Home Compare vs Modern Events Calendar
Modern Events Calendar Alternative
Modern Events Calendar (MEC) is one of the most feature-rich event plugins for WordPress. If you’re weighing a Modern Events Calendar alternative, this page compares it honestly with Monthly Events Calendar so you can pick the one that fits.
Modern Events Calendar alternative: the short answer
Choose MEC if you want lots of layouts and recurring events in the free version, or booking in its Pro version. Choose Monthly Events Calendar if you want a focused calendar — month, list and day — that’s quick to set up, light on your site and free, with a smooth way to move over from The Events Calendar.
Side by side
| Monthly Events Calendar (free) | MEC Lite (free) | MEC Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar views | Month, list, day | Many: month, week, day, list, timetable, slider, carousel and more | Plus map, yearly, masonry and agenda views |
| Recurring events | Planned (2.0) | Yes | Yes |
| Per-event timezone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Locations and organizers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Booking and tickets | Not yet (planned Pro add-on) | Book button only | Booking system and tickets |
| Maps | Planned | Basic Google Map | Advanced maps, map view |
| Google Calendar import | Yes: any iCal link or .ics file, with one-click sync | Yes | Yes, plus .ics file import |
| Gutenberg block | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Based on MEC Lite’s WordPress.org listing, checked November 2026.
When MEC is the better choice
- You need recurring events today without paying — MEC Lite has them.
- You want many visual layouts (slider, carousel, timetable, countdown) to choose from.
- You plan to take bookings and are happy to buy MEC Pro.
Where Monthly Events Calendar wins
- Simplicity. Three clear views and one settings page. There’s less to configure, and less to go wrong.
- A clean event editor with dates, all-day, timezone, venue, organizers and colour on one screen. Event management
- Lightweight front end. The calendar loads events through the REST API after the page loads, which keeps pages fast and cache-friendly.
- Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple import in the free plugin, by link or .ics file. Calendar import
- Free front-end event submission with roles and approval. Event submissions
- Switching from The Events Calendar without importing first: see your events, then import with redirects when you’re ready. Switching guide
Try both
Both plugins are free on WordPress.org, so the best test is your own events. Install Monthly Events Calendar on a staging site, add a few events, and see the live demo for the views.