Booking appointments has come a long way. No longer do guests or clients need to make a call or physically make their next appointment. The entire process was automated thanks to the invention of computers.
You would think that would be the end of the evolution but usage of calendars to make appointments went through another set of progression. Users could now book their appointments online if the desired business had a website that could handle it.
Furthermore, it evolved again, thanks to WordPress. With WordPress Themes and WordPress plugins, users could now easily integrate appointment booking software easily into their websites.
This review aims at helping users know the best WordPress appointment booking plugin in the industry. It also aims at helping readers understand what makes a good WordPress Plugin. Reviews do matter, but industry standards have to be met in order for them to be considered high-quality plugins.
What is a WordPress Plugin?
This is software that adds extra functions and additional features to your WordPress-built website in order to make your website more dynamic and functionally attractive.
According to WordPress’s beginner guide, they are usually written in PHP, which is a programming language. There are thousands upon thousands of plugins in the WordPress marketplace.
If you ever need additional features to your website, be sure in the fact that there is a plugin for that. Plugins can be free or commercial, it’s up to you to figure out which plugin fits your budget and your standards.
You usually find plugins on your WordPress account’s dashboard. From there, you can easily access the vast plugin marketplace.
What makes a good high-quality WordPress booking appointment plugin?
It is always good practice to start off reviews with a checklist of sorts. This is so that you can turn to this checklist in order to narrow down which booking appointment plugin you think suits your needs.
Booking appointments have their own viewpoints in terms of checklists. They can be viewed from an administrator side, an employee side, and a client side. This is all dependent on the type or tier or booking plugin that you have signed yourself up for.
The Administrator perspective
This is essential for the person in charge. The system should be able to:
- Allow the admin to embed the calendar of their choice on their WordPress website. Whether it be on a post or page.
- The system should also allow the admin to integrate payment options should they be selling appointment bookings. This can primarily be seen in psychic appointments.
- The system should also collect data, store the data in a database and also showcase this data to the admin to make better- and well-informed decisions.
- The admin should also be able to adjust the different time zones and formats to suit their users.
The Employee Perspective
If the booking plugin is to be used by not only the admin and the users but also employees, here’s what the plugin should do for you:
- The employees should be able to input the time and days that they will be available.
- Employees should be able to access the scheduling information through their Calendar applications such as Google Calendar or Outlook.
The User Perspective
For the user role, here’s what your booking plugin should bring to the table:
- Users should be able to schedule their appointments themselves through their phones or any other smart devices
The Expectations for the Booking Plugin
Apart from that, there are some things that the system should be able to do, despite not having any roles attached to it. Here are some of the plugin system’s expectations:
- The system should send automated notifications to their meetings. Be it text messages or emails. Notification to the attendees is important.
- The system should showcase multilingual options. This is a great way for plugin diversification because it can be used by multiple users around the world.
- The system should be able to integrate with other Calendar software apps and software such as Google Calendar and Outlook, just to name a few.
This is essentially what you see from different user role perspectives when you’re in the market for a high-quality booking plugin. As you continue reading through the reviewed plugins, kindly take these into account so that you can pick out a booking plugin that suits you just right.
Our Top Event Calendar Plugins for WordPress (2021)
1. The Bookit Plugin (Editor’s Choice)
With over 4000 installations, BookIt is a WordPress plugin developed by Stylemix Themes. It is a professional schedule manager developed to meet a client’s needs. Be it administrator or third-party user’s needs.
If you have an online education system and require a booking appointment feature where your students can join bonus live sessions, this is an ideal choice. This is just one example of where this plugin is being utilized by entrepreneurs and developers across the board.
This was our top pick in a long list of plugins because it offers what a true booking appointment plugin should have. It will go above and beyond the customer’s needs and solve any issues they may currently have regarding their event calendar system. It’s, simply put, a much-needed upgrade for any website that utilizes this feature.
Let’s look at some of the key features for this plugin:
- Admin interface
This is one of the most important features of any plugin. It can sometimes be referred to as the backend by users. This is because it is comprised of the administrator tools that allow for changes on your site.
The Bookit plugin comes with an administrator plugin that allows you to plan, manage and control events. Not only that, if you have any paid events, you can set that up quite easily using the administrator panel. It’s your website’s remote control, so to speak, and with it, you can cancel events, set up events, switch up appointments, and the like. It’s all possible at the touch of a button through this panel.
