Bookster – WordPress Appointment Booking Plugin vs Event Genius – Event Management, Events Calendar, Registration, and RSVP

Managing appointments through phone calls, texts, and emails is chaotic. You lose track of bookings, double-book appointments, and spend hours on scheduling instead of serving customers. Bookster turns your WordPress site into a 24/7 booking system. 🌐 View All Demos Customers book appointments themselves, see real-time availability, and receive automatic confirmations. You manage everything from one dashboard. 📌 Documentation | Core Pro vs All Access 💫 Perfect For Hair salons and barbershops Spas and beauty clinics Massage therapists and wellness centers Personal trainers and fitness coaches Consultants and coaches Tutors and education services Medical and dental practices Any service business that takes appointments 💙 How It Works Customers visit your booking page, choose a service, pick their preferred staff member, select an available time slot, and book instantly. You receive an email notification and can view all appointments in your calendar dashboard. No more back-and-forth scheduling. 🔥 Key Features (100% Free) Unlimited Bookings & Services Create unlimited services with custom names, descriptions, and photos Set individual duration and pricing for each service Add taxes, fees and discounts to bookings No limits on number of appointments per month Offer service add-ons and upsell options Smart Scheduling Set your working hours for each day of the week Configure different availability for different services Add buffer time between appointments (e.g., 15-minute cleanup) Block off days for vacations or holidays Set minimum advance notice for bookings (e.g., require 24-hour notice) Customer Booking Experience Clean, mobile-friendly booking form that works on all devices Multi-step process: choose service → select staff → pick time → enter details → confirm Customers see only available time slots (no double-booking) Optional customer account dashboard to view and manage their bookings Customers can cancel or reschedule appointments themselves Payment Options Accept cash/check for in-person payment Accept PayPal payments online (customers pay when booking) Stripe integration available via premium addon for credit card payments Mark bookings as paid or unpaid manually Track revenue in the analytics dashboard Automatic Notifications Email confirmation sent to customers immediately after booking Reminder emails sent before appointment Email notifications sent to admin when new bookings arrive Customize email templates with your branding All emails sent automatically – no manual work required Admin Dashboard View all appointments in Bookster → Calendar menu Switch between day, week, and month calendar views Click any appointment to view or edit details instantly Filter appointments by status (confirmed, pending, cancelled) Search for specific customers or appointments Drag appointments to different dates to reschedule Color-coded by service or staff member for quick overview Analytics & Reports Track total bookings and revenue right from dashboard View performance by service (which services are most popular) Monitor individual agent performance Make data-driven decisions about staffing and services Premium Addons (Optional) Upgrade your booking system with these customizable options: Staff Management Add unlimited team members from Bookster → Agents menu Set individual working hours for each staff member Assign specific services to specific team members Let customers choose their preferred agent or assign automatically Track performance and bookings per agent Booking Form Customize booking form steps (reorder, add, or remove steps) Add custom fields to collect specific information Enable recaptcha, brand logo, timezone selector, and more for your booking system. Advanced Features (coming in future addons) Group bookings and classes Recurring appointments Multiple locations management SMS notifications via Twilio Design Toolkit for Block Editor and Elementor Getting Started Adding the Booking Calendar to Your Site Method 1: Shortcode (Works Anywhere) Add [bookster_booking_form] to any page, post, or widget area. Method 2: Block Editor 1. Edit the page where you want the booking form 2. Click the + button to add a block 3. Search for “Bookster” 4. Select the Bookster Booking Form block 5. Publish the page Method 3: Classic Editor Paste [bookster_booking_form] directly into your content. Viewing and Managing Appointments Go to Bookster → Calendar in your WordPress dashboard You’ll see all appointments in calendar format Click any appointment to view details or make changes Use the view buttons at top to switch between day/week/month views Use filters to show appointments based on agents or booking status Creating a Manual Booking (For Walk-Ins or Phone Bookings) Go to Bookster → Calendar Click the + New Appointment button (or click an empty time slot) Select the service and staff member Choose date and time Enter customer information (name, email, phone) Select payment method Click Create Appointment Customer automatically receives confirmation email Troubleshooting Booking calendar not showing on my page Check 1: Verify the shortcode Make sure you added [bookster_booking_form] exactly (with square brackets). Check 2: Clear cache If using a caching plugin, clear your cache: WP Rocket → Clear Cache or similar. Check 3: Theme conflict Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme (Twenty Twenty-Five) to test. If it works, there’s a theme conflict. Customers not receiving email confirmations Check 1: Email settings Go to Bookster → Integrations → Email tab and confirm email notifications are enabled. Check 2: Check spam folders Ask customers to check spam/junk folders. Add your domain to their contacts. Check 3: WordPress email issues WordPress email can be unreliable. Install an SMTP plugin like YaySMTP to improve email delivery: 1. Install YaySMTP plugin 2. Connect it to Gmail, SendGrid, or Mailgun 3. Send a test email to verify Check 4: Test with yourself Create a test booking using your own email to confirm emails are sending. Time