Event Tickets Plus vs The Events Calendar: Unbiased Comparison for Smart Choices

Posted by Josh Blackburn, in Event Plugins

In the world of event management, choosing the right tools can make all the difference. Two popular options for managing events on WordPress websites are Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar. Both of these platforms offer unique features aimed at helping event organizers seamlessly manage and promote their events, while also providing valuable tools for attendees to easily buy tickets or RSVP.

Event Tickets Plus focuses primarily on ticket sales and registration, allowing organizers to create and manage tickets for their events with various pricing and availability options. On the other hand, The Events Calendar is designed to streamline the overall event organization process, allowing users to create and manage event listings, as well as integrate with other WordPress plugins. It’s essential to understand the key differences between these two platforms, as well as their various features and capabilities, in order to make an informed decision based on your event management needs.

Key Takeaways

• Event Tickets Plus specializes in ticket sales and registration for seamless event management.
• The Events Calendar focuses on event organization and integrates well with other WordPress plugins.
• Understanding the features, capabilities, and compatibility of each platform is crucial for choosing the right tool for your events.

Understanding Event Tickets Plus

Features of Event Tickets Plus

Event Tickets Plus is a powerful WordPress plugin designed to help you manage ticket sales and registration for events on your website. With this plugin, you can easily create and sell tickets for various types of events, including conferences, workshops, and concerts. Additionally, it integrates seamlessly with popular e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads, enabling you to accept payments directly on your site.

Some key features of Event Tickets Plus include:

• Custom Ticket Designs: Create personalized ticket designs that match your event’s branding and theme.
• Multiple Ticket Types: Offer different ticket options such as general admission, VIP, or early bird pricing.
• Capacity Management: Set a limit on the number of tickets available for each event to prevent overselling.
• Check-in App: Use the Event Tickets Plus check-in app to streamline your event’s registration process.

How to Use Event Tickets Plus

Getting started with Event Tickets Plus is simple. First, make sure you have The Events Calendar plugin installed on your WordPress site, as Event Tickets Plus works in conjunction with it. After you’ve installed both plugins, follow these steps:

1. Create an event: Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Events > Add New. Fill in the necessary details such as title, location, date, and time.
2. Add tickets: In the event editor, scroll down to the “Tickets” section. Click on “Add new ticket” and fill in the required information, such as ticket name, price, and quantity. You can also set a start and end date for ticket sales.
3. Publish your event: Once you’ve added all relevant information and tickets, click “Publish” to make your event live on your website.
4. Track sales: Keep track of how many tickets have been sold and the revenue generated from your events via the “Orders” tab in your WordPress dashboard.

By following these simple steps, you can easily manage your event ticket sales and registration using Event Tickets Plus.

Exploring The Events Calendar

Key Features of The Events Calendar

The Events Calendar is a widely-used WordPress plugin designed to help users create and manage events on their websites. With its intuitive interface, it makes the event organization process seamless for users. Some of the key features of The Events Calendar include:

• Multiple views: Events can be displayed in various formats, such as list, grid, and map views.
• Responsive design: The plugin’s design ensures that the events calendar is accessible and user-friendly on different devices and screen sizes.
• Customizable templates: The Events Calendar offers a variety of customizable templates to create a calendar that aligns with your website’s design.
• Event search functionality: Users can easily search for events using keywords or filters.
• Integration with other plugins: The Events Calendar can be integrated with additional plugins, such as Event Tickets Plus, for enhanced functionality.

Utilizing The Events Calendar

To make the most of The Events Calendar plugin, it is vital to understand how to effectively utilize its features. Here are some tips for using this WordPress calendar plugin:

1. Installation and setup: Begin by installing The Events Calendar plugin from the WordPress repository and activate it on your website. Then, configure the plugin settings according to your preferences, including default views and event display options.

2. Creating events: The Events Calendar allows users to create events directly from the WordPress dashboard. Add important event details such as date, time, venue, and organizer information, and choose the appropriate display format.

3. Customizing the calendar: To ensure that your events calendar matches the overall look and feel of your website, utilize the plugin’s customizable templates and styling options.

4. Promoting events: The Events Calendar offers various ways to promote events, such as sharing options and call-to-action buttons. Make use of these features to boost event attendance.

5. Integrating with other plugins: To further enhance your event management capabilities, consider integrating The Events Calendar with additional plugins like Event Tickets Plus to sell tickets, manage registrations, and more.

