CraftForms vs The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar (by StellarWP) is the most widely used WordPress event management plugin, with over 700,000 active installs. It’s purpose-built for publishing, promoting, and selling tickets to events. CraftForms approaches event use cases from a different angle — as a form builder with booking, inventory, and payment infrastructure built in. The overlap is real but narrow, and understanding where each tool starts and stops matters before choosing one.
| Feature | CraftForms ✦ | The Events Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Platform & Builder | ||
| Free version available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built natively on Gutenberg blocks | ✓ | partial |
| Elementor native widget | ✓ | via shortcode |
| Bricks native element | ✓ | — |
| Embed on external sites | ✓ | — |
| Event Management | ||
| Event listing / calendar views | — | ✓ |
| Recurring events | — | ✓ |
| Venue & organizer management | — | ✓ |
| Virtual event support | — | ✓ |
| Tickets & Registration | ||
| RSVP functionality | ✓ | ✓ |
| Event ticket sales | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ticket tiers / types | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-event ticket inventory / capacity | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom form fields on registration | ✓ | limited |
| Conditional logic on form fields | ✓ | — |
| File uploads | ✓ | — |
| QR-coded tickets / check-in | ✓ | via add-on |
| PDF ticket / document generation | ✓ | via add-on |
| Booking & Scheduling | ||
| Booking datepicker (hotel-style range) | ✓ | — |
| Fixed time slot booking | ✓ | — |
| Booking calendar view | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-slot inventory tracking | ✓ | — |
| Seasonal rates / date-based pricing | ✓ | — |
| iCal export (attendee calendar sync) | ✓ | ✓ |
| iCal inbound sync (Airbnb, Booking.com) | ✓ | — |
| Commerce & Payments | ||
| Stripe payments | ✓ | ✓ |
| PayPal payments | Soon | ✓ |
| Price calculations / formulas | ✓ | — |
| Server-side price validation | ✓ | — |
| Built-in orders system | ✓ | via WooCommerce |
| Order analytics / reporting | ✓ | via WooCommerce |
| WooCommerce integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stock management | ✓ | via WooCommerce |
| Email & Delivery | ||
| Email template designer | ✓ | — |
| Email delivery log | ✓ | — |
| SMTP per-form configuration | ✓ | via plugin |
| Spam protection — no CAPTCHA | ✓ | — |
| Developer & Integrations | ||
| Submission database / admin panel | ✓ | via WooCommerce |
| Webhook submit action | ✓ | — |
| Register user submit action | ✓ | — |
| Create post submit action | ✓ | — |
| REST API / headless submissions | ✓ | partial |
| AI Features | ||
| AI: Integrated form generation (chat) | Soon | — |
| AI: Prompt guidance in docs | ✓ | — |
✦ Where CraftForms leads
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• Full form builder — complete control over registration fields, conditional logic, file uploads, swatches, and calculated pricing
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• Booking datepicker with real inventory — hotel-style date ranges, time slots, calendar view, seasonal rates, and per-date/slot inventory
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• iCal inbound sync — imports Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Calendar feeds to block unavailable dates automatically
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• Price calculations and server-side validation — formula engine with server-enforced totals; fixed ticket prices only in TEC
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• Built-in QR-coded tickets and PDF documents — generated natively; TEC needs the Event Tickets Plus add-on
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• Standalone orders system with analytics — full status lifecycle and reporting without WooCommerce; TEC routes orders through WooCommerce
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• Full email infrastructure — template designer, delivery log, SMTP per form
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• Invisible spam protection — behavioral scoring, no CAPTCHA
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• Embed on external sites — self-sizing iframe with full form capabilities outside WordPress
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• Lifetime deal — $149.99 LTD (unlimited sites); The Events Calendar Pro is annual-only at $99/yr
Where The Events Calendar has an edge
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• Event listing and calendar views — month, day, list, and photo views for event discovery and browsing
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• Recurring events — events that repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or on custom schedules
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• Venue and organizer management — dedicated post types with Google Maps integration
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• Virtual event support — Zoom and virtual event platform integration via add-on
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• Community event submission — front-end user submission with moderation via Community Events add-on
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• PayPal payments — via official add-on (CraftForms: Stripe now; PayPal awaiting release)
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• Ecosystem — 700,000+ installs and a library of official event management add-ons
Simple, Transparent Pricing
Choose the plan that works best for you — or start free, no credit card needed.
INDIE
Up to 5 WordPress site activations
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5 WordPress site activations
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Annual updates & support
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Email Templates
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Booking & scheduling fields
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Stripe checkout (via your own Stripe account)
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PayPal checkout (via your own PayPal account)
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All blocks & form starters
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Priority email support
STARTUP
Unlimited WordPress site activations. Forever.
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Unlimited WordPress site activations
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Lifetime updates & support
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Email Templates
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Booking & scheduling fields
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Stripe checkout (via your own Stripe account)
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PayPal checkout (via your own PayPal account)
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All blocks & form starters
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Priority email support
Just want to try it first?
Community Version
Community Version includes the visual form builder, email templates, and SMTP server manager — free, forever. No credit card needed.
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No submission limits
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No plugin branding
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Invisible spam protection
Try the full feature set on our live demo before you buy — no signup needed.
14-Day Money-Back Guarantee on all paid plans