panel, where users can access different event management tools.
The Events Calendar has a standard menu structure that will be familiar to experienced WordPress users, potentially easing the learning curve. On the other hand, Modern Events Calendar offers a clean, modern interface that new users may find slightly more complex.
MEC has a feature-rich environment with an extensive menu that provides detailed customization options. This depth of control may appeal to users seeking granular management of their events, but it could also present a steeper learning curve for beginners.
Like The Events Calendar, Modern Events Calendar offers an online sign-up demo. Users can access this through a sign-up form, allowing them to explore the plugin’s features and interface before making a decision.
Customization and design
The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar offers flexibility in how you display your events. Users can choose between different calendar views, including day, month, and list views. The plugin is built to work well with a wide range of WordPress themes right out of the box. It “just works” by automatically inheriting styles from your theme, which means your calendar will match your site’s look and feel without additional effort.
For those seeking more in-depth design customization, The Events Calendar allows you to create template overrides. This feature enables users to modify the files that determine how all of the plugin elements look and integrate custom styles. This is ideal for designers or developers who want to make granular edits.
Whether you let The Events Calendar do its thing and simply match your theme, or you roll up your sleeves and edit some code, the plugin maintains design consistency across its various views, supporting a unified user experience.
Modern Events Calendar
One of MEC’s standout features is its user-friendly design interface. The plugin offers over 50 layouts and skins with its Liquid View add-on, giving users a wealth of options to choose from without requiring coding knowledge.
MEC also includes built-in appearance options, allowing users to customize their calendars directly within the plugin. These settings enable adjustments to colors and styles, making it easy for non-developers to tailor their calendar’s appearance to match their site’s aesthetics.
While MEC offers extensive customization options, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t automatically inherit your theme’s styles, as The Events Calendar does. This means that while MEC can be highly customized to match your theme, it may require more initial setup to achieve complete integration with your site’s design.
Functionality and responsiveness
The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar is like that overachieving friend who’s good at everything — from organizing intimate book club meetings to planning extravagant corporate shindigs.
It comes packed with good stuff:
- Event listings that you can tweak to your heart’s content.
- Calendar views that even your grandma could navigate.
- Recurring events that don’t make you want to pull your hair out.
- Ticket sales that are smoother than butter.
- Google Maps integration (because who doesn’t get lost sometimes?).
- Event categories that would make Marie Kondo proud.
The Events Calendar also has a Calendar Embed block that lets you embed calendars anywhere on your site. No need to mess around with custom code snippets anymore!
And if you’re an Elementor fan, you’re in luck — they work great together. You get four handy widgets that let you display things like event countdowns, lists, or even single events — all customizable to fit your vibe. Just drag and drop your events on any page, tweak the details, and style them up using Elementor’s design settings.
Now, let’s talk mobile. In a world where people would rather lose a limb than their smartphone, The Events Calendar delivers. Whether your visitors are on their phone, tablet, or dusty old desktop, they’ll get a smooth, consistent experience. No pinching, zooming, or cursing required.
Modern Events Calendar
If The Events Calendar is a Swiss Army knife, Modern Events Calendar (MEC) is the Swiss watch — intricate, beautiful, and packed with features you didn’t even know you needed.
MEC’s toolbox is seemingly bottomless
- Calendar layouts for days (grid, agenda, timeline).
- A booking system that would make travel agents jealous.
- Real-time weather updates (because Mother Nature likes to crash parties).
- Interactive maps (for those directionally challenged attendees).
- Social media sharing (because if it’s not on Instagram, did it even happen?).
MEC also takes the shortcode game to the next level. These little code snippets play well with all the cool kids — Elementor, Divi Builder, Gutenberg — you name it.
And when it comes to mobile, MEC is no slouch either. It looks fab on screens of all sizes. Your events will be ready for their close-up, whether they’re on a tiny phone or a cinema-sized monitor.
Documentation and support
The Events Calendar
When it comes to documentation, The Events Calendar knowledgebase leaves no stone unturned. It’s got a treasure trove of resources to help you make the most of your event management journey.
Need help getting started? The “getting started guides” have got you covered. Stuck on a tricky issue? Dive into troubleshooting tips. And if you’re a developer looking to customize things, there’s a whole section of docs just for you.
But that’s not all. The Events Calendar also boasts a library of event management wisdom, covering everything from common hiccups to advanced techniques.
Despite all this info, if you ever have a question that’s not covered in the docs, premium users can submit a support ticket and get help directly from their team of experts. And for our free users out there, there’s a bustling support forum where you can ask questions and get answers from both the community and the plugin team.
Modern Events Calendar
Modern Events Calendar doesn’t skimp on documentation, either. They’ve put together a solid collection of resources to help you navigate their feature-rich plugin.
Their documentation covers all the bases, from initial setup to advanced customization. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your events to the next level, you’ll find step-by-step guides to walk you through the process.
MEC also has a community forum where users can share ideas, ask questions, and help each other out. It’s a great place to connect with other event organizers and pick up some tips and tricks.
