WP Event Manager
by WP Event Manager
A light, developer-friendly events plugin with a free core and modular paid add-ons.
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What WP Event Manager does
A light, developer-friendly events plugin with a free core and modular paid add-ons.
It sits in the events part of a WordPress stack and is sold by WP Event Manager on a freemium basis. We recommend it in our events guides because it does that one job well without asking you to rebuild the rest of the site around it.
Every plugin adds work to a page request, so treat this as a decision with a cost. Record a speed test before you install it and run the same test afterwards, on the same page, so you know exactly what it charged you.
Real user ratings
Score
4/5
Reviews
248
Active installs
20,000+
Downloads
1.0M
Latest version
3.4.1
Last updated
2026-07-22
These figures come straight from the public WordPress.org plugin directory API for version 3.4.1, not from us. Check them yourself on the WordPress.org listing. Our own editorial score is 4.6/5.
Where WP Event Manager ranks elsewhere
WP Event Manager does not appear in the published "best of" lists we track from WPBeginner, TechRadar, Kinsta, Themeisle and similar sites. That is not a mark against it - those roundups are short and skew towards the biggest names.
What changed in the latest version
- Fixed: Admin event Categories and Types list not displaying. Fixed: Event Categories and Types disappearing from the admin sidebar after the latest update. Fixed: Default filter incorrectly applied on the frontend event listing page. Fix...
- Fixed : In multiselect fields template default value is not showing. Fixed : Event shortcode and selected_datetime. Fixed : Backend Incorrect Button Label After Event Type Update. Fixed : PHP Fatal error. Fixed : Frontside Event dashboar...
- Fixed : WP Coding standard improvements
Release notes are the developer's own words, published on WordPress.org. Read the full changelog
Pros and cons
- Lightest full events option
- A free tier you can trial before paying
- Actively maintained and used on production sites we test
- Add-ons needed for selling tickets
- The features most sites need sit in the paid tier
How to use it
- 1Create one test event with a venue, organiser and image.
- 2Configure time zones and recurring rules before publishing real dates.
- 3Test the ticket purchase and confirmation email flow.
- 4Check the calendar view on a phone as well as a desktop.
- 5Exclude calendar and checkout pages from caching.
How it compares
Other events plugins we recommend, with their rating and pricing model.
| Plugin | Our rating | WordPress.org | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WP Event Manager | 4.6 | 4 (248) | Freemium | Lightest full events option |
| Event Espresso | 4.1 | 4.4 (135) | Premium | Serious registration workflows |
| Eventin | 4.4 | 4.7 (398) | Freemium | Modern editor integration |
| FooEvents | 4.5 | n/a | Premium | Uses your existing WooCommerce checkout |
| Modern Events Calendar | 4.0 | n/a | Freemium | Very large feature list |
| The Events Calendar | 4.4 | 4.2 (2,453) | Freemium | Mature, well-supported and extensible |
Guides that cover WP Event Manager
Alternatives
Other events plugins
Event Espresso
Event Espresso
Event registration and ticketing with attendee management, waitlists and on-site check-in.
135 reviews · 230K downloads · v5.0.58.decaf
Eventin
Themewinter
Events, tickets, speakers and schedules with block and Elementor support.
398 reviews · 888K downloads · v4.1.24
FooEvents
FooEvents
Turns WooCommerce products into tickets, with seating, check-in apps and custom attendee fields.