Sugar Calendar alternative: what’s different
Both plugins aim to be simple and light. The main differences are in what’s free: Monthly Events Calendar includes reusable venues and organizers and per-event timezones at no cost, while Sugar Calendar Lite includes ticket sales (with a fee) and Google Calendar sync.
| Monthly Events Calendar (free) | Sugar Calendar Lite (free) | |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar views | Month, list, day | Month, week, day, upcoming list |
| Reusable venues | Yes | Venue address per event; reusable venues in Pro |
| Organizers | Yes, several per event | Not listed |
| Per-event timezone | Yes | Not listed (site timezone setting) |
| All-day events | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring events | Planned (2.0) | Pro |
| Ticket sales | Not yet (planned Pro add-on) | Yes: Stripe, with a 3% fee in Lite |
| Google Calendar | Import by link or .ics file, sync with one click | Sync included |
| Map on event page | Planned | Yes, with your Google Maps API key |
| Moving from The Events Calendar | See events without importing, then import with redirects | One-click migration tool |
| Gutenberg blocks | Calendar block | Calendar and list blocks |
Based on Sugar Calendar Lite’s WordPress.org listing and ticketing page, checked November 2026.
When Sugar Calendar is the better choice
- You want to sell tickets today and accept the 3% fee (or buy a plan that removes it).
- You keep your schedule in Google Calendar and want it synced automatically. Monthly Events Calendar imports Google calendars too, but you click Sync now to update.
- You need a week view.
Where Monthly Events Calendar wins
- Reusable venues and organizers, free, with addresses and contact details on every event page. Venues and organizers
- Per-event timezones with local times for every visitor, and all-day events that never drift. Timezones
- A daily agenda view for packed schedules. Daily view
- No fee on anything: it’s free, and when paid tickets arrive they’re planned to run through your own WooCommerce store.