An event ticketing plugin streamlines the booking and purchasing process for events. It also simplifies the organization and management of events on your WordPress site.
At CanadaCreate, we’ve collaborated with numerous small businesses to understand their requirements for an event ticketing plugin. Based on their insights, we researched and tested various options to identify the best solutions for our audience.
We utilize WPForms and Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) across our brands for creating forms and selling products, so we explored their functionalities for selling event tickets. After thorough research, we chose Sugar Calendar, WPForms, WP Simple Pay, and EDD as our top recommendations.
In this article, we will present some of the leading WordPress event ticketing plugins to help you choose the best option for your business.
Curious about which option suits you best? Here’s a brief overview of event ticketing plugins.
| # | Tools | Best For |
| 🥇 | Sugar Calendar | Selling tickets directly through an event calendar |
| 🥈 | WPForms | Creating event ticket booking forms |
| 🥉 | WP Simple Pay | Implementing buy now buttons |
| 4. | Easy Digital Downloads | Selling digital tickets for events |
| 5. | Tickera | Top free solution for event ticket sales |
| 6. | The Events Calendar | All-in-one event management solution |
| 7. | WP Event Manager | Selling event tickets through WooCommerce |
Our Methodology for Testing WordPress Event Ticketing Plugins
Managing and organizing multiple events manually can be quite challenging. You would need to add each event to a calendar, process ticket purchase requests, distribute tickets to customers, and more.
Given the workload involved, a more efficient solution is to utilize a WordPress event ticketing plugin. These plugins automate many tasks, allowing users to view events on your site’s calendar and purchase tickets with just a click. Additionally, you can easily manage all events and track purchases from a centralized location.
To assist you in finding the ideal event ticketing plugin for WordPress, we evaluated several options. We currently use some of these plugins across our brands, such as Easy Digital Downloads and WPForms. Furthermore, we made an effort to identify additional options that may fit your business needs.
Here’s an overview of our evaluation criteria for each plugin:
- User-Friendliness:We evaluated the user interface of the plugin for both event organizers and attendees. A seamless user experience is essential for an efficient ticketing process.
- Key Features:We analyzed the essential features of the plugin, including ticket creation, calendar integration, sales tracking, and event management. We also considered additional functionalities like compatibility with other tools and payment processors.
- Customization Options:We assessed the level of customization available in the plugin, enabling you to adapt the ticketing process to fit your unique requirements and brand identity.
- Performance Evaluation:We tested the plugin’s performance to confirm its capability to manage large events without affecting the speed or stability of your website.
Why You Can Trust CanadaCreate:
At CanadaCreate, our dedicated team has thoroughly researched and tested a wide range of WordPress plugins on real websites. With over 16 years of expertise in WordPress design, marketing, and social media, we provide reliable recommendations.
We conducted an in-depth review of each plugin to identify the top event ticketing solutions. For more information, please refer to our comprehensive editorial process.
Here are some of the top WordPress event ticketing plugins available for you to consider.
1. Sugar Calendar
Sugar Calendar is the top-rated WordPress calendar plugin, featuring robust capabilities while remaining easy for beginners to navigate. Among all the ticketing plugins we evaluated, Sugar Calendar stands out as the simplest option for displaying events on a calendar and facilitating online ticket sales.
We have conducted a comprehensive review of each feature provided by the plugin. For further information, please refer to our detailed Sugar Calendar review.
It includes an event ticketing add-on that allows you to display ticket prices and available quantities. Attendees can conveniently purchase tickets directly from your event details page using a credit or debit card.
Another aspect we appreciate about this plugin is its extensive customization options. You can set start and end times for events, display events on various calendars, select time zones, and more. Additionally, Sugar Calendar can be integrated with Stripe for seamless online payment processing.
Moreover, with Sugar Calendar’s RSVP add-on, managing attendees is effortless. Guests can confirm their attendance online, add a plus-one, and you can manage the event’s capacity. This approach makes organizing your events hassle-free.
Advantages:
- A straightforward, lightweight, and intuitive calendar plugin.
- Supports one-time, recurring, specific-duration, all-day, and multi-day events.
- Organize events by category and timezone
- Easily sell event tickets using Stripe or WooCommerce
- Various options for calendar and event customization
Cons:
- The event ticketing add-on is not available in the free version
Why We Recommend Sugar Calendar:For those seeking a smooth way to manage events, display them on a calendar, and sell tickets online, Sugar Calendar is an essential WordPress plugin. It significantly enhances the ticketing process for users.
2. WPForms
WPForms is the top contact form plugin for WordPress, and it can also be utilized to create booking forms and sell event tickets online.
At CanadaCreate, we utilize WPForms throughout our website, including for our contact form, suggestion form, and job application form. For a comprehensive overview of its features and benefits, please refer to our in-depth WPForms review.
