Hi all. I'm Brandon. I run a tiny software company in the UK and I made this, so: full disclosure.

We look after a local news site that lists hundreds of events a month. It ran The Events Calendar, and it had got slow and fiddly. The dashboard was full of upsells for features we didn't need, and editors dreaded the event screen. So we built our own, then tidied it up into a plugin anyone can use.

Calendar² is a plain events calendar:

• events, venues and organisers, with colour-coded categories;
• repeats you can read as a sentence ("Every week on Tuesday and Thursday, 10 times"), plus monthly by date or "the third Saturday", and skippable dates;
• month, list and day views at /events/, with search and filters that work without JavaScript;
• schema.org event data, an iCal feed and "Add to calendar" links;
• it uses your theme's fonts, colours and buttons, so it doesn't look bolted on.

Events are ordinary WordPress posts, so revisions, featured images and your SEO plugin all just work. Every date of a repeating event is stored once in a small indexed table, so a month page reads the rows it shows and nothing else.

The bit I'm proudest of is the switch from The Events Calendar. You get a dry run first, then a private preview on your own site while visitors still see TEC, then the switch, and a roll-back if you change your mind. Old event URLs and [tribe_events] shortcodes keep working. In our stress test, 1,000 events migrated in 24 seconds. At 10,000 events, the switch took 4.6 s and rolling back took 3.0 s. A switch and roll-back with no edits gave back every original post exactly as it was.

What it doesn't do (yet), so nobody wastes an install: there's no ticketing or RSVPs (Tickets² is next), no virtual events, no week, photo or map views, and nothing like TEC's Filter Bar. If you rely on those, stay where you are for now.

Pricing: the free plugin is the whole calendar: repeats, shortcodes and venue and organiser pages included, with no limits, no account and no nags. It has no licence code in it and doesn't phone home. Pro is $79/yr for one site ($149 for 5, $299 unlimited) and adds a public "submit an event" form with an approval queue, plus feeds that pull events in from iCal, RSS or other sites running TEC or Calendar². If a Pro licence lapses, it keeps working; you just stop getting updates. Staging and local sites don't count.

For context, since cost is why most people asked us about this: on TEC, repeats, shortcodes, venue pages and submissions are in the paid plans, which Liquid Web lists at $399/yr (Pro) and $599/yr (Elite) as of today. TEC does a lot more than we do (tickets, week and map views, Filter Bar), so it's not a like-for-like price, but if you only use the calendar bits, it's a big difference. We also don't take a cut of anything: we sell licences, that's it. Tickets² is next, on the same terms (no cut of your ticket sales).

It's waiting on review at WordPress.org, so for now the free zip is on our site: https://plugins.bsquared.software/calendar?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=calendar-launch

I'd really like to hear what's missing for your sites, or anything that breaks. Happy to answer anything in the comments.

Quick disclosure: I’m one of the developers behind ShopBuilder at RadiusTheme. I’m posting because I’d like honest feedback from people who build WooCommerce stores, not just to drop a link.

The thing we worked hardest on: not slowing your store down

Most “all-in-one” WooCommerce addons have the same problem. You install them for two features, and suddenly every page loads CSS and JavaScript for wishlists, countdowns, swatches, and checkout tools it never uses. Your PageSpeed score drops and you don’t know why.

So we built ShopBuilder around asset optimization:

• Assets load only where they’re used. If a page doesn’t have the wishlist, quick view, or flash sale countdown, their CSS and JS don’t load there.
• Turn off anything you don’t need. Every module and widget has an on/off switch. Disabled means it’s gone from your frontend, not just hidden.
• Leaner code under the hood. We cleaned up the core CSS and JS, restructured the JavaScript so it doesn’t clutter the global scope, and added caching to cut repeated processing.
• Better mobile LCP on shop pages. The first row of product images loads with high priority, and the icon font no longer blocks page rendering.

