32 Best WordPress Plugins for Blogs: Top WP Blog Plugin Guide

Last Updated on November 27, 2020

John Yray

You’re going to need the best WordPress plugins in order to build the blog you want. But that’s easier said than done. With over 56,000 plugins out there to choose from, figuring it out on your own may take a while.

Or it could take forever.

Disclosure As an independent review site, we get compensated if you purchase through the referral links or coupon codes on this page – at no additional cost to you.

But don’t worry. This article was created to answer the question. It’ll also address the following as well:

What the best paid and free plugins are
What plugins you’ll need the most
How the listed plugins benefit you
And more

Alright, let’s get poppin.

Here are the best WordPress plugins for blogs

Best premium WordPress plugins

Astra Pro
Elementor Pro
WP Rocket
Perfmatters
SEOPress Pro
Lasso
Simple Social Buttons Pro
Convert Pro
WPForms
MonsterInsights
Malcare
UpdraftPlus
SeedProd
LearnDash
LiveChat by LiveChat

Best free WordPress plugins

Elementor
Easy Table of Contents
Akismet
Broken Link Checker
Pre-publish Checklist
WP Last Modified Info
Lazy Load for Comments
Ultimate Posts Widgets
Sidebar Manager
ShortPixel
Q2W3 Fixed Widget
Advanced Custom Fields
Enable Media Replace
The GDPR Framework
Onesignal
WP-Live Chat by 3CX
Classic Editor
W3 Total Cache

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Best WordPress blog plugin comparison

Plugin Name	Best for	Find out more
Astra Pro	Adding more design features for blogs with the existing Astra Theme
Elementor Pro	Designing beautiful and functional blogs quickly and easily
WP Rocket	Creating a better user experience with caching
Perfmatters	Upgrading blog loading times by disabling unnecessary features.
SEOPress Pro	Optimizing your blog’s on-page SEO
Lasso	Conveniently managing all your affiliate links
Simple Social Buttons Pro	Increasing blog exposure via social media platforms
Convert Pro	Building popup plugins that converts visitors into leads and customers
WPForms	Creating optin forms for your blog
MonsterInsights	Adding Google Analytics to your blog
Malcare	Protecting against malware, viruses, hackers and other threats
UpdraftPlus	Creating backups of your entire blog
SeedProd	Developing “coming soon” and “under maintenance” pages
LearnDash	Developing and selling online courses
LiveChat (by LiveChat)	Adding chat support

Best premium WordPress plugins list

Here are the best premium WordPress plugins list for your blog:

Astra Pro
Elementor Pro
WP Rocket
Perfmatters
SEOPress Pro
Lasso
Simple Social Buttons Pro
Convert Pro
WPForms
MonsterInsights
Malcare
UpdraftPlus
SeedProd
LearnDash
LiveChat by LiveChat

1. Astra Pro

Installing the Astra Pro plugin is like steroids for your Astra Theme. It’s considered one of the best WordPress plugins for good reasons. It gives you access to powerful features for developing a highly functional and attractive website without the need for code.

It brings advanced customization options to the table as well. This includes access to more site layouts, header designs and hundreds of font styles. You can even create “mega menus” that are more attractive and user-friendly.

This product also has extensive WooCommerce integration. With it, you’ll be able to design an interactive ecommerce store with the help of neat add-ons. This includes a product gallery with products appearing in lightboxes and an off-canvas sidebar with search filters.

Customer support with the pro plugin is also more efficient with one-to-one email from its developers.

Plans for the Astra Pro start at $41/year.

2. Elementor Pro - one of the best WordPress plugins for creating blogs

Elementor Pro is like cocaine for the basic Elementor plugin. It’s one of the best WordPress plugins for creating blogs because it brings enhanced features that enable you to control every design aspect with minimal effort.

A few other key features include:

Popup creator with extensive customization features.
Lightweight plugin that lets you enable only the features you need (something to consider in terms of your blog’s load speed).
Animated headlines, pricing tables, custom CSS and more.
50+ widgets (including a full set of social media widgets).

