Events Manager vs Sugar Calendar (September 2026)
Updated September 7, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Event Plugins top 10: Events Manager at #2 and Sugar Calendar at #6. Events Manager leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Events Manager
Events Manager – Calendar, Bookings, Tickets, and more!
Events calendar with bookings, scheduling, appointments, event registration, tickets, recurring events, and venue management.
Sugar Calendar
Sugar Calendar – Events Calendar, Event Tickets, and Events Management Platform
Easily manage events and sell tickets on your WordPress site. Sugar Calendar is easy-to-use, reliable, and exceptionally powerful. See for yourself.
Who leads on what
Events Manager leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track.
Events Manager ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Event Plugins.
Events Manager has more users: 60,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Not enough reviews to compare ratings fairly: Events Manager has 548, Sugar Calendar has 24. We compare ratings only above 50 reviews each.
Events Manager has more reviews behind its score: 548 against 24.
Events Manager was updated more recently, on August 27, 2026; Sugar Calendar on August 24, 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.
Events Manager
Pick Events Manager 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.
Sugar Calendar
Sugar Calendar does not lead on any measure we track, so pick it only for something these numbers cannot show, such as a feature you need.
Events Manager vs Sugar Calendar side by side
| Events Manager | Sugar Calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| Event Plugins ranking | #2 | #6 |
| Rating | 4.2 | 4.5 |
| Reviews | 548 | 24 |
| Active installs | 60,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Total downloads | 6,409,034 | 235,736 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | – | – |
| Last updated | Aug 27, 2026 | Aug 24, 2026 |
| First published | Aug 6, 2008 | Oct 5, 2012 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.4 | 7.1 |
| Requires PHP | 7.0 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
30-day download figures appear after both plugins have 30 days of tracking.
Events Manager ratings
Sugar 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 Events Manager nor Sugar Calendar can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Event Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Events Manager vs Sugar Calendar: common questions
Is Events Manager better than Sugar Calendar?
Events Manager leads on 4 of the 5 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Events Manager ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Event Plugins.
Which has more users, Events Manager or Sugar Calendar?
Events Manager ranks higher on WordPress.org: #2 against #6 in Event Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Events Manager or Sugar Calendar?
Events Manager has more users: 60,000+ active installs against 10,000+.
Are Events Manager and Sugar Calendar free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Events Manager may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Sugar Calendar may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Events Manager and Sugar Calendar
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.