What you can build

With Elementor, you can design every WooCommerce page with drag and drop:

• Shop and archive pages
• Single product pages
• Cart and checkout pages
• My Account and login pages
• Order received page

You can also give a single category or a single product its own custom layout, which is handy when one product line needs a different look.

It comes with 140+ widgets and pre-built templates you can import and edit.

Modules that replace separate plugins

Instead of installing a different plugin for every feature, ShopBuilder includes 25+ modules. A few that people use most:

• Quick view, wishlist, and product compare
• Variation swatches and variation image gallery
• Checkout fields editor
• Product badges
• AJAX product filters with load more, numbered, or infinite scroll pagination
• Multi-step checkout and a Shopify-style checkout
• Mini cart and sticky add-to-cart
• Pre-order, back-order, and a back-in-stock notifier
• Product add-ons (engraving, gift wrap, extra fields)
• Currency switcher with automatic exchange rates
• Smart coupons, BOGO, bulk discounts, and gift cards
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Catalog mode, PDF invoices, and a popup builder

Modules work without Elementor, so you can use them with any theme.

Free vs Pro

The free version on wp.org covers the page builder, the core widgets, and modules like quick view, wishlist, compare, swatches, and the variation gallery. Pro adds things like AJAX filters, multi-step checkout, currency switcher, product add-ons, and the discount modules.

It’s at 10,000+ active installs, and we push updates regularly.

What I’d like to know:

1. If you’ve used Elementor Pro’s WooCommerce builder, ShopEngine, or JetWooBuilder, how do they compare on speed for you?
2. Is there a module you’d expect to be free that we’ve put in Pro?
3. What’s the one WooCommerce page you still can’t design the way you want?

Free download: https://wordpress.org/plugins/shopbuilder/

Demos and docs: https://shopbuilderwp.com/

I’m the maker of AskMyPages. It adds meaning-based search to your existing WordPress search box, plus an optional chat assistant.

Visitors can ask questions about your site’s content and open the page or PDF page used in the answer. The search box and results page stay in your theme.

The free plan includes one site, 500 indexed items, 1,000 searches and 100 AI answers per month. It uses a hosted service connected by email sign-in, with no card or separate AI API key required. Paid plans offer higher limits and additional features.

Try it without signing up: https://demo.askmypages.com/try-askmypages/

Plugin: https://wordpress.org/plugins/askmypages/

If you manage a content-heavy WordPress site, which would be more useful: better search or a chat assistant? What would stop you from trying it?

Hi everyone! I work on bSlider, a free slider block for Gutenberg (it's on wordpress.org). Over the last few months we've made 70+ slider templates using only core blocks. Every heading, button and image is a normal block, so you can edit it right in the editor. No page builder needed.

Demo list: https://b-slider.bplugins.com/demo/

Before we start the next, I'd love your feedback. Anyone is welcome to share their thoughts.

1. What types of businesses do you build websites for? For example restaurants, real estate, agencies, online stores, schools, salons or events. Right now most of our templates are for business/agency, portfolio, fashion & beauty, shops and real estate. We have very few for restaurants, education, travel, events/weddings and WooCommerce products. Which category do you need most?
2. Which slider do you use most? A full-width hero (the big banner at the top of a page), product carousel, testimonials, logo carousel, blog post slider, video background, or something else?
3. Do you like animated layers (text and buttons that slide in), or do simple, fast-loading sliders work better for you?
4. Is there a slider design you need often but can't find as a ready-made template anywhere? For example a restaurant menu slider, a before/after slider, or a property slider with price and location.
5. Besides templates, is there anything that would make building a slider easier for you? For example AI that builds a slider from a short description, ready-made sections, or a simple step-by-step setup.

In short, I want to know which templates people really use. Your feedback means a lot to us, and even a one-line answer helps. Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’m the maker behind SmallOps Studio. I’ve built a small paid-beta plugin that lets customers check shipping costs directly in WooCommerce’s modern Cart Block.