If you need more than what Elementor Pro has to offer, consider installing 3rd party addon packs. Some of the best include the 2 listed below:

Essential Addons for Elementor

Essential Addons for Elementor is like an espresso shot for your already coked-up page builder. It has over 5,000,000 downloads and brings 70+ design elements and extensions to the party.

The paid option gives you automatic updates for the plugin. Moreover, you get enhanced design features, including team member carousel, parallax scrolling effects and advanced tooltips.

The most affordable plan starts at $39.97/year.

Ultimate Addons for Elementor

Ultimate Addons is another package of addons designed to supercharge your page builder. It has cleanly written code, which has minimal impact with your site’s performance.

It’s great for furthering the design and functionality of your site with over 34 creative widgets (including a forms styler, modal popup creator and video gallery) at your disposal.

There are different price plans available, wherein the cheapest one starts at $49/year.

3. WP Rocket

WP Rocket is a caching plugin that’s definitely a must-have as it improves the loading time of your website for your visitors. This, in turn, creates a better user experience and can help boost your site’s SEO rankings.

This plugin installs in under 3 minutes and works its magic right after activation. No coding is required.

Here are a few other reasons why it makes this list of the best WordPress plugins for blogs:

It creates a static version of your webpage and delivers it to your visitors.
It reduces the size of your HTML, CSS and JavaScript through a process called minification.
Images on your pages are only loaded as visitors scroll down.
Helps get your site indexed faster as its crawler simulates a visit to preload the cache.

WP Rocket has different plans starting at $49/year.

4. Perfmatters

Perfmatters is another plugin that can optimize your website’s load time. It’s a lightweight plugin that has clean code and no JavaScript on the frontend, so it won’t significantly reduce loading times just by being installed to begin with.

The most significant way it works is by disabling features that you may not use on your site. For example, emojis are by default activated and slow your site down by loading on every page.

If you disable it, you’re basically preventing the script from loading and, thus, reducing the number of HTTP requests. The actual page size is reduced and can now load faster. You can optimize your load times by disabling other unneeded elements thanks to its user-friendly interface.

Perfmatters pricing plans start at $24.95/year.

5. SEOPress Pro

SEOPress Pro is a new but highly-rated plugin packed with many essential SEO features. This includes managing titles, meta descriptions and robots for every page/post in your site. It’ll also allow you to add schemas and build custom HTML and XML and sitemaps.

Other notable features include:

Sitemap submission to Google.
Open graph meta tags that control how permalinks are displayed when shared on social media.
Seamless integration with popular WordPress plugins such as Elementor, WooCommerce and WP Rocket.
Creates optimized breadcrumbs for better site navigation.

SEOPress Pro is new to the game but better and cheaper versus its more popular counterpart, Yoast. A few things that make this product better include:

It’s a more lightweight plugin that doesn’t slow your site down as much as Yoast does.
You won’t need to pay for other plugins to get WooCommerce SEO, Video SEO, News SEO and Local SEO.
A single license can be used on an unlimited number of sites. (Yoast will charge you a small fortune once you get past 5 websites.)

6. Lasso

Lasso is an all-in-one solution affiliate marketing solution for webmasters. It offers tools that lets you manage all your affiliate links from one place.

You’ll be able to monitor all of your affiliate links via its intuitive dashboard. It also alerts you if any of your links are broken, or if any of the Amazon products you’ve recommended are out of stock.

Other features:

Customize link appearance for better click through rates.
Identify unmonetized links and transform them into affiliate links.
Organize links into groups for display in a grid or list format on your site.
Track how many clicks your links are getting.
A 14-day free trial for the pro version.

Lasso is even a better choice compared to the popular Pretty Links plugin for a number of reasons, including:

Pretty Links lacks the ability to present links in custom displays throughout your site.
Pretty Links lacks a free trial for its pro version.
No live chat support.
No affiliate program recommendations.
More.