Comparison of Features

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are popular WordPress event management plugins that offer a set of distinct features to make organizing and managing events more efficient. This section will provide a comparison of their features, focusing on elements such as shortcode, widgets, custom registration fields, community events, and more.

Event Tickets Plus is designed primarily for creating, selling, and managing tickets for events. It supports custom registration fields, allowing organizers to collect specific information from attendees during the ticket purchasing process. Additionally, it offers options for widgets and shortcodes, making it easy to integrate ticket sales and registration into various parts of your website. However, it does not have native support for features like recurring events or different calendar views.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar primarily focuses on creating and displaying events on your WordPress site. It offers a variety of calendar views, including list, month, and day views, and supports recurring events. This makes it an excellent option for showcasing detailed event information and schedules. The plugin also provides shortcodes and widgets for adding event calendars to any part of your site. Additionally, it supports community events, allowing users to submit their own events for approval and display on your calendar.

Both plugins are compatible with Zoom integration and virtual events, ensuring events held online are easily managed and accessible. However, customization options and troubleshooting vary. Event Tickets Plus is designed to work seamlessly with WooCommerce, providing an extensive range of customization settings and e-commerce features. The Events Calendar also offers customization options, but its primary focus is on the calendar aspects of event management.

When it comes to licensing, Event Tickets Plus requires a separate license purchasable from its developer. Meanwhile, The Events Calendar offers a free version with basic event creation and display features alongside a Pro version with additional advanced features and premium support.

In summary, each plugin has its strengths and weaknesses. While Event Tickets Plus excels at ticket sales and registration management, The Events Calendar shines with its robust calendar views and event display options. Ultimately, the choice between these two plugins will depend on your specific needs and preferences for organizing and managing events on your WordPress website.

Payment and Transaction Handling

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are both excellent tools for managing events, but they differ in their approach to payment and transaction handling. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right solution for your needs.

Event Tickets Plus excels in its ability to sell tickets and handle registrations. It integrates seamlessly with popular e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce to provide a smooth checkout process. This integration gives users a variety of payment options, making it easy for attendees to pay for their tickets. Supported payment gateways include PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, and other major players in the e-commerce industry.

In addition to supporting multiple payment gateways, Event Tickets Plus also offers advanced features such as QR codes, allowing organizers to quickly and easily scan tickets at the event. This can significantly improve the attendee experience and streamline the check-in process. Furthermore, by integrating with e-commerce plugins, Event Tickets Plus makes it possible to offer custom ticket options, upsells, and promotional discounts, providing even more flexibility to event organizers.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar is primarily focused on event management and display, with its main purpose being to help you create and organize events on your website. Selling tickets and handling registrations is not its primary focus. However, it does offer basic RSVP functionality, allowing users to indicate their attendance at an event without handling any actual payment transactions. This can be useful for free events or events where ticket sales are being handled outside the plugin.

While Event Tickets Plus provides more robust and customizable payment and transaction handling features, The Events Calendar is better suited for those who need a simple way to create and manage events. Choosing the right tool depends on the specific needs and goals of your events, whether you need comprehensive ticket sales and registration capabilities or a straightforward event management solution.

Integration and Compatibility

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are both powerful WordPress plugins designed to improve the management and organization of events on your website. This section will discuss their integration and compatibility with various platforms and services.

Event Tickets Plus specializes in ticket sales and registrations, offering seamless integration with popular e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce. This enables website owners to easily sell tickets and manage registrations for their events, making the ticketing process hassle-free for both the attendees and organizers.

In addition to WooCommerce, Event Tickets Plus also supports Easy Digital Downloads, another e-commerce solution for WordPress sites. This flexibility allows users to choose the platform that best fits their needs and preferences.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar provides event organization and display features. Its strength lies in its compatibility with various calendar applications, such as Google Calendar and iCal. The integration with these calendar services makes it easy for event attendees to add events to their personal calendars and receive reminders about upcoming events.

Furthermore, The Events Calendar has been designed to work well with numerous WordPress themes and plugins, making it a versatile addition to any website. This adaptability ensures that the plugin remains functional and visually appealing across different site designs and configurations.

In summary, Event Tickets Plus excels in providing ticketing solutions through its compatibility with major e-commerce platforms, while The Events Calendar offers robust event management options through its integration with popular calendar applications and WordPress themes. Both plugins play vital roles in the creation and organization of successful events, addressing different aspects of event management to create a comprehensive solution for website owners.

