Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… vs Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings…
70K+ active installs
Free
Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin
50K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… has a higher user rating (4.2/5 from 540 reviews) and leads in active installations (70K+ vs 50K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… has accumulated 6.0M+ total downloads while Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin has 3.6M+. Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin has a higher support resolution rate (67% vs 6%).
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… | Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | ◄ | 3.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 540 | ◄ | 395 |
| Active Installs | 70K+ | ◄ | 50K+ |
| Total Downloads | 6.0M+ | ◄ | 3.6M+ |
| Support Resolution | 6% | ► | 67% |
| Last Updated | 3 months ago | ► | 2 months ago |
| First Released | 2008 | 2010 | |
| Age | 18 years | 16 years | |
| WP Requires | 6.1+ | 4.2+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.0+ | 8.1+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 7.2.3.1 | 3.6.2 |
Rating Breakdown
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings…
Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… averaged approximately 302 daily downloads while Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin averaged 196.
Recent Reviews
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… Reviews
Calendar month picker breaks with non-English locales (fix inside)
The plugin is very powerful and flexible, but I ran into a critical issue with the calendar month picker when using a non-English locale (e.g. French). After an AJAX reload of the calendar, the sel
Free, feature-rich & costomizable
Best free feature set, very customizable, works great.
Purchasing PRO not possible
I have a FREE version of the plug-in running on an active site. So far everything works fine, but now the customer decided to show past events as well. This feature is only available in the PRO versio
Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin Reviews
Awesome plugin
Plugin worked as required with straight forward setup. I’m really pleased with how it is working. I did have a question for their support but they were quick to replay.
Great Plug-in & Support
This a great plug-in, comprehensive yet simple interface. Support staff such as John Gachari has been super responsive and helpful in fixing display errors caused by integrations with the Oxygen Build
Love This Plugin
had a minor issue, support answered almost immediately! Helped me fix my issue right away.
More Events Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… and Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin
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Lightweight, scalable and full-featured event listings & management plugin for managing events & tickets from the Frontend and Backend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings… or Simple Calendar – Google Calendar Plugin more popular?
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Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.