Lasso plugin’s most “affordable” annual license costs $190/year.

7. Simple Social Buttons Pro

Having a strong presence in social media can have many benefits for your website. Simple Social Media Buttons helps you achieve this by creating buttons your audience can use to share your content across popular platforms.

You can customize the appearance of your sharing responsive buttons in 6 different locations within your site. You can even display them in Gutenberg blocks within any page or post.

It also works well with WooCommerce, which makes it easier to get your products or services more exposure on social.

You’ll notice many alternative plugin recommendations out there such as JetPack and Monarch. While they’re certainly good options, it’s important to state that Social Media Buttons Pro consumes less server resources, which helps preserve your site’s load time.

Social Media Buttons Pro will cost you at least $27/year.

8. Convert Pro

Convert Pro enables you to create attractive popups for your website. It has a library of beautiful templates that have been proven to help you win more paying customers. It comes with an intuitive drag and drop builder that lets you place any type of content (e.g. message, images) into your template of choice.

Other notable features include:

Responsive design, so your popups look good across desktop and mobile devices.
Highly optimized for speed (good for site conversions and SEO).
Behavioral triggers, so your users see the popup when you want them to.
Extensive design freedom for customizing every aspect of your popups.
Seamless integration with widely-used marketing platforms (e.g. MailChimp).

Convert Pro’s plans start at $69/year.

9. WPForms

WPForms is a blog plugin WordPress webmasters everywhere use for building website forms. It has a powerful drag and drop builder that allows you to create any type of form within minutes. It’s great for beginners as no coding is needed for installation or operation.

Other noteworthy features:

It’s more than just a contact form plugin (allows you to create billing forms, donations forms and more).
Captcha and honeypot for protection against spammers.
Subscription forms can be integrated with your email marketing system.
Advanced fields, including ratings fields for receiving valuable consumer feedback.
Entry management for viewing all your leads in one convenient place.
Options to place forms in any post or page.

WPForms plans are currently on sale (no coupon required). The most affordable is currently at $39.50/year.

10. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is a plugin that allows you to add and manage data from Google Analytics straight from your WordPress website. Developed by the guys at Yoast, MonsterInsights simplifies advanced analytical implementation, making it easier for beginners to track and understand data.

Here’s some of its many noteworthy features:

Easy to install and operate (no coding required).
Real-time stats that show what your visitors are up to.
Forms tracking for identifying the source of your site’s conversions.
Search console report, which indicates what keywords people type in Google to arrive at your site.

MonsterInsights has a free version with enough essential features for a basic website. There’s currently a sale for their premium plans. Its most budget-friendly option is currently selling for $99.50/year.

11. Malcare

Malcare is an easy-to-use plugin that’ll install in under a minute. It has a firewall that’s constantly updated to protect your website against malware, hackers and other real-time threats.

One of its many standout features is it scans websites from its own servers. This means it won’t put the load on your servers, which means it won’t slow it down.

Other notable features include:

Auto-clean feature that removes malware from your site in under a minute.
Efficiently detects actual threats so you aren’t annoyed with false alarms.
Blocks forced login attempts.
Allows you to harden your website using best WordPress practices.
Immunity against malicious attacks your website has suffered (in the event it does).
White label for putting your own brand and logo on their product.
Excellent customer support.

Premium plans for Malcare start at $99/year. If in the event your site gets hacked and they can’t fix it, they’ll return your money 3 times over. Wow.

12. UpdraftPlus - included in many top WordPress plugins lists everywhere

UpdraftPlus lets you create backups of your websites manually or on a scheduled basis. In the event irreparable damage is done to your website, you can easily restore it to a pre-compromised version straight from your WordPress control panel.

