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Event Espresso8.1/10Sugar Calendar8.1/10

Event Espresso vs Sugar Calendar

Sugar Calendar wins 2 of the 2 points we can measure. Here's how they compare on price, features, ratings and deals.

At a glance

FeatureEvent EspressoSugar Calendar
Our score8.1/108.1/10
Starts at$129/year$49.50/year (better)
Free versionYesYes
Refund window14 days14 days
BillingSubscriptionSubscription
Active installs500+10K+ (better)
Last Black Friday––
CategoryOther toolsOther tools
VendorEventespressoSugar Calendar
Black Friday 2026Not announcedNot announced

Which should you choose?

Choose Event Espresso if…

  • Venues and organizers selling event tickets on WordPress
  • Sites that need free event registration
Event Espresso reviewVisit Event Espresso (opens in a new tab)

Choose Sugar Calendar if…

  • Sites that sell event tickets
  • Clubs and small organizations running events
  • You want the lower starting price
Sugar Calendar reviewVisit Sugar Calendar (opens in a new tab)

Features

Event Espresso

  • Events and registrations
  • Ticket types
  • Intelligent checkout
  • Attendee data
  • Venue profiles
  • Add-ons

Sugar Calendar

  • Recurring events
  • Ticket sales
  • Registration forms
  • Calendar blocks and widgets
  • Migration from The Events Calendar
  • Calendar feeds and sync

Pros and cons

Event Espresso

  • Free Decaf version on WordPress.org
  • No per-ticket commission fees charged to customers
  • Unlimited events, registrations and ticket sales on all plans
  • Full data ownership for attendee lists
  • The free Decaf version is not compatible with add-ons
  • The Core plan covers one live site plus staging sites
  • Support on the free plan is community support only

Sugar Calendar

  • Free version on WordPress.org
  • Sells tickets with Stripe or WooCommerce
  • One-click migration from The Events Calendar
  • 14-day money-back guarantee on all plans
  • Integration credits are capped at 1,000 to 5,000, depending on the plan
  • The Basic plan includes basic support only
  • Only annual subscriptions are offered

Pricing plans

Event Espresso

  • Decaf

    Free

    • Free on WordPress.org
    • Community support

  • CoreStarts here

    $129/year

    1 live site plus staging sites sites

    • Unlimited events and registrations
    • PayPal payments

  • All Access

    $399/year

    • Access to all add-on plugins
    • Premium support

Sugar Calendar

  • BasicStarts here

    $49.50/year

    1 site

    • 1,000 integration credits
    • Unlimited events, calendars and attendees
    • Basic support

  • Plus

    $99.50/year

    1 site

    • 2,000 integration credits
    • Premium addons
    • Premium support

  • Pro

    $199.50/year

    3 sites

    • 3,000 integration credits
    • Premium addons
    • Premium support

Event Espresso vs Sugar Calendar questions

Is Event Espresso better than Sugar Calendar?

On our comparison Sugar Calendar comes out ahead on 2 of 2 measurable points. The right pick still depends on what you build.

Which is cheaper, Event Espresso or Sugar Calendar?

Event Espresso starts at $129/year and Sugar Calendar starts at $49.50/year.

Can I get Event Espresso or Sugar Calendar cheaper on Black Friday?

Both are on our Black Friday tracker. We'll add each discount the moment it goes live.

Both products

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