What sets WPForms apart as an excellent event ticketing plugin is its pre-built form templates and user-friendly drag-and-drop builder. You can select from thousands of templates to kickstart your project and easily tailor them to fit your requirements.
There are numerous add-ons available that can enhance your event ticketing process. For instance, you can gather event submissions from users through a form without granting access to the WordPress admin panel.
We appreciate WPForms for its seamless integration with various tools, plugins, and payment services. You can connect it with Sugar Calendar to automatically display user-submitted events on the calendar.
For more information, refer to our guide on how to accept user-submitted events in WordPress.
Advantages:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop form builder
- Wide range of customization options
- Over 2,000 pre-designed form templates
- Smooth integration with popular payment and email marketing platforms
- Advanced features including conditional logic
- Outstanding customer support
Disadvantages:
- The free version offers limited functionalities
Reasons to Choose WPForms:We recommend WPForms due to its user-friendly design, versatility, and robust features. The plugin’s drag-and-drop interface simplifies the process of creating custom forms and selling event tickets online.
3. WP Simple Pay
WP Simple Pay is a highly recommended WordPress event ticketing plugin that simplifies the process of selling tickets online without the need for a complex eCommerce setup.
We have successfully utilized this plugin in various areas of our business to display a buy now button and facilitate online payments. For more details, check out our comprehensive review of WP Simple Pay.
WP Simple Pay is perfect for bloggers aiming to monetize their content by incorporating a buy now button. This plugin supports both one-time and recurring payments, along with a selection of pre-designed form templates.
One of the standout features of this plugin is its support for over 13 payment methods. These include debit and credit cards, Stripe, ACH debit, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo, and more. Additionally, WP Simple Pay allows you to create buy-now-pay-later options.
Advantages:
- User-friendly setup and operation
- Compatible with various payment gateways
- Customizable payment forms available
- Supports over 13 payment methods
- Cost-effective pricing options
Disadvantages:
- Limited customization options compared to some alternatives
- The free version offers a restricted selection of payment methods
Reasons to Choose WP Simple Pay:If you’re searching for a plugin that enables you to add a ‘Buy Now’ button to your website for selling event tickets, WP Simple Pay is the ideal choice. This user-friendly Stripe plugin allows you to collect online payments seamlessly without the need for a complex eCommerce checkout system.
4. Easy Digital Downloads
Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a powerful eCommerce platform designed for WordPress. It’s perfect for selling digital products, including event tickets, ebooks, media files, PDFs, songs, images, software, printables, and much more.
We currently utilize Easy Digital Downloads to manage and sell some of our most popular WordPress plugins, such as WPForms and MonsterInsights. Discover all the features in our comprehensive Easy Digital Downloads review.
Easy Digital Downloads is incredibly user-friendly and straightforward to set up, giving you complete control over your digital store.
We were truly impressed by the flexibility that EDD offers. You can establish variable pricing based on categories or simply set a fixed price for your event tickets. It also supports major payment processors like PayPal and Stripe.
Advantages:
- Extremely easy to use and configure
- Supports multiple payment gateways
- Securely deliver downloadable content to users
- Easily create a digital marketplace for selling event tickets
- Full-featured shopping cart
- Comprehensive built-in analytics and file download tracking
Drawbacks:
- Does not allow the sale of physical products
Reasons to Choose Easy Digital Downloads:For selling digital products, Easy Digital Downloads stands out as the top WordPress store plugin available. It is user-friendly, versatile, and easily scalable for online event ticket sales.
5. Tickera
Tickera is a free WordPress plugin designed for selling event tickets directly on your website. It is an excellent, budget-friendly choice for new website owners and eCommerce entrepreneurs looking to sell tickets online.
During our testing, we found the plugin to be incredibly user-friendly. It provides all the essential features needed to create new events, add tickets to your site, and more.
You can also customize the default ticket template. Options include changing the event logo, ticket type, event name, location, ticket holder name, and additional settings.
Tickera supports integration with various payment services. The free version includes payment gateways like 2Checkout, Custom Offline Payments, and Free Orders. For more payment options, an upgrade to the premium plan is necessary.
Advantages:
- User-friendly interface
- Comprehensive ticketing and event management solution
- Seamless integration with popular payment gateways
- Intuitive ticket creation tool
- Option to add discount codes for customers
Drawbacks:
- Stripe and PayPal are unavailable in the free version
- Offers premium add-ons available for separate purchase
Reasons to Choose Tickera:We recommend Tickera because it provides all the essential features needed to create events and tickets on your website at no cost. There is also a premium version that includes additional payment gateways. The base plugin is perfect for new website owners aiming to manage their expenses effectively.
6. The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar is a widely-used event ticketing plugin for WordPress that is easy to use and feature-rich.
