Event Espresso vs Event Smart (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Event Espresso grades higher than Event Smart: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Event Espresso grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Event Smart grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Event Espresso
WordPress plugin for event calendars, registration and tickets
Event Smart
Event registration sites with no per-ticket fees
Which one is for you
Pick Event Espresso if
- Fits if you already run a WordPress site and can look after it
- Works for organisers who want to keep card payments on their own gateway
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not run WordPress, as it works only inside it
- Tight if you stay on Decaf, which takes a 3% fee and has no add-ons
- Pricey if you want the extras, since All Access is $399 a year
- Watch out: gateway fees still apply, and Core covers one live site only
Pick Event Smart if
- Fits if you run classes or workshops and want a flat fee, not a cut per ticket
- Works for nonprofits that can use the 15% to 20% discount
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need QR scanning, which is on Business at $100 a month
- Watch out: card payments are a separate $15 a month, and QR ticket delivery is $20 on lower plans
- Tight if you stay on Basic, with ads on your page and 25 emails an hour
- Watch out: the FAQ quotes $10 for the payment upgrade where the plans say $15
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAEvent EspressoFair | 2.2GPAEvent SmartFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BCore is $129 a year, about $10.75 a month, inside the category's cheaper quarter ($15), though add-ons are sold separately and All Access is $399. | CPersonal is $50 a month, the category middle, but phone scanning needs Business at $100, and card payments add $15 on each plan. |
| Free plan and trial | BDecaf is free with unlimited events and ticket sales, but it takes a 3% fee, takes PayPal only and cannot use add-ons. | CBasic is free with unlimited events, but it shows ads and caps email at 25 an hour. A 14-day Business trial needs no card. |
| Features | CCalendar, registration forms, ticket types, direct payments and check-in apps. Discount codes, waitlists and the scanning app are add-ons. | CTicket types, forms, promo codes and waitlists exist, but card payments and QR delivery are paid add-ons, so the basic job has gaps. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It needs a WordPress site you install and maintain yourself. | CNo store rating on record. You build the event page and forms yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, through WordPress, with PayPal, Stripe, Square, Mailchimp, QuickBooks and Elementor connections. | BWeb, with Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net and Google Analytics. Phone scanning is a browser job, with no app listed. |
| Best for | WordPress sites that sell event tickets | registration sites with a flat monthly fee |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Event Espresso and Event Smart. How we grade
Price against what you get
Event Espresso starts at $10.75 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Event Smart starts at $50 a month and scores 2.3.
Event Smart scores higher, and starts $39.25 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other event ticketing platforms on the chart, 13 score higher than Event Espresso for less, and 12 score higher than Event Smart for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Event Espresso also covers calendar.
- Event Smart also covers forms and qR codes.
At a glance
| Event Espresso | Event Smart | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $129 per year for 1 live site | $50 per month |
| Free plan | Decaf: free plugin with unlimited events, registrations and ticket sales, PayPal payments and community support, with a 3% pay-as-you-go fee. | Basic plan: unlimited events and multiple ticket types with no commission, but ads show on the event site and email is capped at 25 per hour. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the Business plan, no card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Event Espresso | Event Smart |
| Price read from | eventespresso.com | eventsmart.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Event Espresso
- It runs only inside WordPress, which you install and maintain yourself.
- The free Decaf edition charges a 3% pay-as-you-go fee and cannot use add-ons.
- Core covers one live site and sells add-ons separately; All Access bundles them for $399 per year.
- Payment processing fees from your chosen gateway still apply.
Event Smart
- Taking card payments is a separate upgrade at $15 a month on each plan (the FAQ cites $10 for an online payment upgrade).
- Basic shows ads on the event website and caps email at 25 per hour.
- On Basic and Personal, QR code ticket delivery is a paid add-on of $20 a month.
- Gateway fees from Stripe, PayPal or similar still apply.
Key features
Event Espresso
- Event calendar
- Publishes events on your WordPress site in month, week, day, agenda and list views, with category colors and filters. Calendar+ is a separate add-on.
- Registration forms
- Custom forms per event with text, radio, dropdown and multi-select questions, plus group registrations for several attendees at once.
- Ticket types and dates
- Unlimited ticket types with sale start and end dates, capacity limits, and events or tickets that span several dates.
- Direct payments
- Payments go into your own gateway account such as PayPal, Stripe or Square, with no per-ticket commission on paid licenses, per the vendor.
- Check-in apps
- A mobile app scans tickets and tracks attendance in real time. It is listed among the add-on features of the All Access plan.
- Developer hooks
- A REST API, hooks, filters and logging let developers extend the plugin; the site lists 25+ translations.
Event Smart
- No commission or ticket fees
- The vendor charges only for subscriptions and upgrades, not per ticket; the payment gateway still charges its own transaction fees.
- Multiple ticket types
- Sell several ticket or registration types, with taxes, surcharges and required tickets on the Personal plan and above.
- Custom registration forms
- Ask custom questions and mark them required, and send custom registration emails (Personal plan and above).
- QR code tickets and scanning
- Email tickets with QR codes or barcodes and scan them with a phone or tablet at the door (Business plan).
- Waitlists and promo codes
- The Business plan adds a waitlist for sold-out events, discount codes and an event shopping cart.
- Event calendar and embeds
- Show events on a calendar and embed event listings on another site through an iframe.
Plans
Event Espresso
Decaf$0
Unlimited events and ticket sales, PayPal payments, basic forms; community support, not compatible with add-ons, 3% pay-as-you-go fee.
Core$129
per year for 1 live site, plus staging sites
Decaf features plus custom forms, taxes, email support and no app fees; works with 30+ add-ons sold separately; 0% pay-as-you-go.
All Access$399
per year
Core plus every add-on (discount codes, recurring events, waitlists, mobile scanning app, gateways) and premium support.
Event Smart
Basic$0
Unlimited events, offline invoice payment, attendee list download, 25 emails per hour and ads on the event site.
Personal$50
per month
No ads, multi-date events, custom registration emails, laptop check-in, 200 emails per hour.
Business$100
per month
Adds QR code tickets and phone scanning, promo codes, waitlists, custom CSS, analytics and 500 emails per hour.
Ways to pay less
Event Espresso
No public discounts listed.
Event Smart
- Nonprofit
15% to 20% off for nonprofits
Nonprofit, NGO and charity organizations get 15% off the Personal plan and 20% off the Business plan.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Event Espresso or Event Smart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Event Espresso is cheaper to start with: $10.75 a month when paid by the year, against $50 a month for Event Smart. Event Espresso starts at $129 per year for 1 live site, and Event Smart starts at $50 per month.
Which has a free plan, Event Espresso or Event Smart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Event Espresso and Event Smart have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.