Bookly vs WP Simple Booking Calendar (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Booking Plugins top 10: Bookly at #3 and WP Simple Booking Calendar at #8. Bookly leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Bookly
Online Scheduling and Appointment Booking System – Bookly
Appointment booking system for WordPress — schedule appointments, manage calendars, send reminders, take payments. Start booking today!
WP Simple Booking Calendar
This booking calendar shows when something is booked or available. Use it to show when your holiday home is available for rent, for example.
Who leads on what
Bookly leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Bookly ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Booking Plugins.
Bookly has more users: 60,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
WP Simple Booking Calendar is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 227 reviews, against 4.4 from 576 reviews.
Bookly has more reviews behind its score: 576 against 227.
Bookly was updated more recently, on August 25, 2026; WP Simple Booking Calendar on June 29, 2026.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Bookly
Pick Bookly if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
WP Simple Booking Calendar
Pick WP Simple Booking Calendar if the review score matters most to you.
Bookly vs WP Simple Booking Calendar side by side
| Bookly | WP Simple Booking Calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Booking Plugins ranking | #3 | #8 |
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 576 | 227 |
| Active installs | 60,000+ | 20,000+ |
| Total downloads | 3,938,744 | 495,071 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 25, 2026 | Jun 29, 2026 |
| First published | Oct 10, 2014 | Aug 11, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1 | 7.0.4 |
| Requires PHP | 5.3.7 | 5.6 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Bookly ratings
WP Simple Booking Calendar ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Bookly nor WP Simple Booking Calendar can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Booking Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Bookly vs WP Simple Booking Calendar: common questions
Is Bookly better than WP Simple Booking Calendar?
Bookly leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Bookly ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Booking Plugins.
Which has more users, Bookly or WP Simple Booking Calendar?
Bookly ranks higher on WordPress.org: #3 against #8 in Booking Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Bookly or WP Simple Booking Calendar?
Bookly has more users: 60,000+ active installs against 20,000+.
Are Bookly and WP Simple Booking Calendar free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Bookly may also sell a paid version or add-ons. WP Simple Booking Calendar may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Bookly and WP Simple Booking Calendar
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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