- Calendar
No event calendar plugin can compute without its main ingredient, a calendar. Bookit comes with a simple calendar made using a classic yet minimalistic design. Not only that but it also comes with custom options should the general design not fit your aesthetic or that of your business.
- Price Integration
Bookit has an incredible price system that allows you to set up paid events for your users. Furthermore, it has an automated price calculator that will help reduce the work.
- Notification System
An event calendar is truly brought to the stage through a notification system. Users that had previously registered can get notifications that will jog their memory. These notifications also have links to the events so that users can easily join. This is one of the perks of having an efficient booking plugin system that both you and all your clients would love.
- Post or Page Integration
Adding this plugin to any of your WordPress posts or pages is made easy thanks to the developers behind BookIt. Through the use of shortcodes or widgets, you can easily add them to modules or pages on your website. This will not limit its functionality whatsoever.
- Service Catalog
This is BookIt’s most interesting feature. Administrators can add their service catalog and have those be the subjects of an appointment. Not only can the service catalog be the subjects to your appointment but also specialists.
The names of specialists can be used to help users make their appointment. This information is then relayed to the specialists through the same system.
- Employee Work Schedules
Through the use of BookIt, you can also have your employees or workers have their working days and hours scheduled on the calendar. This is an efficient way to stop any form of double booking. This is where two appointments are placed at the same time.
However, this scheduling method isn’t a preferred method when it comes to handling customer requests. Every customer wants to have their time and feel special.
- Design
Both the front end and back end of this plugin are made to be dynamic and responsive. This is incredibly motivating to users across the board who interact with the system. This means that the plugin and its system are adaptable across multiple devices.
This is great for users that are making appointments through their phones. This is also great for the administrative side because in the case you want to update the information on the plugin, you don’t need to do it multiple times. The content can be updated once and voila, the process has been completed.
- Open Source
BookIt is completely open-source which is another unique feature it has. This is great for users that maybe have developer skills and want to input their own features into the plugin. This is also possible for users that may not have coding skills, with the right tools and instructions, you can also easily tweak the plugin to fit your vision. It’s perfectly possible and free to boot.
- Simple Installation
For all plugins on WordPress, the installation process is usually the deal-breaker. As a user, you want a simple and easy-to-use plugin that won’t stress you out during the installation process. BookIt has a simple installation process that will ensure that users are up and running their plugin.
Not only is the installation process easy, so is the integration process. These two processes are detrimental in getting your plugin running alongside your website.
This is the more technical side of the BookIt plugin, for entrepreneurs looking at this plugin and wondering what business value it brings to your company, here are some benefits of using the BookIt plugin on your business website.
- It is cost-effective
BookIt removes the need for a receptionist. It essentially allows users to make their own appointments and all they have to do is show up. It removes the need for a constant front desk that will require money to keep them employed.
This is just one of the expenses that are taken off the budget by using this WordPress Plugin. Other expenses it removes include phone bills.
Not only does it save on money, but it also saves on time. The booking plugin works 24/7. Customers can make appointments at any time that suits them.
- It’s great for collecting data
The plugin is a great way to acquire and analyze your users through the data gathered from appointments. All this information stored in databases can be used to make better and well-informed decisions for your company moving forward. By collecting this data, you create a resource that you can utilize to make better events for your customers. You can also use surveys and send them to targeted users to get even more information on how you can improve your business.
- Reduction of the Paper Trail
A lot of businesses are going green, this means that they are reducing their paper trail. The use of a booking plugin automates the booking process and removes the use of paper from the entire equation. Businesses can now store the data they got from these appointments and easily access this information from the comfort of their company devices. It’s also a great way to engage with your community as a business that takes care of its carbon footprint.
BookIt Free and Pro Version
BookIt comes in two forms: a free and pro version. The free version only comes with the calendar but the pro version allows your customers to self-book. Not only is the pro version a great investment because of the customer self-book feature but it also unlocks all the features and add-ons that come with the BookIt plugin.
Apart from the free and pro versions, BookIt also comes with a licensing option. Users can get these licenses in order to use the plugin on a strict number of sites. Users can buy the plugin’s license to use it on five sites or they can buy another license where they can use the plugin on 25 sites.
