WP Booking System vs. BookingPress

Which WordPress Booking Plugin Should You Choose?

Last updated: February 10, 2026

WP Booking System and BookingPress both let you accept bookings in WordPress — but they’re built around different booking models. WP Booking System is an availability-first, date-based booking calendar (great for accommodation, B&Bs, rentals and multi-day bookings), while BookingPress is primarily an appointment booking plugin (services, staff, time slots, and business-style scheduling).

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Quick verdict

Choose WP Booking System if you need:

  • A rental/accommodation booking calendar (date-based bookings, nights, check-in/check-out style).
  • A great fit for accommodation, B&Bs, guesthouses, villas, holiday homes and rentals.
  • iCalendar (iCal) feeds to sync availability with platforms/calendars that support iCal (availability-only sync, not pricing/restrictions).
  • Flexible payments via add-ons (Stripe, PayPal, Square, WooCommerce checkout, bank transfer, pay on arrival, etc. depending on plan/setup).
  • A clean, modular setup that stays lightweight and easy to maintain as you grow.

Choose BookingPress if you need:

  • Appointments with services, staff members, and time slots (salons, clinics, lessons, consultations).
  • Calendar integrations focused on staff schedules (e.g., Google Calendar integration, Apple Calendar integration add-on).
  • Many payment gateways included in paid plans and an ecosystem of add-ons for appointment businesses.

Honest takeaway: For accommodation and rentals (where users book nights/dates), WP Booking System has a slight advantage because it matches the date-based model naturally, supports iCal availability workflows, and stays easy to manage. If your business is purely appointment-based (time slots + staff schedules), BookingPress can be the better fit.

Side-by-side comparison

Category WP Booking System BookingPress
Best for Accommodation, B&Bs, rentals (date-based bookings) Appointments (services + staff + time slots)
Booking flow Availability calendar + booking form (great for nights/dates) Appointment booking widget (service/staff/time-slot focused)
Calendar sync iCalendar (iCal) import/export for availability syncing Staff calendar integrations (e.g., Google Calendar; Apple Calendar/iCal add-on)
Payments Payment gateways via add-ons/plan level (Stripe/PayPal/Square/WooCommerce, etc.) 20+ payment gateways included in paid plans (plus WooCommerce option)
WooCommerce WooCommerce checkout add-on (use Woo checkout for booking payments) WooCommerce listed as a supported payment option / integration
Accommodation focus Excellent for rentals/accommodation and multi-day stays Possible, but the core model is appointments and staff schedules
Appointments focus Can be used for some scenarios, but it’s not appointment-first Excellent (services, staff, scheduling, appointment workflows)
Complexity Often simpler for accommodation/rental websites Often better for appointment businesses, but can feel heavier for rentals

Tip: If your customers book nights/dates, WP Booking System is usually the most natural choice. If they book time slots with staff members, BookingPress may feel more purpose-built.

Feature deep dive

1) Booking model: date-based availability vs staff appointments

WP Booking System is built around availability calendars where guests choose a start date and end date, and you manage availability per day/night. This makes it a strong match for accommodation, B&Bs, and rentals.

BookingPress is built around appointments: customers book services with staff and time slots. It’s ideal for businesses that sell time-based services and need staff scheduling.

2) Calendar syncing: OTA-style iCal availability vs staff calendar integrations

WP Booking System supports iCal import/export feeds commonly used for syncing availability across calendars and booking channels. A practical note: iCal sync is availability-only and does not sync prices or booking restrictions.

BookingPress focuses more on keeping staff calendars aligned, using integrations like Google Calendar and Apple Calendar (iCal) so busy times can be blocked and appointments can be pushed to calendars.

3) Payments: modular flexibility vs “many gateways included”

BookingPress highlights that paid plans include many payment gateways, which can be convenient for appointment businesses. WP Booking System takes a more modular approach: you enable payments as needed via add-ons, or use WooCommerce checkout if you want the WooCommerce gateway ecosystem.

4) The honest “slight advantage” for WP Booking System

If your website is mainly accommodation/rentals (or any booking where the user selects dates and books nights), WP Booking System has a slight advantage because it matches the date-based workflow naturally, stays simpler to manage, and supports iCal availability syncing that rental owners commonly rely on. BookingPress is excellent for appointments — it just isn’t rental-first.

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 add-ons + more included add-ons)
  • Developer: $229/year (unlimited websites; online payment add-ons + more included add-ons)

BookingPress

  • Free plan: $0
  • Standard: $89/year (1 site)
  • Professional: $139/year (up to 3 sites)
  • Enterprise: $249/year (up to 20 sites)
  • Lifetime options: available (e.g., $229 lifetime for 1 site; higher tiers for more sites)

Best use cases

WP Booking System is often the best fit for:

  • Accommodation & B&Bs (guesthouses, villas, apartments, holiday homes)
  • Vacation rentals and multi-day stays (book by nights/dates)
  • Equipment/venue rentals booked by date
  • Owners who want iCal availability workflows and a simpler admin experience
  • Businesses that prefer a modular setup (add only what you need)

BookingPress is often a strong fit for:

  • Salons, barbers, spas
  • Clinics, therapists, consultations
  • Coaching, tutoring, private lessons
  • Any business that needs staff schedules, service durations, and time-slot bookings

If you’re still unsure: write down your booking unit: “nights/dates” (WP Booking System) vs “time slots with staff/services” (BookingPress). For most accommodation and rental websites, WP Booking System is the safer, more natural choice.

Next step

If your customers book stays, rentals, or anything date-based, start with WP Booking System. If your customers book appointments with time slots and staff schedules, consider BookingPress. Either way, test the booking flow on mobile, confirm payment setup, and validate your calendar syncing before going live.

Common questions

Is WP Booking System a good alternative to BookingPress?

Yes — especially if your bookings are date-based (accommodation, B&Bs, rentals, multi-day stays). WP Booking System is built around availability calendars and check-in/check-out style logic, which is often a more natural fit than an appointment-first plugin.

When does BookingPress have an advantage over WP Booking System?

BookingPress can have an advantage for appointment-based businesses where customers book specific time slots with services and staff members (salons, clinics, consultations). In those cases, its scheduling model and staff calendar integrations can feel more purpose-built.

Is WP Booking System good for accommodation and B&B websites?

Yes. WP Booking System is a great fit for accommodation websites like guesthouses, villas, apartments, holiday homes, and B&Bs because it’s designed for date-based bookings and availability management, and it can be extended with payments and add-ons when needed.

Do both plugins support online payments?

Yes. Both can support online payments, but the exact gateways depend on plan/add-ons and setup. BookingPress includes many gateways in paid plans, while WP Booking System is modular (and can also use WooCommerce checkout if you want WooCommerce gateways).

Do both plugins offer calendar syncing?

Yes, but they focus on different use cases. WP Booking System focuses on iCal availability syncing (availability-only). BookingPress focuses on staff calendar integrations (e.g., Google Calendar and Apple Calendar/iCal) to block busy times and push appointments to calendars.

Which is easier for a typical rental or accommodation website?

For most rental and accommodation websites, WP Booking System is usually easier because it’s built around date-based availability calendars and multi-day bookings. BookingPress is excellent for appointments, but it can feel less natural if your main requirement is “book by nights/dates.”

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"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
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