WP Booking System vs. Amelia

Which WordPress Booking Plugin Should You Choose?

Last updated: February 10, 2026

WP Booking System and Amelia both help you accept bookings in WordPress — but they’re built for different booking models. WP Booking System is typically used for date-based rentals (check-in/check-out style), while Amelia focuses on appointments and events (staff, services, time slots).

On this page

Quick verdict

Choose WP Booking System if you need:

  • A rental-style booking calendar (nights, dates, check-in/check-out logic).
  • iCalendar sync with platforms that support iCal feeds (useful for Airbnb/Booking.com-style workflows).
  • Flexible payments (Stripe, PayPal, Square, WooCommerce checkout, bank transfer and more, depending on setup/plan).
  • A straightforward “availability + booking form” approach.

Choose Amelia if you need:

  • Appointments (services, employees, locations, time slots) and/or events.
  • A guided booking wizard for customers (service → staff → date/time → payment).
  • Calendar synchronizations and online meeting options (e.g., Zoom/Google Meet integrations, depending on plan/setup).
  • Business-focused workflows (staff availability, service durations, and automation).

Side-by-side comparison

Category WP Booking System Amelia
Best for Rental-style bookings (date-based availability calendars) Appointments & events (service/time-slot scheduling)
Booking flow Availability calendar + booking form Step-by-step booking wizard and multiple booking form options
Calendar sync Sync via iCalendar (iCal) with third-party calendars/platforms that support it Calendar synchronizations (e.g., Google/Apple/Outlook options depending on setup/plan)
Payments Multiple gateways (Stripe/PayPal/Square/WooCommerce/bank transfer, etc.) depending on plan/add-ons Multiple payment providers + WooCommerce payments, depending on plan
WooCommerce WooCommerce checkout add-on (uses WooCommerce checkout for booking payments) WooCommerce integration for payments/workflows
Staff & services Primarily calendar/resource availability Built around employees, locations, services, durations, and scheduling
Notifications Email + optional SMS via add-on/plan Automated notifications; SMS options available (may involve separate SMS setup/charges)
Complexity Often simpler for classic rentals Often better for service businesses, but more setup options

Tip: If you’re choosing between the two, start by identifying whether your business is date-based rental inventory or time-based appointments/events. That single decision usually makes the choice obvious.

Feature deep dive

1) Booking model: rentals vs appointments

WP Booking System is commonly positioned as a booking calendar for rental businesses — where visitors choose dates, and you manage availability across one or more calendars/resources. This tends to match accommodations, cabins, rental gear, venues, or anything that’s booked by day/night.

Amelia is positioned as an appointment and events booking plugin, which fits businesses that sell time slots: salons, clinics, coaching, fitness sessions, classes, workshops, and similar.

2) Calendar sync & avoiding double bookings

If you list rentals on multiple platforms, iCalendar (iCal) sync can be a deciding factor. WP Booking System includes features dedicated to syncing with any third-party calendar that supports iCalendar. That’s a common workflow for keeping availability aligned across platforms.

Amelia also emphasizes calendar synchronizations and has documentation around integrations like Google Calendar that can block availability to help prevent double bookings. If your business is appointment-based, that “staff schedule sync” approach is often what you want.

3) Payments & checkout

WP Booking System supports multiple payment options (including Stripe, PayPal, Square, WooCommerce checkout, and offline methods like bank transfer / pay on arrival), usually via plan level and/or add-ons.

Amelia supports multiple payment providers and WooCommerce payments (depending on plan), and its feature set is aimed at service/event businesses that need deposits, carts, tickets, packages, taxes, invoices, and more — depending on the license tier.

4) Admin workflow: “calendar management” vs “business scheduling”

  • WP Booking System tends to shine when you think in terms of availability calendars and rental rules (e.g., booking restrictions, changeover days, inventory per day).
  • Amelia tends to shine when you think in terms of services + employees + locations with a guided booking journey and business analytics/dashboard-style overview.

Pricing snapshot

Plugin pricing can change, and promotions may apply. Here’s a snapshot based on the vendors’ pricing pages on February 10, 2026.

WP Booking System

  • Personal: $69/year (1 website; includes premium features; offline payments only)
  • Business: $115/year (5 websites; online payment gateways + more premium add-ons)
  • Developer: $229/year (unlimited websites; online payment gateways + premium add-ons)

Amelia

  • Starter: $69/year (1 domain)
  • Additional tiers exist (e.g., Standard/Pro/Elite) with different feature sets and multi-domain options; discounts and plan details may vary.
  • Note: SMS use may involve extra charges depending on the SMS setup/provider.