Typically, the 25 site-type licenses are used by large companies that have different branches and multiple systems around the world. This allows them to have multiple instances of the booking plugin across their channels.
BookIt is our number one plugin because it goes above and beyond a user’s needs. Not only that, but it is also a high-quality WordPress calendar plugin that meets the expected standards of a WordPress events plugin.
It is our top recommendation for any potential buyers. Be sure to check out BookIt WordPress Plugin. They would love to hear from you.
2. Booking Calendar
This booking plugin was created by wpdevelop and oplugins. It is also a good booking system for any website. It can be used across multiple industries such as hotels or service industries.
It is extremely easy to use, so if you have no coding experience, it is unnecessary because everything is a point-and-click method. Like a good, high-quality WordPress booking plugin, it follows the industry standards of what features it should entail.
Here’s a list of the features offered by Booking Calendar:
- It is easy to install once procured. It is marketed as being capable of usage immediately out of the box. All it requires is an activation alongside a piece of small code required to add it into the post or page on your website.
- This plugin also comes with a free version. Both the free and the premium versions have the time slot bookings feature. This means that users can book specific time slots or take up specific time slots on the calendar. The time slots can be chosen according to a dropdown list or a time picker. It depends on the method you’ve set up.
- A Timeline Feature. This feature allows users to have premeditated events throughout the course of the year. These events are viewable at any point and make for a great method to have predetermined events viewable to all users with access to the calendar
- An Admin Panel. As shared earlier, this is one of the most important features of a plugin. This WordPress plugin comes with a fully operational admin panel that allows admins to manage and control events and schedules. It could be to search appointments, set dates and time zones, view bookings, assign user roles, approve or decline bookings, and list bookings.
- User Notifications. This booking plugin also allows users to receive notifications to their appointments before the appointment occurs. It’s a great and interactive way to keep customers since they find it helpful since it helps jog their memories.
- Booking Manager Integration. This is another plugin that comes with this booking plugin. The Booking Manager plugin allows users to import or export .ics files. This is done through the use of the plugin and shortcodes. ICS files are calendar files. They are mostly used by calendar software like Outlook and Google Calendar. This is because these files are saved in a format universally accepted amongst all calendars.
- Google Calendar Events Integration. This is what helps this booking plugin stand out from the rest. It allows users to import the events on your Google Calendar onto your admin panel. Not only does it support importing but also exporting. There is an export button found on the Booking Listing page. It’s there for sheer accessibility.
- Customization. This is a great way to include customers in the development process. Customers can customize how they want their system to look. They are able to customize the format of the calendar (1 or 6 months), the size of the calendar, your calendar skin (it could be in terms of color or image type wallpaper), or any format that truly defines skin. Moreover, users can set the availability calendar. This calendar showcases which days are available and which days are considered unavailable to customers.
- Widget Ready. The plugin can easily be added as a sidebar on your website as a booking form or as a calendar.
- It supports multiple languages and includes a huge variety of users all over the world.
These are just some of the features that it offers. With the premium version, it helps users unlock tons of other features that really take this plugin to the next level. An interesting point about this plugin is that it is also open source. So users can have fun with it, while also tweaking it to their standards.
This is a good and highly recommended booking plugin. It encapsulates the true meaning of a booking plugin. It brings forth all the necessary features to satisfy customer needs.
On a functional level, this plugin ranks high, however from a design standpoint, it is lacking. It lacks the responsiveness and dynamic sense that brings a website alive. It does feel flat while using the demos.
Regardless, it will function as it’s supposed to but it may not appeal to all audiences.
3. Bookly
Bookly was developed by Bookly. Like previously mentioned booking plugins, it comes with both a Free and Pro version. Bookly was developed by the self-titled developer, Bookly. In order to access the pro Features with this plugin, a pro-add-on is required.
Regardless, the free version does exist although it does lack quite a bit in terms of a standard booking plugin. It’s expected amongst all these plugins if they come in two sets of offers. It’s the name of the game.
It has some of the required features that a standard booking plugin should have. Clients are able to book appointments by adding their details on an easy-to-fill and short booking form and they are also able to get SMS and email notifications as the appointment approaches.
This is one of the unique factors about this booking plugin. It offers both SMS and email notifications.
It also offers customizable options in terms of customizing the booking form that customers will fill in and other extra features such as buttons.
