Event Espresso vs FooEvents (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Event Espresso grades higher than FooEvents: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Event Espresso grades higher on the free plan. FooEvents grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use 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
FooEvents
WooCommerce plugins for selling event tickets on your own site
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 FooEvents if
- Fits if you already run WordPress and WooCommerce
- Works for agencies building ticketing sites for clients
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't run WooCommerce, as it works nowhere else
- Watch out: each domain needs its own license, and updates stop after 12 months unless it is renewed
- Pricey if you need door sales, as that is the $399 Point of Sale bundle
- Skip it if you want to try it first, because there is no trial
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAEvent EspressoFair | 2.0GPAFooEventsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | B$169 a year for one site on the Basic Bundle works out near $14 a month, in the cheaper quarter, but it needs WordPress hosting as well. |
| 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. | FNo free plan and no trial. A 14-day money-back guarantee isn't a trial. |
| Features | CCalendar, registration forms, ticket types, direct payments and check-in apps. Discount codes, waitlists and the scanning app are add-ons. | BTickets, check-in apps, seating, bookings, attendee fields, ticket themes and a point-of-sale add-on. Which parts you get depends on the bundle. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It needs a WordPress site you install and maintain yourself. | DIt needs a WordPress and WooCommerce site that you host and maintain. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, through WordPress, with PayPal, Stripe, Square, Mailchimp, QuickBooks and Elementor connections. | BWeb with free iOS and Android check-in apps, built on WooCommerce and its payment gateways. |
| Best for | WordPress sites that sell event tickets | selling tickets on your own WooCommerce site |
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 FooEvents. 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. FooEvents starts at $14.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
FooEvents scores higher, and starts $3.33 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 7 score higher than FooEvents 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.
- FooEvents also covers barcode scanning, qR codes and online store.
At a glance
| Event Espresso | FooEvents | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $129 per year for 1 live site | $169 per year for 1 site (Basic Bundle) |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Event Espresso | FooEvents |
| Price read from | eventespresso.com | fooevents.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.
FooEvents
- Runs only inside WordPress with WooCommerce installed; it is not a hosted ticketing service.
- Each domain needs its own license, and the license covers 12 months of support and updates, after which a subscription must stay valid to download updates.
- You still pay your payment gateway's own processing fees, and you host the site yourself.
- The page states a 14-day money-back guarantee; there is no free plan or trial.
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.
FooEvents
- Tickets on WooCommerce
- Event tickets are WooCommerce products, sold through the checkout, payment gateways, taxes and coupons you already use.
- Check-in apps
- A free Check-ins app for iOS and Android scans attendees in at the door.
- Seating and bookings
- Add-ons offer seat selection, bookable time slots and multi-day events; some are only in the higher bundles.
- Custom attendee fields
- Collect extra details per attendee and export the list for badge printing or a CRM.
- Branded tickets and stationery
- HTML and PDF ticket themes, plus a builder for badges, labels and wristbands from attendee data.
- Point of sale
- The POS extension sells tickets at the door; it is included only in the Point of Sale Bundle.
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.
FooEvents
Basic Bundle$169
per year for 1 site
Core plugin, PDF Tickets, Calendar, Express Check-in, Check-ins app and ticket themes, with 12 months of support and updates.
Bookings Bundle$199
per year for 1 site
Core plugin, PDF Tickets, Custom Attendee Fields, Calendar and Bookings, plus the Check-ins app and ticket themes.
Premium Bundle$249
per year for 1 site
Core plugin plus PDF Tickets, Custom Attendee Fields, Multi-day, Seating, Calendar and Express Check-in. Marked as the most popular bundle.
Point of Sale Bundle$399
per year for 1 site
Everything in the Premium Bundle set plus Bookings and FooEvents POS for door sales.
Ways to pay less
Event Espresso
No public discounts listed.
FooEvents
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit discount application
FooEvents links an NPO discount application form from its pricing page footer; the discount amount is not stated there.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Event Espresso or FooEvents?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Event Espresso is cheaper to start with: $10.75 a month when paid by the year, against $14.08 a month when paid by the year for FooEvents. Event Espresso starts at $129 per year for 1 live site, and FooEvents starts at $169 per year for 1 site (Basic Bundle).
Which has a free plan, Event Espresso or FooEvents?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Event Espresso has a free plan. FooEvents does not.
Which platforms do Event Espresso and FooEvents run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only FooEvents lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.