Customers enter their country, state and postcode. It uses your existing WooCommerce shipping zones and methods to display rates. The destination carries through to Checkout, where they choose their shipping method.

It supports built-in Flat Rate, Free Shipping and Local Pickup, without an external service or API.

Before buying: - Modern Cart Block only. - “Hide shipping costs until an address is entered” must be OFF. - Tested on WordPress 7.1.2, WooCommerce 11.1.2 and PHP 8.3.33. - Third-party carrier, multi-vendor and complex shipping extensions aren’t guaranteed. - Updates come as ZIP files, not automatic dashboard updates.

US$9 one-time for the first 10 purchases using FIRST10, then US$19. Applicable taxes are added at checkout.

Actual plugin screenshots, details and introductory offer: https://smallopsstudio.gumroad.com/l/cart-shipping-calculator/FIRST10

Your WordPress posts can now be videos. Without leaving WordPress.

We just launched B2V Video by FireBird, the official Blog2Video plugin for WordPress.

Open any post, click generate, and Blog2Video turns it into a narrated video right inside the editor. You can also paste any public article link and turn that into a video too.

Why writers love it:

• AI narration that actually sounds human via ElevenLabs API v4
• Edit every scene, voice, and template before you render
• Real, structured visuals built from your content, not random AI clips
• Embed the finished video straight into your post with one Gutenberg block
• Free plan: 2 videos a month, no watermark

5,000+ creators have already made 7,500+ videos with Blog2Video. Now WordPress publishers can do it in a few clicks.

Every post you’ve already written is a video waiting to happen.

Get the plugin: https://wordpress.org/plugins/b2v-video-by-firebird/

Hi,

I'm searching for a similar plugin to LinguaRank AI . I want to use AI to translate my posts using the Polylang plugin structure but I don't want to be dependant to OpenAI, Claude etc. I have my own self hosted model so I would like a plugin to connect a custom model API to Polylang basically.

Nothing against LinguaRank AI btw, I'm just searching for all the options I could use.

Did you heard about such a plugin ?

Thanks

I manage IT for BeautyTYT, a beauty salon in Lisbon, and I’m also behind o_OKak, the developer of Slot Finder.

A client calls for a treatment with an extra service. You need an opening that fits the whole appointment, not just a gap that looks free in the calendar.

Slot Finder is an internal WordPress tool for teams using Amelia. Choose the service and Extras, optionally filter by employee or location, and see available start times calculated with appointment duration, buffers and scheduling constraints.

It only finds times. It does not create, hold, move or cancel appointments; you still make the booking in Amelia.

There is a 14-day trial with no card required. Continuing afterwards requires a paid subscription: €35/year, renewing annually until cancelled.

Details and trial: https://o-0kak.com/slot-finder/

If your front desk handles phone or walk-in bookings, I’m happy to answer setup questions here in writing.

This is independent software, not an official Amelia product.

Default WooCommerce search matches the exact words a shopper types. A misspelled product name returns "no results".

I've been building a plugin that replaces that search box. It corrects typos from the store's own product titles. A question like "do you have this jacket in size M?" gets an answer from the product pages, with a link to the page it used.

It runs on Shopify too, but WooCommerce is where I'd like the most feedback. New accounts get $5 of free credit.

On October 29 I'm doing a free live session with demos on real stores: https://the-end-of-search-as-we-know-it.heysummit.com/live/

Try a misspelled product in the search on the demo store: https://demo.crawlbrain.com

I manage IT for BeautyTYT, a beauty salon in Lisbon, and I’m also behind o_OKak, the developer of this plugin.

If you use Amelia and pay staff a percentage of their completed appointments, month-end can mean rebuilding the figures in a spreadsheet.

Staff Commission Lite brings that calculation into WordPress. Set a percentage for each team member, choose whether the calculation includes tax, and open the monthly report. Rates have effective dates, so changing someone’s percentage does not apply the new rate to earlier work.