Fortunately, it does come with an admin panel where admins can manage and control events and schedules. It also uses a WPML plugin. This allows for multi-language support. These are some of the features offered in the free version.
The Pro version comes with payment integration, notification templates, Google Calendar integration, a report generating analytics feature, WooCommerce compatibility, increased user roles (staff members), and a customer list import and export feature.
The Pro version of this plugin completes the picture it set out to paint. With the pro version features, it is a standard booking plugin.
The only downside is the front end. The front end is responsive but it’s not dynamic. It looks stuck in time and requires a good number of jQuery or something along those lines to give it life.
Unfortunately, the demo guide was a bit more dynamic than the actual plugin. Nevertheless, it will function like it’s supposed to and the results will be similar whether dynamic or not.
If this type of appointment plugin suits your taste, you’re happy to knock yourself out.
4. WP Simple Booking Calendar
This booking plugin is simply an editable calendar. As the name suggests, it’s meant to be a simple calendar. It has both a free and a pro version.
The free offers some features that make a good booking plugin, however, it fails to flesh it all out. The premium version contains a user management feature that could be user roles or something along those lines. However, it is also not fleshed out.
Regardless of the fact that it lacks the standard features of a booking plugin, it was specified that it was a simple booking calendar. Key words were simple and calendar. Hence, it’s impossible to categorize it with the rest of its competitors in the industry.
The main downside of this plugin was the lack of a demo to showcase to users how it works. Another downside was the complete lack of functionality in terms of an admin panel. It was missing from the plugin and it is a must-have for any booking plugin whether simple or complicated.
If you are in the market for something simple, without the necessary features that function to make life easier, then this might be an option. Besides, it’s open-source.
5. The Events Calendar
This booking plugin was created by a developer named The Events Calendar. It is another open-source plugin with some of the features required for a good and functioning booking plugin.
In terms of features, it has a Google Calendar import feature, a booking notification feature, an email notification feature, a short code generator, and an event post type feature.
The guide to this plugin mainly highlighted the front-end features about this plugin such as fonts, colors, backgrounds, and customizable options. It did not delve more into the functionality side of this plugin.
Apart from the features mentioned, this booking calendar also falls short in terms of functionality. When it comes to the design aspect, there was no available demo or screenshots of the booking plugin at work.
Regardless, this booking plugin does strive to give some of the features required in any booking plugin. It just falls short along the way.
6. WP Booking System – Booking Calendar
With both a free and pro version, this booking plugin strives to bring in all the necessary features that most of its competitors have. The free version has the most basic of basic features.
It allows users to create a booking calendar as well as a booking form. Users are also able to receive and manage bookings. Unfortunately, according to the demo, this is not through the use of an admin panel.
You can also embed a calendar onto your WordPress website’s page or post, which is really handy for a free version. The free version also supports multiple languages and utilizes a WordPress Booking System Widget.
The premium version of this booking plugin has a unique feature. It allows users to accept payments whether they are online or offline. This feature is completely unique to this plugin seeing as most other plugins do not utilize this feature or maybe they failed to mention it as part of the package.
The premium feature comes with a user management feature, a lot of display features such as displaying tooltips or displaying months, and most importantly it offers customer support.
This is an easy-to-use yet functional WordPress booking plugin. Its only downside is the lack of a responsive and dynamic design or front end. This is its failing grace despite the fact that it lacks a good number of features such as a payment integration feature.
This isn’t just present in the free version but also in the premium version. The demo provided showcases different instances of the booking plugin however, the truth is that all of these instances fall short in terms of design.
The design seems very retrogressive although the functionality of it all is in the right place. Regardless of the functionality, poor design strategies and choices tend to deter away customers.
It also feels very unprofessional because most websites on the internet now are built to be dynamic and responsive. Some of them even have games just to keep users on their site and generate more traffic. Good design decisions bring in a lot more benefits that may be considered as liabilities by professionals today.
It should be noted that some well-designed websites tend to have useless or even poor content but what keeps users coming back, is the great design.
This plugin has a lot of potentials unfortunately it is also falling short, especially when it comes to design. It needs a whole new makeover and an increase in the number of features to keep it in the running alongside its competitors.
This is an okay plugin if that’s what you’re looking for.