One of the key features we appreciated was its comprehensive event ticket management system. To learn more about our experience with this plugin, check out our review of The Events Calendar.
You have complete control over event tickets on your website. It offers a user-friendly interface for creating tickets, pre-designed ticket templates, managing ticket sales, displaying stock countdowns, and more.
The Events Calendar seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce and payment processors such as PayPal and Stripe. Additionally, this plugin allows you to design a visually appealing and customizable event calendar for your WordPress site.
One drawback is that this plugin tends to be pricier compared to other event ticketing solutions on our list. Furthermore, many of the advanced features are only available in the premium pricing tiers.
Advantages:
- Robust event management plugin
- Comprehensive ticket management system
- Various calendar view options
- QR code check-in for attendees
- Ability to schedule recurring and one-time events
- Integrates with PayPal and Stripe for payment processing
- Import events from Google Calendar, Eventbrite, Meetup, and other platforms
Disadvantages:
- Advanced features and integrations are only available in paid plans
- Premium plans can be quite costly
Reasons to Choose The Events Calendar:We recommend The Events Calendar for its flexibility, dependability, and strong community backing. It’s ideal for anyone wanting to create attractive, functional event calendars and requires a comprehensive event ticketing solution for their site.
7. WP Event Manager
WP Event Manager is a versatile WordPress event ticketing plugin ideal for WooCommerce users looking to sell tickets online.
This plugin features a Sell Tickets addon that simplifies the process of creating and distributing event tickets to your attendees. It includes comprehensive ticket management capabilities with various customization options.
One of the standout features of this plugin is its ability to automatically record purchases. When a customer buys a ticket, the transaction is logged, allowing you to easily track ticket sales.
Additional features of the plugin include support for multiple ticket types, an event countdown timer, a streamlined registration process, attendee information management, WooCommerce paid listings, and more.
A free version of the plugin is available for event management, but it lacks WooCommerce integration and the Sell Tickets addon.
Advantages:
- Comprehensive event management capabilities
- Easily create and manage events without needing to edit code
- Includes a Sell Tickets addon
- Features an event countdown timer
- Seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce and Stripe
Disadvantages:
- The Sell Tickets addon is not included in the free version
Reasons to Choose WP Event Manager:If you own a WooCommerce store and need an event management solution, WP Event Manager is an excellent choice. It seamlessly integrates with your store, allowing you to sell event tickets online. Additionally, it offers a variety of features and add-ons.
What Is the Top WordPress Event Ticketing Plugin?
Based on our testing and evaluation of various WordPress event ticketing plugins, the best choice will vary depending on your specific goals and needs.
For instance, if you’re looking for a plugin that enables you to create event calendars and allows visitors to buy tickets directly from the calendar, Sugar Calendar is the ideal solution.
Alternatively, you can utilize WPForms to design an event registration form and connect it to a payment processor for online ticket sales. WPForms also works with other calendar plugins, enabling you to gather user-submitted events on your website.
If you run a blog and prefer not to implement a full eCommerce checkout system, WP Simple Pay is the perfect choice. It allows you to add a straightforward ‘buy now’ button on your site for selling event tickets.
If you’re seeking an eCommerce platform to sell event tickets as digital products, Easy Digital Downloads is an ideal choice. It’s user-friendly and provides you with complete control over your digital offerings.
Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Event Ticketing Plugins
Many readers have inquired about how to sell tickets online using WordPress. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
How can I add event tickets to my WordPress site?
Incorporating event tickets into your WordPress site is an excellent way to promote and sell tickets for your events. Numerous event calendar plugins, like Sugar Calendar and The Events Calendar, facilitate online ticket sales.
Is it possible to sell tickets on WordPress?
Yes, you can sell tickets on WordPress. It is a widely-used platform for creating event websites and online stores, offering various effective methods for managing ticket sales. With the right plugin, such as Sugar Calendar, you can set up an event calendar to sell tickets, display a buy now button, create an event ticket form, and more.
How do I import events into WordPress?
Importing events into WordPress is straightforward, depending on the events plugin you choose. Many WordPress plugins provide functionality to import events from other tools and plugins seamlessly.
Ultimate WordPress Guide for Managing Events
- Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Event Schema in WordPress
- How to Successfully Host a Virtual Event Using WordPress
- Easy Steps to Integrate a Facebook Event Calendar into WordPress
- Creating a Simple Event Calendar with Sugar Calendar Made Easy
- Guide to Building a User-Submitted Events Calendar in WordPress
- Step-by-Step Instructions for Adding Google Calendar to WordPress
We hope this article has helped you choose the ideal WordPress event ticketing plugin. Don’t miss our guide on creating an event registration page in WordPress and exploring the best online community platforms.
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