Increase the number of functionalities you have available on your sites by adding a calendar or a datepicker plugin. Calendar plugins and datepicker plugins are similar to each other, but definitely not the same thing. A calendar plugin allows you to include an interactive calendar on your webpages where you can list events and make notes on certain key dates. A datepicker plugin is one that is usually part of a form of some sort and allows your users to pick and choose dates to submit to the form — perfect for forms where you’re trying to make a reservation or book an appointment. The following is a list of some of the best free calendar and datepicker plugins available.
1. CLNDR.js
This lightweight calendar plugin doesn’t provide any HTML markup for you, but this gives you a lot of options in terms of how you want to style your calendar. With this plugin, adding events to your calendar templates is easy, simple, and results in a fast and efficient product.
2. FullCalendar
This interactive calendar is drag n drop, so you can pick up events and move them to other dates or times quickly and easily. You can view the calendar in a month, week, day, or list format. You can also add links to your event names.
3. gIDatePicker
This datepicker plugin is ultra lightweight and comes with dozens of different themes to use to style your calendars. You can set data to certain dates, restrict the range of dates that your users can select, use a drop-down menu to jump to a specific date and year, and so much more.
4. pickadate.js
This plugin is lightweight and responsive/mobile friendly. You can use it to allow your users to selects both dates and times. It’s supported by current versions of all major browsers.
5. Scheduler
The Scheduler is a fully responsive calendar plugin that allows you to see your calendar in monthly, weekly, daily, or map (by location) views. You can also use it to export your calendar to PDF, XML, or iCal.
This feature-rich plugin comes allows your users to pick a date and a time, and comes with different theme options for styling.
This plugin was designed to integrate seamlessly with the Bootstrap framework. Use it to see a whole year’s worth of dates at one time, and to be able to easily navigate between years.
Looking for a calendar that’s done a bit differently from the rest? This one has a really unique design but offers much of the same functionalities as the others on the list.
Another great calendar for displaying your events, this one lists out all of your events under the monthly calendar display.
10. jDigiClock
This widget-inspired clock plugin can be used to display time, date, and temperature anywhere in the world. It’s highly customizable and lightweight.