7. PinPoint Booking System
Developed by PinPoint World, this booking plugin comes with both a free and pro version. It offers a customizable option where users can customize the booking plugin’s functions and designs with the help of add-ons.
This booking plugin uses AJAX to help power its calendar. It has been tested to be used in WordPress version 5.0 or higher. Seeing as the current WordPress version, Simone is version 5.0 it is up to standard.
It is important that users should note that the free version of this booking plugin is limited to certain features. Unfortunately, the guide to this booking plugin doesn’t do a good job in helping users determine which features are free while which features are in the premium version.
This disclaimer is mentioned so that users are not filled with expectations that may not be met by the plugin while in the free version. They do clarify that the free version gives one calendar but the rest of the features is unknown territory.
The unique part about this booking system is the varied booking options. Users can book days, nights, hours, and hour intervals. It also allows users to print our customer appointment lists or reservation lists. These lists can also be imported into the system.
This plugin also supports a WooCommerce plugin extension. This is to allow users to have payment integration into their system.
Fortunately, it is offered in multiple languages and it is able to send email or SMS notifications to clients, reminding them of their appointments or reservations.
This booking plugin is also trying its best to stand its ground in this competitive market, however, it is still lacking in terms of functionality. Some features, such as an admin panel are missing from this booking plugin.
The next thing to note is the poor design choices. The demo showcases a very flat and undynamic plugin. Fortunately, it is responsive however, it is extremely lacking in terms of a lot of design. Most users will barely notice the functional side of it but they will notice the poor design aspect of this plugin.
Regardless, it is trying its best to be more functional with the few features it has provided to its target audience.
8. Booking Calendar, Appointment Booking System
Created by WpDevArt, this event calendar plugin, according to the demo, is primarily built for hotels and possibly Airbnb. Nevertheless, it does have some of the features required for a good event calendar plugin.
Regardless of these features, this seems as though it is a hotel booking plugin. Specifically for the hotel-type service industry. The demo showcased that it required two dates in order for the booking form to pop down below.
This is a common trait in hotel booking pages. Booking.com does a great job of doing this, in this specific manner. It also includes a check-in/check-out feature which adds to the assumption that it is primarily for the hotel service industry.
Some of the features it has that make it similar to the event calendar plugin section are the email notification feature and design customization. Apart from that, the other features are specialized or just front-end features that reduce its level of functionality.
Another disappointing thing about this WordPress booking plugin is the design. The demo shows a very flat HTML and CSS intensive plugin. It is not dynamic and the plugin has not mentioned anything along the lines of it being responsive. This is in both the free and the pro versions.
Again, the design is very retrogressive and may come across as quite unprofessional to some users. Nevertheless, if you wanted something simple and with few features that you would unlikely utilize in your hotel type industry, then this is your best shot in the market.
9. FareHarbor for WordPress
This was an interesting pick-up in the WordPress marketplace because at first, it seemed as though this was a little shop for short codes. The description also shared a link to a website with the same name as the developers of the plugin.
It turns out that FareHarbor might be a business in itself. They share that FareHarbor is an online booking software alongside customer support to enable customer growth. The way in which this growth happens is unknown.
In order for users to see the demo to this plugin, they must request the plugin’s demo. There was little to no information about the plugin. It simply included information about the company itself, FareHarbor.
What you can find about this plugin is that its target audience is in the tour and activity operators’ industry. They could be professionals or simply just tourists. It is also unknown.
If you are interested in the field, kindly check out FareHarbor, its website, and request for a demo to get the full experience that they are working on offering.
10. Advanced Booking Calendar
This is another specialized booking plugin. It is marketed towards hoteliers and providing them with a modern reservation system.
It does not come with the majority of the features that meet the standard of a good booking plugin, whether specialized or not. The plugin comes in two options: the pro version and the free version.
The pro version does come with payment integration as one of its key additional features. The next feature that is unique to this booking plugin is that it allows users to integrate their plugins with their own Google Universal Analytics account. This is a huge bonus for users that want to make better and informed decisions about their business.
These are its main features: a booking calendar, a booking form, a backend system, and Google Universal Analytics. These are the general features that this booking plugin offers to its users. There are other smaller features within these main features.
Apart from these features, there’s nothing else of value to add to this plugin. It’s meant to be a hotel-type plugin but it also falls short in numerous regards.
