PHP & URL events, built in
Schedule a snippet of PHP or a request to a URL straight from the admin — no companion plugin or boilerplate required. Advanced Cron Manager only ever generates code for you to paste elsewhere.
Both plugins read from the same underlying WP-Cron system, so they cover the same basics: view, add, delete, pause, and manually run cron events, plus manage custom schedules.
Where they diverge is the finer details for reliable management and debugging, how reliably events behave, and what each Pro version unlocks for monitoring and debugging.
Feature comparison
Free In the free versionPro Paid upgrade only— Not available
| Capability | WP Crontrol | Advanced Cron Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday cron management | ||
| View all scheduled cron events | Free | Free |
| Add and delete events | Free | Free |
| Pause and resume eventsWP Crontrol pauses the underlying hook, so events that get auto-rescheduled by plugins stay reliably paused. | Free | Free |
| Bulk actions on multiple events | Free | Free |
| Add and remove custom cron schedules | Free | Free |
| Reschedule the next run timeBuilt into WP Crontrol’s edit screen; Advanced Cron Manager puts editing and rescheduling behind Pro. | Free | Pro |
| See the callbacks hooked to each eventWP Crontrol shows registered callbacks for free; Advanced Cron Manager calls this “event listeners” and reserves it for Pro. | Free | Pro |
| Manually run an event accuratelyOnly in WP Crontrol does a manually run event run in the exact same manner as it does when it runs at its scheduled time. | Free | — |
| Timezone-aware times throughoutEvery time is shown with a clear, accurate indication of which timezone applies. | Free | — |
| Warnings for broken cron systemsAlerts for events with no action, events that have missed their schedule, and problems spawning WP-Cron. | Free | — |
| Creating & scheduling events | ||
| PHP cron eventsRun a snippet of PHP on a schedule, gated behind strict capability checks. Advanced Cron Manager declines to offer this. | Free | — |
| URL cron eventsRequest a URL on a recurring schedule. No code required. | Free | — |
| Export cron events to CSV | Free | — |
| Action Scheduler / WooCommerce supportFull support for the Action Scheduler system used by WooCommerce subscriptions and orders. | Free | — |
| Copy-paste PHP implementation snippetsAdvanced Cron Manager generates ready-made add_action() boilerplate for each event. | — | Free |
| Server-side cron setup helperAdvanced Cron Manager can disable page-load WP-Cron and guide you through a real server cron job. | — | Free |
| Advanced time-based schedulingAdvanced Cron Manager Pro adds Schyntax for things like “noon on the last day of the month”. | — | Pro |
| Monitoring & diagnostics | ||
| Full logging of cron event runs | Pro | Pro |
| Error catching and alerts for failed events | Pro | Pro |
| Performance metrics (run time & memory) | Pro | Pro |
| Custom debug logging from inside callbacks | Pro | Pro |
| Graphical insights & weekly density hotspotsWP Crontrol Pro visualises event density and the busiest times across the week. | Pro | — |
| WP-CLI integrationThe wp crontrol commands surface your cron logs from the command line. | Pro | — |
By the numbers
WP CrontrolAdvanced Cron Manager
- 300,000+Active installations30,000+
- Since 2008Actively maintainedSince 2014
- 24Translated languages9
Why WP Crontrol is 10X more popular
Pausing that actually sticks
WP Crontrol pauses the event’s hook rather than unscheduling it, so events that plugins keep rescheduling stay reliably paused instead of quietly reappearing.
Timezones without the guesswork
Every date, interval, and next-run time is shown with the correct timezone clearly labelled, so you always know exactly when an event will fire.
WooCommerce & Action Scheduler ready
Full support for the Action Scheduler system that powers WooCommerce subscriptions, recurring payments, and background orders.
Insight, not just a log
WP Crontrol Pro goes beyond a flat list of runs with performance metrics, graphical insights into event density, and visibility into the busiest hotspots throughout your week.
Proven at enterprise scale
WP Crontrol has been tested and relied upon for years on sites on enterprise WordPress platforms including Altis and WordPress VIP.
Where Advanced Cron Manager shines
No plugin is the right fit for everyone. Advanced Cron Manager includes a few features that WP Crontrol doesn’t:
- A Server Scheduler helper that disables page-load WP-Cron and walks you through wiring up a real system cron job.
- Copy-paste PHP snippets for each event, generating the
add_action()boilerplate for you to drop into a plugin or theme. - Schyntax for time-based scheduling.
Already using Advanced Cron Manager?
Switching to WP Crontrol is seamless. Both plugins read from the same WP-Cron system, so all of your existing events and schedules show up in WP Crontrol straight away. There’s nothing to migrate.