Best use cases

WP Booking System is often a strong fit for:

  • Vacation rentals (apartments, houses, cabins)
  • Equipment rentals (cameras, tools, bikes)
  • Venues booked by date (rooms, halls, studios booked per day)
  • Businesses that rely on iCal syncing to keep availability aligned across platforms

Amelia is often a strong fit for:

  • Salons, barbers, spas
  • Clinics, therapists, consultations
  • Coaching, tutoring, private lessons
  • Classes & events where ticketing, staff schedules, and service durations matter

If you’re still unsure: write down your booking unit: “nights/dates” (rentals) vs “time slots with staff/services” (appointments). That’s usually the best decision shortcut.

Next step

If your business is rental/date-based, start with WP Booking System. If your business is appointment/event-based with staff and services, start with Amelia. Either way, test the booking flow on mobile, confirm payment setup, and validate calendar sync before going live.

Common questions

Is WP Booking System better than Amelia for rentals like Airbnb-style bookings?

If your business is primarily date-based (check-in/check-out, availability by day/night) and you care about iCal syncing, WP Booking System is typically the more natural fit. Amelia is primarily designed around appointments and events.

Can Amelia work for rentals?

Amelia is built for appointments and events. If your “rental” behaves like a scheduled service (fixed time slots, staff availability), it may work. For classic rental calendars with iCal syncing workflows, a rental-first plugin is usually simpler.

Do both plugins support online payments?

Yes, both support online payments, but the specific gateways and whether they’re included can depend on the plan and setup. WP Booking System lists multiple gateways and WooCommerce checkout options; Amelia also supports multiple payment providers and WooCommerce payments depending on tier.

Which one is easier to set up?

For a straightforward rental calendar, WP Booking System is often quicker to configure. For service businesses with employees, locations, and a guided booking flow, Amelia’s structure can be a better fit (but has more options to configure).

Can I sync bookings to Google Calendar?

Both ecosystems mention Google Calendar-related sync options, but they approach it differently: WP Booking System emphasizes iCal-based syncing; Amelia provides scheduling-focused calendar integration so staff availability stays aligned.

What should I choose for a service business with multiple employees?

If you need employee schedules, services, durations, and locations, Amelia is generally built specifically for that appointment-based workflow.

Trusted by over 10,000
happy rental businesses

— Rated 4.9/5 on WordPress.org

Probably one of the things our customers like the most is the support. You often get a solution to your problem in just a few hours.

"A very solid, intuitive, well-featured plugin - with good documentation, a shallow learning curve and rapid support. I've used my share of plugins in well over a decade of WP site design and development, and while I usually try to avoid using plugins wherever humanly possible, this one is a breath of fresh air."
Author PHIL HAMBLEY
"We have been using WP Booking System for almost a year now and are thoroughly satisfied. The plugin operates reliably, the customization options are impressive, and there are regular updates with new features and performance optimizations. In short, we highly recommend it!"
Author SLAAAP.FR
"This plugin is very easy to use, well coded. Forget the market leaders, this plugin exceed them in many ways."
Author MARIE COMET
"I first tested the free version and then switched to Pro. It's a very nice and clean plugin which is customizable to fit different needs. The support is great and also the multilanguage possibilities are perfectly and easy to handle."
Author TOBIAS
"I've used this plugin on a few client websites now and absolutely love it. I had an issue with it conflicting with another plugin on one of the sites, but Roland managed to fix the issue swiftly and I now have one happy client! Thank you!"
Author LORAINE
"This has been a clear easy system to use from a non technical person, and the support has been amazing, highly recommend."
Author KT SIMPSON
"Super easy, and user-friendly plugin to use. Looks great and works great! I had a small hiccup (it turned out to be a widget settings issue / conflict), and the support team fixed the problem very efficiently. I highly recommend this plugin!"
Author T IRVINE
"This is a high-quality plugin that performs well. The back end is easy to use compared to many other booking plugins and the tech support has been fantastic. Would recommend and will definitely use it for future accommodation client sites."
Author DAVID
"Easy to use and to the point, as features are balanced and there's no bloat. It's intuitive and does exactly what it is supposed to do. On top of that, support is fast and very helpful."
Author ALEX
Read all the reviews on Wordpress.org
Full CTA BG
Is WP Booking System a good fit for you?

Tell us about your business activity & plugin requirements and we'll let you know if WP Booking System is right for you.

Have a support question? Please use this form instead.

WP Booking System uses its own and third-party cookies to personalize content and to analyze web traffic, as specified in our cookie policy.

Allow all cookies Allow essential cookies only