When it comes to support, MEC offers both chat and ticket-based options. So whether you prefer real-time conversation or a more structured approach, they’ve got you covered.
Both The Events Calendar and Modern Events Calendar take user support seriously. They offer extensive documentation, active community forums, and dedicated support channels. This means you’re never left in the dark, no matter which plugin you choose.
Add-ons and integrations
The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar has add-ons that aren’t just bells and whistles; they’re powerful enhancements that can take your event management to the next level. Let’s look at a few:
- The Event Tickets plugin lets you handle RSVPs and sell tickets right from your WordPress site. There’s even a dedicated app for ticket scanning and check-ins on both Android and iOS.
- Ever wish you could import events from other platforms? The Event Aggregator add-on has got you covered. It pulls in events from Google Calendar and other sources, making your life a whole lot easier.
- Want to get your community involved? The Community Events add-on lets users submit their own events. It’s a great way to boost engagement and keep your calendar packed with exciting happenings.
- If you’re into email marketing (who isn’t these days?), the Promoter Tool is your new best friend. It’s designed specifically to work with The Events Calendar, making event promotion a breeze.
Other add-ons include Filter Bar for easy event searching, Eventbrite Tickets for ticketing, and Event Schedule Manager for those complex multi-day events.
Speaking of external integrations, The Events Calendar is a real team player. It integrates smoothly with popular platforms like WooCommerce for eCommerce, Eventbrite, and even Zapier for all your automation needs.
And don’t worry about compatibility issues with your WordPress theme or other plugins. The Events Calendar is designed to fit right in, no matter what your site looks like.
Modern Events Calendar
Modern Events Calendar also offers a solid lineup of enhancements to boost your event management capabilities.
Need to sell tickets or manage RSVPs? MEC’s got add-ons for that. Want to dive deep into event analytics? The Advanced Reports add-on has your back. And in a post-COVID world, the Virtual Events add-on is a real lifesaver.
When it comes to playing well with others, MEC can shake hands with Google Calendar, WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and Zapier, among others. Just keep in mind that some of these integrations might need you to shell out a bit extra, even if you’ve got the premium version.
MEC is designed to get along with a wide range of WordPress themes, though you might need to roll up your sleeves and do a bit of tweaking to get it looking just right.
The takeaway? Both The Events Calendar and Modern Events Calendar bring a lot to the table in terms of add-ons and integrations. The Events Calendar tends to offer more out-of-the-box in its Pro version, with fewer additional purchases needed. MEC, on the other hand, lets you pick and choose exactly what you need — but keep an eye on those costs if you’re eyeing up multiple add-ons.
Which event management plugin is right for you?
Choosing the right event management plugin boils down to understanding your specific needs. Are you a small business owner looking to promote local events? Or perhaps a community organizer juggling multiple event types? Both The Events Calendar and Modern Events Calendar offer solutions tailored to various user profiles.
When comparing these plugins, consider your technical skills, event complexity, and budget. The free versions of both plugins provide essential functionality, while the Pro versions unlock advanced features. It’s about finding the right balance between features and cost-effectiveness for your unique situation.
Why The Events Calendar is the better choice overall
While Modern Events Calendar offers a wide range of advanced features, The Events Calendar stands out as the more user-friendly and cost-effective option for most users. Here’s why:
- The Events Calendar shines with its user-friendly interface, making it a breeze for non-technical users to manage events. Its clean design and logical layout mean you’ll spend less time figuring out the plugin and more time organizing great events.
- For long-time WordPress users, The Events Calendar feels familiar and intuitive. This familiarity can significantly reduce the learning curve, allowing you to hit the ground running.
- When it comes to support, The Events Calendar’s extensive documentation and active community are invaluable resources. Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue or looking for tips, help is always at hand.
- Cost-effectiveness is another major advantage. The Events Calendar’s Pro version often provides more bang for your buck, offering advanced features without requiring additional add-ons.
And we aren’t saying this just because it’s our plugin. Users love The Events Calendar too. As @shuffleharri, a 5-star reviewer, puts it: “This is a great plugin. Offers a lot of customisability and is exactly what we needed!”
In the end, The Events Calendar’s balance of user-friendliness, comprehensive features, and cost-effectiveness makes it the superior choice for most WordPress users looking to manage events on their sites.
Choose The Events Calendar and elevate your event management
After our in-depth comparison, it’s clear that The Events Calendar stands out as the top choice for WordPress event management. Whether you’re a small business owner planning local workshops, a school administrator organizing campus events, or a non-profit coordinator arranging fundraisers, The Events Calendar adapts to your unique needs.
If you’re ready to transform your event planning process, give The Events Calendar a try. If you’re currently using Modern Events Calendar, consider switching to The Events Calendar for a more cost-effective and easy-to-use solution.
It’s time to focus on what truly matters — creating memorable experiences for your attendees. Take the first step towards hassle-free event management today and watch your events thrive!
The post Comparing Modern Events Calendar and The Events Calendar: A Detailed Guide appeared first on The Events Calendar.