slots not showing as available Check 1: Working hours configured Go to Bookster → Settings → Schedule and verify hours are set for the day in question. Check 2: Agent availability If using staff members, check Bookster → Agents and verify the agent works on that day. Check 3: Minimum advance notice Check Bookster → Settings → General → Restrictions, if you require 24-hour notice, today’s appointments won’t show. Check 4: Service duration If your service is 2 hours but only 1 hour remains before closing time, that slot won’t appear. Double bookings happening This shouldn’t happen with Bookster. If it does: Check 1: Multiple admin users If multiple people manage bookings, ensure everyone refreshes the calendar before creating appointments. Check 2: Contact support If this persists, contact Bookster support with specific examples. PayPal payments not working Go to Bookster → Settings → Payments tab Verify your PayPal email address is correct Confirm PayPal is enabled (toggle should be blue/on) Test in PayPal sandbox mode first Check if PayPal account is verified and can accept payments Review PayPal transaction logs for error messages Calendar showing wrong timezone Go to Settings → General in WordPress Set your city timezone correctly (e.g., “New York” or “Berlin”) Save changes Go to Bookster → Settings and verify timezone matches Clear browser cache and reload Third-Party Services Bookster uses these external services to provide full functionality: FullCalendar.io Purpose: Renders the interactive booking calendar Privacy: No personal data sent to FullCalendar Terms: https://fullcalendar.io/license Stripe.com (Optional – only if using Stripe addon) Purpose: Process credit card payments Data shared: Customer name, email, payment amount Privacy: https://stripe.com/privacy PayPal.com Purpose: Process PayPal payments Data shared: Customer name, email, payment amount Privacy: https://www.paypal.com/privacy When customers make payments, they’re redirected to Stripe or PayPal’s secure servers. Bookster does not store credit card numbers. Support Need help? We’re here for you: Documentation: Visit Bookster’s detailed guides Support Forum: Post questions in the WordPress.org support forum Email & Live Chat Support: Contact us through the Bookster website Video Tutorials: Watch setup videos on our YouTube channel Response time: We typically respond within 4 hours on business days and 12 hours on weekends. We’d Love Your Feedback ❣️ If Bookster helps your business, please leave us a review on WordPress.org! It takes 60 seconds and brightens our day. Click here ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to share your experience. Have a feature request? We’re actively developing new features based on user feedback. Submit your ideas here. Compatibility Works With All Major WordPress Themes: Brandy WP Shadcn GeneratePress OceanWP Divi Avada And thousands more Page Builders: Elementor Gutenberg (Block Editor) Classic Editor Beaver Builder WPBakery What’s Next? After installing Bookster: Run the setup wizard Add the booking calendar to a page Create a test booking to see the customer experience Customize email templates with your branding Share your booking page link with customers Start accepting appointments 24/7! Your new booking system is ready to help you grow your business. Welcome to Bookster! 🚀

Complete WordPress Event Management & Registration Solution Event Genius is a powerful yet easy-to-use free event registration plugin designed for schools, sports organizations, pickleball clubs, membership sites, fitness classes, conferences, and any business needing comprehensive event registration capabilities. Whether you need a simple RSVP form, virtual event registration, hybrid event management, or a full-featured event registration system, Event Genius makes event planning effortless. Event Genius is a modern WordPress event management plugin built by an experienced team with a deep understanding of what event organizers need. It offers a streamlined alternative to plugins like The Events Calendar and Events Manager, with a focus on flexibility, performance, and ease of use. Our goal is to provide a robust and intuitive event management experience that works out of the box while still offering the flexibility to grow with your needs. If you need help, our team is here to support you. Migrate from The Events Calendar in minutes Automatically import events, recurring events, registrations, venues, organizers, categories, tags, and more from supported versions of The Events Calendar ecosystem. Your existing calendar remains active while you review imported events before switching. Event Management Features Unlimited Events & Event Registrations No limits on how many events you can create or attendees you can manage through our event registration and ticketing system. Perfect for creating event lists or an interactive calendar where your visitors can register for events. Built-In Migration Wizard Import events, recurring events, registrations, venues, organizers, Event Tickets attendees, categories, tags, and settings from supported versions of The Events Calendar while keeping your existing calendar active. Event Details Control Set custom start and end dates, assign venues and organizers to an event, set a cost, set a registration capacity, add images and descriptions for each event. Virtual & Hybrid Events Create in-person, virtual, or hybrid events from the same event editor. Add Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, or other meeting links, include virtual instructions, and automatically protect join links until attendees register. Confirmation emails and calendar downloads include virtual event details for registered attendees. Multiple Event Calendar Views Choose from list, month, and grid views for displaying your events in an organized event calendar format. Allow visitors to toggle between the views and filter based on venue, category, and search terms. Google Calendar & iCal Event Sync Allow users to add your events to their personal calendars with a few clicks, which will significantly increase your event attendance. Dedicated Venue and