Lite is free, with no trial expiry. A separate paid Pro edition adds more detailed rules and reports. The plugin requires Amelia; it does not run payroll or send staff payments.

You can try Lite here: https://wordpress.org/plugins/o-okak-staff-commission/

If this fits your salon’s setup, I’m happy to answer questions here in writing.

This is independent software, not an official Amelia product.

I needed a short answer to "which plugin for a price/quote calculator", so I went through the pricing pages and docs of seven plugins.

Disclosure: I make one of them (CraftForms), so I've kept my own entry to a line and listed its downsides too.

What stood out:

- Calculated Fields Form: the best free option. Unlimited calculated fields with JavaScript expressions and conditional dependencies in the free version. Charts and CSV/database lookups are in the Developer edition (one-time payment).

- Gravity Forms: calculations are in every licence ($59/yr), but the Stripe, PayPal, Square and Mollie add-ons start at Pro ($159/yr).

- WS Form: calculations in PRO Personal ($59/yr) with a long function list. Stripe is only in the Agency bundle ($249/yr) or sold separately.

- Formidable: "Calculations" from Basic ($39.50 first year, then $79), but Basic and Plus add a 3% fee on payments until Business.

- Fluent Forms: conditional logic and Stripe are free; numeric calculation needs Pro ($79/yr or $349 lifetime).

- Cost Calculator Builder: the free version calculates, but conditional logic is Pro.

- WPForms: the Calculations add-on needs Pro ($199.50 first year, then $399).

- CraftForms (mine): has a built-in 2D price table and live pie/donut charts, but the free version doesn't calculate at all (paid from €50.99/yr), and there are no multi-step forms yet.

Two things worth checking whatever you pick:

1. If your prices come from a grid (width × height, quantity tiers), look for a lookup table. Only a few have one built in; without it you end up with long nested formulas.

2. If the visitor pays the calculated total, check that the price is recalculated on the server. A total worked out only in the browser can be changed in dev tools.

The full write-up with the comparison table is here: https://craftformswp.com/best-wordpress-calculator-form-plugins-2026/

Thoughts? Ideas? Shares? Feedback? :)

I'm deciding what free WordPress plugin to build next, and I'd rather ask actual WordPress users before spending weeks developing something.

I'm considering two ideas:

1. SEO Plugin

A free SEO toolkit with titles and meta descriptions, Open Graph, XML sitemaps, schema, redirects and other useful SEO features — without locking important tools behind a premium version.

1. WooCommerce Import & Sync

Import products from CSV/XML or a remote feed, map fields, update prices and stock, and automatically synchronize selected product data on a schedule.

Both would be free and developed as independent projects.

Which one would actually be more useful to you?

• SEO Plugin

• WooCommerce Import & Sync

• Both

• Neither — I need something else

If there's another WordPress tool you wish existed, I'd genuinely like to hear about it in the comments.

Hey everyone,

I'm working on a production workflow for building client directory sites (like real estate and local business listings). Every time I start a new project, I end up installing a fragmented stack: ACF Pro for custom fields, a form builder for inquiries, a separate booking plugin, and often the full WooCommerce core just to get a basic catalog functionality.

Aside from license management, the combined JS/CSS asset overhead and database query load is getting out of hand during mobile performance optimization.

To solve this for my own agency workflow, I’ve been developing a lightweight, open-source custom field framework that bundles native JSON-LD schema layouts, a session-based mini cart, and an AJAX form inbox into a single isolated system.

I want to know how other developers handle this:

1. Do you rely entirely on WooCommerce for non-shop directories, or do you code custom query models?
2. How do you handle schema.org mappings dynamically without bloating the functions.php?

I'm looking for a few fellow developers to look at my current architecture, run some performance tests, and give me feedback on the code.

Since I want to fully respect community guidelines, I am not sharing any external download or repo links here. Please drop a comment or send me a DM if you'd like to check the codebase or talk about the architecture. Thanks!