There was no demo, however, there were screenshots of the plugin at work. It would be great if users had the chance to check out the demo before purchase just to test functionality.
The design of this plugin is very flat with little to no dynamic aspects to it. The developers do offer support to their customers.
If you’re in the market for an open-source booking plugin with these specific functions, then this might be ideal for you. Open source was mentioned so that you can add your own CSS or sass or jQuery code to help you improve the design of your plugin.
Nevertheless, this plugin does try to bring forth a lot of good elements that a good booking plugin should have. It does fall short in terms of functionality, when compared to its competitors, however, it will work like they (the developers) say it should.
11. Appointment Booking Calendar
The WordPress description did not hold as much detailed information about this plugin. However, the developers offer a link to a website where they have differentiated the free and pro features that this plugin offers.
The free version offers the WordPress plugin, payment integration with Paypal, notifications in the form of emails, a built-in captcha, a verification feature, a multipage calendar, and multi-time slot selection and access to all the documentation.
Looking at the features offered in the free version, they are very basic but they are also expected of a free version. It’s part of a business strategy. Eventually, clients will tire from the limited features and turn to the more pro features that should be paid for.
The pro version offers the following features: unlimited calendar support, discount or coupon code feature, a service catalog feature, a visual form builder, payment integration that does not use PayPal, email notification, widget function, and 60 days of technical support.
When it comes to the pro features it offers new features at the same time it does not offer some features. For example, this plugin is only built for one user role, the third-party user accessing the system.
It does not come with an administrator panel that would make things a lot easier in terms of appointment management as well as user management.
PayPal is also their standard payment integration option, the Pro feature removes this limitation as well, however, it is unclear which other payment services users can utilize.
It does come with 3 calendar design templates: the default template, the light template, and the blue template.
In terms of design, it’s like taking a trip down memory lane. There is no demo but the screenshots they use showcase an older version of WordPress. It could possibly be version 3 of WordPress than what we’re currently at which is version 5.
The entire system would need a complete update in terms of design, it is very ancient. Regardless, it still functions. However, if this is a system you want users to interact with to make appointments and bookings, it is not recommended.
It may come across as quite unprofessional if users interact with this system. Fortunately, it is open-source, so you could possibly change the front end to your liking. However, that is cost-inefficient because you need a system that’s ready to go out of the box.
This, however, needs a good amount of work, in terms of the front end as well as adding more features, before it can meet current industry standards.
You may have to spend more money to bring this plugin up to date. Which is quite unfortunate. It is also important to note that other than the free and pro versions, the developers are also offering a Developer package and a Platinum package.
The Platinum package is where it’s at. It comes with other features that do change the pro version a bit more into the industry standards. However, not everything, in terms of features, is present. For example, they do not offer Calendar software integration.
That is, it cannot integrate with other calendar apps or software like Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook.
It doesn’t offer any unique features even with the features mentioned in the Platinum version. Despite all this, it is uncertain whether the design changes in the Platinum version. If it doesn’t, you might need to be prepared to spend a little bit more money for a fixer-upper.
12. Booking Manager
This is another booking plugin that does not meet industry standards. There are a lot of key features missing in this plugin. For example, an admin panel, a payment integration feature, and a user role or user management feature.
These are just some of the missing features in this plugin. There are no unique features and the list of features itself is quite short.
It does not come with a demo, so it’s difficult to test functionality but the developers did offer screenshots. Although the screenshots did not give much away as to what more this plugin can achieve.
The main thing about this booking plugin is that it heavily emphasizes .ics files. You are able to sync bookings from other reservation apps like Airbnb and Booking.com as long as you have the .ics files.
You are also able to import and export these .ics files into the Booking Calendar.
It is also simply stated as mobile-friendly when it comes to responsiveness.
That’s the extent of this plugin. It feels more like a plugin to a plugin than a standalone plugin in this case. It’s difficult to judge it based on that because the developers have not provided the information for its purpose.
Regardless, you can’t build an online event calendar with this. It simply lacks the fundamentals. Instead, it has tools that make it a good addition to other plugins. This is why it’s easier to consider this a plugin to a plugin or even an addon.
13. Embed Calendly Scheduling
This is another plugin for a plugin. This is a simple widget-type pop-up that pops up on your WordPress website pages or posts. It has no other function other than this sole widget pop-up function.
