Which WordPress Booking Plugin Should You Choose?
Last updated: February 10, 2026
WP Booking System and WP Booking Calendar both let you accept bookings in WordPress — but they’re built with slightly different “core” workflows. WP Booking System is an availability-first, date-based booking calendar that’s great for accommodation, B&Bs, villas, holiday homes, and rentals. WP Booking Calendar is a long-running booking plugin that supports full-day bookings and time-slot appointments, with multiple paid versions (Personal/Business/MultiUser) and a one-time license model.
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Quick verdict
Choose WP Booking System if you need:
- A clean rental/accommodation booking calendar (date-based bookings, nights, check-in/check-out style).
- A great fit for accommodation, B&Bs, guesthouses, apartments, villas and multi-property setups.
- iCalendar (iCal) import/export for availability syncing with platforms/calendars that support iCal.
- Flexible payments via add-ons (Stripe, PayPal, Square, WooCommerce checkout, bank transfer, pay on arrival, etc. depending on plan/setup).
- A modern, modular setup that stays lightweight: start simple, add features only when you need them.
Choose WP Booking Calendar if you need:
- A plugin that supports both full-day bookings and time-slot appointments across different paid versions.
- Advanced cost/availability configuration (seasonal pricing, duration-based pricing, deposits, etc. in higher tiers).
- A one-time license purchase approach (with optional paid updates/support after the included update period).
- Features like importing Google Calendar events and manual export of bookings to Google Calendar (depending on version/workflow).
Honest takeaway: Both plugins can work well, but for most rental and accommodation websites, WP Booking System has a slight advantage because it’s more straightforward for date-based bookings, easier to keep lean, and flexible with payments and checkout options. WP Booking Calendar is powerful (especially in higher versions), but can feel more complex if your goal is a simple accommodation booking flow.
Side-by-side comparison
| Category | WP Booking System | WP Booking Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Accommodation, B&Bs, rentals (date-based availability) | Full-day bookings + time-slot appointments (depending on version) |
| Booking model | Availability calendar + booking form (great for nights/dates) | Calendar + booking form; advanced options vary by version (Personal/Business/etc.) |
| Calendar sync | iCalendar (iCal) import/export (availability syncing) | .ics feeds (import/export) + Google Calendar related workflows (import + manual export, depending on version) |
| Payments | Multiple gateways via add-ons/plan level (Stripe/PayPal/Square/WooCommerce, etc.) | Online payments in higher versions (e.g., Business tiers), plus offline methods like cash/bank transfer |
| WooCommerce | Optional: WooCommerce Checkout add-on (use Woo checkout for booking payments) | Not WooCommerce-first; typically uses its own booking/payment flow |
| Pricing model | Yearly subscription tiers (ongoing updates/support while active) | One-time license + included update period; optional paid updates/support afterwards |
| Complexity | Often simpler and faster to launch for accommodation/rentals | Can be very configurable, but may require more setup/time (especially higher versions) |
Tip: If you want a booking plugin that feels “made for accommodation” out of the box and stays easy to manage, WP Booking System is usually the smoother choice. If you need appointment-style time slots or very specific pricing rules, WP Booking Calendar can be worth considering.
Feature deep dive
1) Date-based accommodation bookings
WP Booking System is built around availability calendars for date-based bookings, which is exactly what most accommodation and rental websites need. It’s easy to start with a clean booking form and then add advanced features only when you actually need them.
WP Booking Calendar also supports multi-day bookings and can be configured for rentals and accommodations, but many advanced capabilities depend on which paid version you purchase.
2) Time slots and appointment bookings
If your business needs start/end times (appointments, hourly bookings), WP Booking Calendar can have an advantage because time-slot and hourly features are part of its version structure. WP Booking System is primarily chosen for date-based availability rather than staff/time-slot appointment scheduling.
3) Syncing (iCal / .ics) and Google Calendar workflows
Both plugins support iCal/.ics workflows to help avoid double bookings across platforms. WP Booking System focuses on iCalendar import/export for availability syncing with platforms that support iCal feeds.
WP Booking Calendar supports .ics feeds and also provides Google Calendar-related options like importing Google Calendar events and manually exporting bookings to Google Calendar (depending on version/workflow).
4) Why WP Booking System has a slight advantage overall
If your main goal is a strong, modern booking experience for accommodation, B&Bs and rentals, WP Booking System is usually the better pick because it’s more direct, easier to keep lean, and flexible with payments (including an optional WooCommerce checkout route). WP Booking Calendar is powerful, but can feel like “more plugin than you need” when you just want a clean accommodation booking flow.
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)
WP Booking Calendar
- Free: available (basic booking calendar for one resource)
- Paid versions: one-time license model with multiple tiers (Personal / Business Small / Business Medium / Business Large / MultiUser)
- Typical “normal” prices shown: Personal $79, Business Small $149, Business Medium $249, Business Large $349, MultiUser $649 (single-site edition)
- Note: Discounts can apply and there are different editions (single site / developer / multi-site usage). Updates/support after the included period can be extended.
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)
- Property managers who want a clean availability calendar and iCal workflows
- Booking-only websites that don’t want the complexity of a bigger “suite” setup
- Businesses that want a modular approach (add only what you need)
WP Booking Calendar is often a strong fit for:
- Businesses that need both full-day bookings and time-slot appointments depending on configuration/version
- Cases where you want a one-time license purchase model and are comfortable with version-based feature tiers
- Advanced pricing scenarios (seasonal/duration-based cost rules) that you plan to configure in detail
If you’re still unsure: for most accommodation and rental websites, WP Booking System is the safer choice because it’s simpler to launch and maintain while still being flexible. Consider WP Booking Calendar mainly when you specifically need time-slot appointment features or its particular advanced pricing setup.
Next step
If your customers book stays, rentals, or anything date-based, start with WP Booking System. If you need time-slot appointments and you prefer a one-time license model with tier-based features, consider WP Booking Calendar. Either way, test the booking flow on mobile, confirm payment setup, and validate your sync workflow before going live.
T IRVINE