Organizer Pages Create individual pages for venues and organizers with detailed information and lists of related events. Show social proof that the venues and organizers of your events will create meaningful experiences. Event Registration Form Builder Create custom event registration form solutions with drag-and-drop ease, adding fields like text inputs, dropdowns, and checkboxes. Make fields required, add a terms and conditions acknowledgement, and prevent duplicate registrations. Create event registration forms exactly as you need them. Accept RSVP submissions and allow users to access tickets. Flexible Registration Display Registration forms automatically appear on event pages, or use blocks and shortcodes to place them anywhere on your website. Attendee List Management Display attendee lists on event pages or use dedicated blocks and shortcodes for flexible placement. Automated Event Emails Send confirmation emails to attendees and notifications to event organizers automatically. Customizable Email Templates Customize both attendee confirmation emails and organizer notification emails with your own branding and messaging. Event Registration Controls Set registration start/end times, event capacity limits, or disable registration entirely while keeping event information visible. Self-Cancellation System Attendees can cancel their registration or RSVP through secure email links for better event management. Event Management Admin Tools Add, edit, delete events, export event reports, and manage event attendees from your WordPress dashboard. CSV Export Functionality Export all event registrations to CSV format for easy data analysis and management. Free Recurring Events Support Create daily, weekly, or monthly repeating events for ongoing event management needs. Free recurring events support is included in Event Genius. Advanced SEO for Recurring Events Prevent duplicate content penalties with automatic canonical URLs, smart sitemap filtering, and 301 redirects for invalid instances. Each recurring event instance gets its own unique URL optimized for search engines. Learn more about recurring events SEO. Why Choose Our WordPress Event Management Plugin? Fast & Lightweight Event Calendar – Optimized for performance, even on high-traffic websites. Mobile-Friendly Event Registration – Fully responsive event forms and event calendar for seamless experience on all devices. Virtual Event Ready – Easily manage webinars, online classes, hybrid conferences, virtual meetings, and live training sessions with protected meeting links and built-in registration. Block Theme & Full Site Editing Support – Complete compatibility with WordPress block themes and full site editing (FSE). Design custom event pages, organizer pages, and venue pages using the Site Editor without any custom code. Perfect for block themes like Twenty Twenty-Four. SEO-Optimized Event Pages – Advanced SEO features for recurring events including unique canonical URLs, automatic redirects for invalid instances, and smart sitemap filtering. Compatible with Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and other popular SEO plugins. WordPress Caching Plugin Compatible – Built-in support for WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket, and LiteSpeed Cache. Automatically clears cache and refreshes dynamic content to ensure accurate registration information on cached pages. Flexible Registration Confirmation – Choose when registrations are confirmed and when the confirmation email is sent: automatically after registration or manual review only, with a one-click Send Confirmation Email from the registration in the admin. Regular Event Management Updates & Dedicated Support – We want to provide the best possible experience for our users. Please reach out if we can help. Perfect For Event Management Needs: Event Planners – Comprehensive event management tools for professional event planning Event Organizers – Streamlined event registration, RSVPs, and attendee management Event Websites – Complete event calendar and event management solution Event Businesses – Professional event registration, tickets, and event management capabilities Sports Clubs – Perfect for sports registration and pickleball registration needs Schools & Organizations – Ideal for managing event list displays and RSVP form requirements Upgrade to Event Genius Pro Unlock powerful advanced features to help you manage events more efficiently: Accept Payments & Sell Tickets – Accept payments through Stripe and PayPal, or track offline payments manually. Multiple Registration Forms – Create unique forms for different event types with customized confirmations and notifications. Multiple Registration Types – Define separate registration options on one event (for example General, VIP, or early bird), each with its own name, price, and optional capacity, so attendees pick the tier that fits them. Event Waiting Lists – Let visitors join a waiting list when events fill up, then automatically or manually promote attendees when spots become available. Check-in & Attendance Tracking – Streamline check-in and track attendance status with automated follow-up emails. Event Series Management – Group related events into series with flexible registration options for full series or individual dates. Scheduled Event Reminders – Automatically send reminder emails before events and follow-up messages after to improve engagement. Multiple Email Templates – Create different templates for various event types and maintain consistent branding. Register Multiple Guests – Allow attendees to register additional guests during the registration process. List Events Registered For – Help attendees see all their registered events in one place. Manually Email Registrants – Send targeted emails to specific registrants or groups. Advanced Form Fields – File uploads, date pickers, attendee number fields, and hidden admin fields. Multiple Event Registration – Allow attendees to register for multiple events at once. Offline Payment Tracking – Track and manage offline or manual payments with complete control. Upgrade to Event Genius Pro to unlock all these features and more!