Users simply add the short code to the block of code they want and voila, it’s done. If you want to add this sole feature to this plugin, then this is the right thing for you.
As long as it is executed properly, the pop-up will work and users can utilize it as much as they want. Since it is a pop-up booking form, it is also customizable.
You can customize it to fit your WordPress design, to achieve a flow in all your modules in terms of design.
The downside and interesting aspect about this widget is the fact that the screenshots offered to it, showcase it as a scheduling plugin when it is stated as a simple pop-up. That is mind-blowing and the screenshots themselves are also indiscernible.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the nature of this booking plugin. It is important that you get clarification from the developers before you purchase. That is a suggestion to any potential buyers.
14. Booking Ultra Pro Appointments Booking Calendar Plugin
This is an interesting find in the WordPress plugin market. Like others, it offers both pro and free versions. The free version is actually alright; it offers the majority of the basic industry standards. For example, there is a payment integration feature thanks to PayPal, an admin panel, time slots, unlimited services feature, an admin calendar, staff working hours features, etc.
The free version is working overtime to give users a taste of what this booking plugin can do. The pro version carries the majority of the features. It has Google Calendar Integration, a booking form customizer, SMTP email sending, appointment payments, and its most unique feature is the group bookings.
It allows users to book appointments for multiple people in one go. This is a great feature for group activities that cannot be undertaken in the same room. For example, a spa would need this type of feature because it offers different services at the same time.
It also supports multiple languages so that it can be used by clients all over the world.
The demo was smooth and everything fell into place. There were some shortcomings in terms of functionality. You have to scroll all the way down to find if a staff member was available. This was the Staff Appointments Form Feature, for better specification.
This could be simplified using a calendar that showcased the days they were booked and it also reduces the white space being utilized on your website.
The downside to this booking plugin is the design. The design is absolutely ancient. It must’ve been used in version 3 of WordPress.
The same poor design choices are also present in the demo. It seems very retrogressive and lacks any dynamic and responsive user interaction.
It was simply flat and would deter a lot of users from using this plugin, simply because of how it looks. Nevertheless, design is important and makes a huge difference that tends to make or break products and services in today’s business market.
Nevertheless, it is a fully functional booking plugin system. Despite its hiccups, the plugin will work like it’s supposed to. Fortunately, it’s open source and if you have some coding skills, it may be possible for you to change the overall design while also keeping the functionality.
This may not be suitable for users without a coding background and may need to hire someone else to change the front end to exactly what they want. In the end, it turns out to be cost-inefficient.
15. Booking Calendar – Appointment booking for WordPress
This was made by the Start Booking Team and it is well made. This WordPress booking plugin encompasses a lot of the standard features that a good event calendar plugin should have.
It comes with Google Analytics, Google Calendar Integration, email notification thanks to Mailchimp, Zoom meetings are automatically created, appointment management, staff management and calendar customization.
These are just but some of the main features offered by this plugin. There are other small features that truly make this plugin stand out from its competitors. Unfortunately, this plugin did not come with a demo to test our design and functionality.
The developers did provide screenshots that show clean design choices that are up to date. You cannot test how dynamic a plugin will be through screenshots. Hence, it is unknown in this regard.
In terms of responsiveness, the developers have failed to mention that. Responsiveness showcases whether a plugin can be used on multiple devices. This is incredibly important for users that are booking appointments through their phones or tablets.
One downside of this plugin is that it does not support multiple languages. This is unfortunate because it is unable to breach the international market. It is kept within the limits of English and that’s it. It is their own self-inflicted Achilles heel.
To those users concerned about whether or not they can customize this plugin, the answer is yes. There are various customizable options to help you turn this booking plugin into your booking plugin. It will fit your aesthetic and that of your business with just a few simple clicks here and there to help you get started.
The installation process of this plugin is quick and efficient. It does, however, get tricky because, in order for you to start displaying the booking calendar, you may require the Gutenberg editor. Still, the developers do state that even if you do not have the Gutenberg editor, which is present in WordPress version 5 and over, you are still supported.
The Gutenberg blocks will allow you to easily display your booking calendar. Just simply navigate to the specific pages you want to use your booking form.
Despite the ups and downs with this booking plugin, you will be able to achieve results that are functional and pleasing to the eye.