Design and User Interface

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are two popular choices for event management on a WordPress site. Both plugins offer different features, but their design and user interface are crucial aspects that can impact their usability and effectiveness on a website.

Event Tickets Plus focuses primarily on the creation and management of tickets for various events. Its user interface is quite intuitive, making it easy for website administrators to set up different types of ticketing options, including paid tickets, RSVPs, or donation-based tickets. The plugin offers seamless integration with popular e-commerce plugins such as WooCommerce, allowing users to customize the ticket purchase process more effectively. Its design elements are generally minimalistic, ensuring that it doesn’t negatively impact the appearance of the WordPress site.

The Events Calendar, on the other hand, is an all-in-one solution for managing events on a WordPress site. The design and user interface of this plugin prioritize ease of use, making it accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise. Its calendar view offers an appealing visual representation of upcoming events, and its use of custom post types ensures compatibility with existing site content and layout. The plugin supports custom fields, enabling users to display additional event-related information such as location, pricing, and contact details with ease.

The Events Calendar also offers an optional Filter Bar addon, which enhances the user interface by providing visitors with a set of powerful filtering options. The filter bar can be customized to include specific event categories, dates, or other custom criteria, ensuring that website visitors can easily find the events they are interested in.

Both Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are designed keeping in mind the user experience on a WordPress site. While their primary focus may be different, their design and user interface elements ensure that they can effectively meet the requirements of users looking for a reliable event management solution. With options for ticket management, calendar display, custom fields, and filter bars, both plugins strive to provide a comprehensive solution for their users.

Support and Resources

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar both offer a range of support and resources to help users get the most out of their plugins. These resources include access to support forums, knowledgeable support teams, and extensive knowledge bases.

For Event Tickets Plus, users can access the support forum where they can engage with other users and the plugin’s support team to resolve any issues they may encounter. Additionally, the plugin’s website offers a knowledge base filled with resources, tutorials, and frequently asked questions to help users troubleshoot problems and learn how to make the most out of the plugin.

Similarly, The Events Calendar offers a dedicated support page that provides users with resources to help with common questions and issues. This includes access to a support forum, tutorials, and documentation for users who need assistance. Additionally, premium support is available for users who require more in-depth help from the support team.

For users of both plugins, the WordPress.org platform also serves as a valuable resource for learning more about how these plugins integrate with the overall WordPress ecosystem. The community-driven platform is filled with helpful articles, guides, and support forums that can provide users with useful information and insights.

In conclusion, both Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar offer robust support networks to ensure their users have the necessary tools and resources to effectively manage events using their plugins. With access to support forums, premium support options, knowledgeable support teams, and extensive knowledge bases, users can feel confident in their ability to create and manage events with ease.

Event Management Capabilities

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are two powerful tools designed to optimize event organization and management in WordPress. Both plugins offer a range of features aimed at simplifying the entire event management process, from creating events to managing registrations and ticket sales.

Event Tickets Plus is specifically designed for ticket sales and registration, providing an easy-to-use platform to sell tickets and collect RSVPs for events. Its features enable users to manage attendee lists, monitor sales, and even use QR codes for seamless check-in experiences at events.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar is a comprehensive event management plugin capable of not only managing ticket sales but also offering a complete solution for planning and promoting events. This well-known plugin integrates seamlessly with Event Tickets Plus, allowing for effortless synchronization of ticket sales, RSVPs, and event details.

When it comes to event organization, both tools provide unique functionalities designed to make the lives of event managers easier. While Event Tickets Plus focuses on the ticketing and registration aspects, The Events Calendar offers a more general event management platform that covers everything from event creation to promotion and monitoring.

For those looking to expand their event management capabilities even further, The Events Calendar can be integrated with other popular platforms such as Eventbrite, providing additional features and options for selling tickets, managing bookings, and tracking event engagement.

In summary, the combination of Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar offers a powerful solution for all aspects of event management, from organization and ticket sales to promotion, registration, and attendee management. Whether an event manager needs a simple ticketing solution or a robust event management platform, these tools can cater to a variety of needs, making them ideal choices for WordPress users seeking comprehensive events management solutions.

Ticketing Functionality and Options

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are popular solutions for event management on WordPress websites. They both provide different levels of ticketing functionality, allowing users to manage events, register attendees, and collect RSVPs.

