Long track record
Events Manager has served WordPress sites since the late 2000s. That history means proven stability and a deep archive of answers.
Comparison
Eventonomy vs Events Manager (2026)
Events Manager is one of the fairest free events plugins around, with recurring events and bookings included. Eventonomy competes on the modern side: waitlists, block views, a member dashboard, and a custom-table engine.
Feature by feature
The side by side
| Feature | Eventonomy | Events Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price of entry | Free plugin; Pro from $69 per year (see store for current pricing) | Generous free plugin; Pro license adds payment gateways and more |
| Recurring events | Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly series in the free plugin | Recurring events are also free, a rare and fair inclusion |
| RSVPs and bookings in free | Going, maybe, and no with guest counts and custom questions, free | Free bookings with approval workflow; forms are more registration-style |
| Waitlist | Free; capacity caps hand overflow to the waitlist automatically | No built-in waitlist as a headline feature |
| Paid ticketing and gateways | Pro checkout via Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mollie, or WooCommerce | Online payment gateways require the Pro upgrade |
| Per-ticket fees | None, ever; you pay only your gateway | None; it is a flat license model too |
| Frontend submission | Free, with a member dashboard at /my-events/ | Frontend event submission is included free |
| Views and calendars | Grid, List, Month, and Upcoming with pretty URLs; Pro adds Week and Day | Calendar and list output via shortcodes; the interface shows its age |
| Data architecture | 9 custom tables, 56 REST endpoints, Interactivity API blocks | Custom post types plus its own booking tables; shortcode-first UI |
| Multisite | Runs per site; no cross-network event aggregation today | Mature multisite support, including network-wide event handling |
| Translations | Ships with 6 languages plus RTL support | Long-running community translations in many languages |
| Support model | Community support free; Pro licenses include the Wbcom support desk | Forum support free; Pro licenses include their support |
Events Manager details reflect their public free and paid lineup as of July 2026 and can change. Verify current packaging and pricing on their site.
Credit where due
Where Events Manager wins
A comparison you can trust names the other side's real strengths. Here are theirs.
Multisite maturity
Its multisite support is among the best in the category, including network-wide events. Eventonomy has no equivalent today.
Generous free bookings
Free bookings with an approval workflow have been its calling card for years. Few free plugins matched that before Eventonomy.
The verdict
Who should pick which
Pick Eventonomy if
- You want a modern interface: blocks, pretty URLs, and an admin console.
- Waitlists and guest counts matter for your RSVP flow.
- You want five gateway choices, tax, fees, and coupons in one Pro license.
- You care about REST-first architecture for integrations and speed at scale.
Pick Events Manager if
- You run a multisite network and need network-wide event handling.
- You already have Events Manager configured and it does the job.
- You prefer a shortcode-driven setup over block-based building.
Questions
Frequently asked
Does Events Manager offer recurring events for free?
Yes, and credit to them for it. Both plugins include recurring events free. The differences show elsewhere: waitlists, block-based views, REST API coverage, and the checkout options bundled into one Pro license.
Which is faster on large sites?
Eventonomy stores events in 9 purpose-built tables instead of post meta, so event queries never compete with your posts. Events Manager mixes custom post types with its own booking tables.
Can members submit events on both?
Yes. Both plugins include frontend event submission free. Eventonomy adds a member dashboard at /my-events/ where attendees track RSVPs and organizers manage events, attendees, and exports.
Free $0
Try the side Eventonomy argues for
Recurring events, RSVPs, waitlists, and frontend submission are free. Pro starts at $69 per year when you sell tickets.