FAQs
- What is a WordPress booking plugin?
A WordPress booking plugin is an add-on software used to give more booking and calendar features to WordPress-based websites. It is an efficient way to add features that are easily manageable through the use of an admin panel that should come with the plugin.
- Why should you get a WordPress Booking Plugin?
It is beneficial to your business in the long run. Good booking plugins will give benefits to both the technical side and the business side of your organization. It is also a great way to conserve time without always having to manually input appointment information from clients. It’s also a good business practice to automate your systems in order to reduce your paper trail.
- What is the difference between a free version and a pro version of a plugin?
The differences lie in their features. The free version gives you the most basic of features, still functional but never fully complete. Then with the pro version, you get to unlock all the features that come with the plugin. Users can now fully utilize their booking plugin without any limitations.
- Should I get the Pro version of a booking plugin?
You should invest in the pro version of whichever booking plugin you choose to buy. This is because the pro version, when unlocked, gives you access to all the features the booking plugin offers. It will only be a matter of time before the free version gives you a headache because of its inefficiency.
Some free versions only offer one calendar which is inefficient in the long run. The pro version makes everything accessible and easier to use.
- How do you use an appointment booking plugin?
Generally, it is the same but sometimes it is dependent on the developer’s documentation. Developers usually provide documentation with the general guidelines on how they can use the booking plugin. Do not disregard the documentation provided to you by developers. It also comes with troubleshooting methods that will become helpful in the long run.
Be sure to always check your developer’s documentation or website to help you understand how you can fully utilize your WordPress appointment booking plugin. It will be the next step after the installation and integration process.
BookIt, Our Number One Event Calendar Plugin
15 appointment booking reviews later and we return to our top WordPress Google calendar plugin. BookIt comes out on top because it encompasses what a good and high-quality event calendar plugin should entail.
Initially, this review had shared what makes a good high-quality plugin and Bookit meets the industry standard whether in its free or pro version. With its impeccable features such as the admin panel, obviously the calendar, the price integration feature with an automated price calculator to boot, the notification system, the widget integration (either on post or pages of your WordPress website), the service catalog, the employee schedule feature and lastly, the design.
All these features make BookIt, the valedictorian of this graduating booking plugin review class. It is all rounded and functions impeccably well. After testing out the demos, potential buyers and users can tell a clear difference between this appointment booking plugin and its competitors.
Not only that but BookIt comes with a dynamic and responsive design. A lot of booking plugins in the WordPress plugin marketplace are not dynamic nor responsive. Most of them are still stuck in WordPress version 3.
This is unfortunate because a lot of them are excellent in terms of functionality, but when it comes to design, they may come across to users as unprofessional. BookIt developers understand the value of having a high-quality booking plugin as a result of the design.
This is one of the main reasons why BookIt rises amongst all of its competitors in the field. It is also important to note that BookIt is not only beneficial on the technical side, it is also beneficial to the business side of things.
A lot of users can be happy with the benefits that BookIt gives to the business aspect of things. An automated system is created to make business processes easier and efficient. This is exactly what BookIt brings to the table.
Aside from that, users can access BookIt as a free version or the pro version. It is highly recommended to unlock the pro version so that you can access all the extra features that BookIt has in store to take your business to the next level.
BookIt would love to hear from you, so be sure to check them out on the WordPress plugin marketplace. If you’re in the market for a functioning and high-quality appointment booking plugin, BookIt is highly recommended.
In Conclusion
It may seem daunting at first trying to pick out an appointment booking plugin for the first time. Especially so, if you don’t have the coding or developer background to help you differentiate the good, the bad, and the ugly in the marketplace.
This review was created to help you understand industry standards in terms of plugin quality as well as which plugins are worth your consideration as a potential buyer.
The review has also narrowed down your choices so you don’t have to scroll through page after page looking for plugins that fit you and will hopefully satisfy your needs as a customer.
With the industry standards shared in this review, you can use that to make well-informed decisions that will affect the future of your business.
An appointment booking plugin is the automated version of the front desk. It has revolutionized what a good business organization should be. The appointment booking plugin has also helped to improve a business or individual’s carbon footprint on our planet.
These are just some of the amazing benefits of using a booking plugin to ease your process.
Be sure to check out your top booking plugin, BookIt, and get your free version today.