Event Tickets Plus is primarily focused on providing a robust ticketing solution for event organizers. It offers various ticket management features, such as creating and managing tickets, handling different ticket types and prices, and setting up attendee registration. This makes it suitable for organizers who need a comprehensive solution for their events. Event Tickets Plus also supports multiple payment gateways, including PayPal and Braintree, which makes collecting payments for tickets seamless.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar focuses more on presenting and organizing events on your website. This plugin enables you to create, edit, and manage events on a user-friendly calendar interface. While it does offer basic RSVP functionality, it lacks the advanced ticket management features that Event Tickets Plus provides. Users can still collect RSVPs for free, making it ideal for smaller events or gatherings where ticket sales aren’t the main focus.

One of the key features that set Event Tickets Plus apart is its support for custom ticket fields. This allows event organizers to collect additional information from attendees during the registration process, such as meal preferences, t-shirt sizes, or any other data specific to the event. This functionality is not available in The Events Calendar.

In terms of integrations, Event Tickets Plus can be used alongside popular e-commerce plugins like WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads. This further expands its ticketing capabilities and provides users with additional options for selling and managing event tickets.

In summary, Event Tickets Plus offers a comprehensive ticketing solution for event organizers including advanced ticket management, RSVP functionality, and support for custom ticket fields. The Events Calendar, while still an effective option for event management, focuses mainly on presenting and organizing events with basic support for collecting RSVPs. When choosing the best solution, it is important to consider your event needs, size, and desired features.

Additional Features and Add-Ons

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar both offer a variety of features and add-ons to enhance event management capabilities. These include community events, virtual events add-on, and Eventbrite ticket support.

Event Tickets Plus is designed to pair seamlessly with The Events Calendar plugin, enabling users to create and manage event tickets directly from their WordPress dashboard. This integration allows for extensive customization of ticket types and pricing, as well as the management of attendees. In addition to its core functionality, Event Tickets Plus offers some useful add-ons like community events to allow users to submit their own events from the front-end of the site. This add-on makes it easy to cultivate a sense of community engagement around event-based offerings.

The Events Calendar’s virtual events add-on is another notable feature that enhances event management. With the growing popularity of online events, the virtual events add-on is a valuable tool for event planners who wish to provide attendees with easy access to remote experiences. This feature ensures that event information is displayed prominently in Virtual Events views, and it also offers better integration with video streaming and conferencing platforms like Zoom.

Using the Eventbrite Tickets add-on in conjunction with The Events Calendar plugin and Event Tickets Plus can further extend the capabilities to sell tickets and manage events. This integration allows users to create and promote their events across multiple platforms and easily track ticket sales. The Eventbrite Tickets add-on also enables automatic syncing of attendee information, streamlining the event management process.

In summary, both Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar provide users with robust features and add-on options to enhance event planning and management. These additional tools, such as community events and the virtual events add-on, benefit event organizers and attendees by streamlining workflows, providing easy access to events, and cultivating a community-driven event experience.

Communication and Promotion

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are both powerful tools for managing events, but they also offer features for effective communication and promotion. Utilizing these features can enhance your event organization and create a more seamless experience for attendees.

Event Tickets Plus provides an efficient and straightforward way to handle email confirmations. After a participant purchases a ticket or RSVPs, they automatically receive a confirmation email. This email includes important event details and serves as a proof of purchase. By sending email confirmations, organizers can ensure that attendees have all necessary information and minimize potential confusion.

In addition to email confirmations, Event Tickets Plus supports email marketing efforts. With the integration of your favorite email marketing platform, you can create targeted email campaigns to promote your events and increase awareness. This powerful combination allows you to build a robust communication strategy, engage with your audience, and drive ticket sales.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar also assists in promoting your events. While it may not offer direct email marketing features, it does integrate with various event marketing tools, allowing for seamless promotion and easy tracking of your campaigns. With these integrations, you can reach a wider audience, showcase your events, and efficiently manage your promotional efforts.

When using The Events Calendar and Event Tickets Plus, the ability to streamline communication and promotion contributes to a more organized and successful event. By taking advantage of email confirmations, email marketing, and marketing tool integrations, you can make your event a memorable experience for all participants.

Pricing and Licensing

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are both popular plugins for managing events and selling tickets on WordPress websites. However, they differ in terms of pricing and licensing.

