Ecosystem age
The Events Calendar has shipped for well over a decade. That maturity shows in edge-case handling and third-party theme support.
Comparison
Eventonomy vs The Events Calendar (2026)
The Events Calendar is the biggest name in WordPress events, and its free calendar is solid. The difference is where the paywall sits: recurring events, RSVP depth, and frontend submission are paid add-ons there and free here.
Feature by feature
The side by side
| Feature | Eventonomy | The Events Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Price of entry | Free plugin; Pro from $69 per year (see store for current pricing) | Free core calendar; most extras are separate paid add-ons |
| Recurring events | Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly series in the free plugin | Requires the paid Events Calendar Pro add-on |
| RSVPs in free | Going, maybe, and no with guest counts, built into the core plugin | Needs the separate Event Tickets plugin installed alongside |
| Waitlist | Free, with capacity caps that hand overflow to the waitlist | Not part of the free plugins; covered by paid ticketing add-ons |
| Custom RSVP questions | Text, dropdown, and checkbox questions with every RSVP, free | Attendee information collection sits in paid add-ons |
| Paid ticketing | Pro checkout via Stripe, PayPal, Square, Mollie, or WooCommerce | Event Tickets Plus, a separate paid purchase, with major gateways |
| Per-ticket fees | None, ever; you pay only your gateway | None; costs come from add-on licenses instead |
| Frontend submission | Free, with a member dashboard at /my-events/ | Requires the paid Community add-on |
| Views and calendars | Grid, List, Month, and Upcoming free; Pro adds Week and Day | Month, List, and Day free; more views arrive with Pro |
| Data architecture | 9 custom tables, 56 REST endpoints, no custom post types | Custom post types with post meta, plus helper tables in newer versions |
| Translations | Ships with 6 languages plus RTL support | Widely translated through the WordPress community |
| Support model | Community support free; Pro licenses include the Wbcom support desk | Forum support free; paid licenses include their help desk |
TEC 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 The Events Calendar wins
A comparison you can trust names the other side's real strengths. Here are theirs.
Add-on breadth
Filter Bar, Event Aggregator, Community, virtual events, and more. If you need a niche capability, an add-on probably exists.
Huge install base
It is one of the most installed events plugins on WordPress. Agencies and hosts know it, and hiring help for it is easy.
Aggregated knowledge base
Years of documentation, tutorials, and community answers cover almost any question. Newer plugins cannot match that archive yet.
The verdict
Who should pick which
Pick Eventonomy if
- You want recurring events, RSVPs, and a waitlist without buying add-ons.
- Members or guests should submit events from the frontend, free.
- You care about query speed on large sites; custom tables beat post meta.
- You want one plugin and one optional Pro license, not an add-on shopping list.
Pick TEC if
- You depend on a specific TEC add-on, such as Event Aggregator imports.
- Your team or agency already runs TEC across many client sites.
- You only need a simple public calendar and nothing else, free.
- You want the largest possible pool of tutorials and third-party integrations.
Questions
Frequently asked
Does The Events Calendar include recurring events for free?
No. Recurring events require the paid Events Calendar Pro add-on, a long-standing and publicly documented split. Eventonomy includes daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly series in its free plugin.
Which handles RSVPs better in the free version?
Eventonomy builds RSVPs into the core free plugin, with guest counts, custom questions, and a waitlist. The Events Calendar covers RSVPs through the separate Event Tickets plugin, with advanced flows in paid add-ons as of mid-2026; verify current packaging on their site.
Do either of them charge per-ticket fees?
No. Both are self-hosted WordPress plugins, so neither takes a cut of ticket sales. Your only transaction costs are the payment gateway fees on your own account.
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.