Event Tickets Plus is a premium plugin that offers more advanced features for selling tickets and collecting attendee information. The cost for this plugin is $89 per year for a single site, $149 for three sites, and $299 for ten sites. This annual subscription provides users with continued support and updates for the plugin.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar offers a range of packages depending on the user’s requirements. One such package is the Virtual Event Marketing Bundle, which includes Events Calendar Pro, Event Tickets Plus, Virtual Events, Event Automator, and Promoter. This bundle starts at $279 and is tailored to help users run and promote virtual events on their calendars.

In addition to these packages, The Events Calendar also offers a free version called Event Tickets, with more basic ticketing and RSVP features. Some users may find this free option sufficient for their needs, while others may require the additional functionality provided by Event Tickets Plus.

For businesses and individuals with multiple websites, The Events Calendar also offers different licensing options. As of February 1, 2022, the pricing for 3-site, 10-site, unlimited, and multisite licenses, along with bundled licenses, has increased. Interested users should check the latest pricing information on their website to make informed decisions.

To summarize, both Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar offer various pricing and licensing options to cater to different users’ needs, from a free version to advanced ticketing and marketing bundles. It’s essential for potential users to carefully evaluate their event management requirements and choose the right plugin and package that best fits their needs.

Conclusion

Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar are both powerful tools within the realm of event management for WordPress websites, with each serving different purposes and offering unique features.

When it comes to Event Tickets Plus, its primary focus is on ticket sales, registrations, and attendee management. It integrates seamlessly with various e-commerce platforms, making the process of selling tickets and collecting attendee information smooth and efficient. This plugin is well-suited for event organizers who require advanced features for managing their events.

On the other hand, The Events Calendar excels in event organization, display, and scheduling. It offers a wide array of views, customization options, and easy-to-use interface, which makes it perfect for those who want to establish a robust and visually engaging event calendar on their website.

Selecting the appropriate plugin depends entirely on the needs and priorities of the user. For individuals seeking to sell tickets and manage attendees, Event Tickets Plus would be the ideal choice. Meanwhile, those who want a versatile, user-friendly calendar with numerous customization options should consider The Events Calendar.

Both plugins are reliable options backed by a strong community of developers and users. With a confident, knowledgeable, and neutral approach, it is evident that either choice will provide a clear and well-rounded solution for different event-related requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key differences between Event Tickets Plus and The Events Calendar?

Event Tickets Plus is a premium plugin that focuses on ticket sales, registration and additional features like custom registration fields and attendee management. It offers integrations with WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads for payment gateways and e-commerce functionality. On the other hand, The Events Calendar is a free and user-friendly calendar plugin for WordPress with essential event organization features, including recurring events and event categories. Both plugins can work together to provide a comprehensive event management solution.

How does Event Tickets Plus integrate with The Events Calendar?

Event Tickets Plus seamlessly integrates with The Events Calendar, allowing you to sell tickets or collect RSVPs for events created within The Events Calendar. By using these plugins together, it becomes easier to manage event-related details, including venues, organizers, and attendee information. You will also be able to easily view and manage your tickets directly from the event pages.

Can I use Tickets Commerce with The Events Calendar?

Yes, you can use Tickets Commerce with The Events Calendar to sell tickets and collect payments. Tickets Commerce is a payment processing system built directly into Event Tickets Plus, providing a more streamlined experience for handling ticket sales and revenue generation.

Which features are available in the free version of The Events Calendar compared to Event Tickets Plus?

The free version of The Events Calendar offers basic features necessary for creating and managing events on your WordPress website. This includes event listings, a calendar view, venues, event organizers, and basic event search functionalities. In comparison, Event Tickets Plus offers premium features such as ticket sales, registration, custom registration fields, e-commerce integration, and attendee management.

Are there any extensions for The Events Calendar to enhance its functionalities?

Yes, several extensions are available to extend and enhance the functionality of The Events Calendar. Some popular options are Events Calendar Pro, which provides additional features such as recurring events, advanced search filters, and map views, and Filter Bar, which allows users to customize and filter event search results.

Is it possible to manage RSVPs with The Events Calendar or Event Tickets Plus?

Yes, both Event Tickets Plus and the free version of The Events Calendar allow you to collect and manage RSVPs for your events. With Event Tickets Plus, you can also sell tickets and manage registrations, enabling a more comprehensive event management solution.