Notable features include:

Perform manual and scheduled backups for your entire site, including files, database and themes.
Set different automatic backup frequencies (e.g. daily, weekly).
Choose to store your backups locally or in the cloud.
Encryption for your sensitive databases (e.g. personal information).
It’s used by big name companies like the NBA and NASA.

UpdraftPlus’ free version is extremely popular at the WordPress repository with over 2 million downloads to date. You can also get a paid plan starting at $70 up front, then $40/year after.

13. SeedProd

SeedProd allows you to create attractive “coming soon” and “under maintenance” pages without code. This WordPress blog plugin has an intuitive real-time page builder that lets you customize every aspect of your page.

This product gives you access to 500,000+ background images and 50+ themes to help you get started straight away. It has integration with 3rd party email marketing services so you can start capturing email contact information before your site even launches.

Other reasons it makes this list of top WordPress plugins:

Extensive customization options for changing layouts, animations, fonts and more.
Built-in contact form.
Responsive design.
Well-supported plugin with regular updates.

SeedProd has different plans starting at $29.60/year.

14. LearnDash

LearnDash is one of the best WordPress plugins for creating, managing and selling online courses on your WordPress website. It has an intuitive drag and drop builder that streamlines the course creation process.

It allows you to create an unlimited number of lessons, quizzes, award certificates and more. It’s a feature-packed product that comes with online documentation so you can get the most out of the elearning plugin.

Other things worth mentioning include:

Your students can view their profiles at the front end.
Reporting tools to see how your students are progressing.
Control over course prerequisites, class content availability and more.
Drip-feed lessons to display course content as students progress through their courses.
Integration with PayPal.
Charge students (one-time or recurring payments) for access to your courses.

Currently there’s a sale for all their subscription plans. Plans start at $159/year.

Which of the best paid WordPress plugins do we use?

We don’t use all of the options from our choice of the best paid WordPress plugins as we don’t need them for this particular site. (We use them elsewhere, however). But here’s what we do use right here on StartBloggingOnline:

Akismet – paid version of the anti-spam plugin.
AmaLinks Pro – manages your
Amazon associate links.
Astra Pro – add on for the Astra WordPress theme. It’s a plugin that adds more features.
Convert Pro – a popup maker that helps you turn visitors in customers.
Elementor Pro – an easy-to-use web page builder loaded with design features.
Essential Addons for Elementor – adds more features to Elementor Pro.
Perfmatters – improves web performance mainly by deactivating unnecessary features.
SEOPress – has various tools for optimizing your site for the search engines.
Simple Social Buttons Pro – improves your site’s visibility on social media platforms
Ultimate Addons for Elementor – adds more design features to Elementor.
UpdraftPlus – creates regular backups of your site in case things go sideways.
WP Rocket – caching plugin for speeding up site performance.

Best WordPress plugins free list

Plugin Name	Best for	Find out more
Easy Table of Contents	Creating a table of contents
Akismet	Preventing and removing spam attacks
Broken Link Checker	Identifying broken links
Pre-Publish Checklist	Making sure your posts and pages comply with best practices before publishing
WP Last Modified Info	Showing when a page or post was updated with new information
Lazy Load for Comments	Improving load time for blogs by showing comments to users only when needed
Ultimate Posts Widgets	Displaying a list of posts within a widget area (can serve as an additional navigation menu)
Sidebar Manager Lite	Creating a customized sidebar to replace the existing option
ShortPixel	Optimizing blog images and PDF documents
Q2W3 Fixed Widget	Creating a sticky widget
Advanced Custom Fields	Adding extra content fields to your WordPress editor
Enable Media Replace	Efficiently replacing old images with new ones
The GDPR Framework	GDPR compliance purposes
OneSignal	Sending push notification for greater customer reengagement
WP-Live Chat by 3CX	Adding a chat support feature
Classic Editor	Reverting back to the classic WordPress editor
W3 Total Cache	Improving website performance by caching your pages

Best free WordPress plugins

You can channel your inner penny-pincher with the help of this best free WordPress plugins list:

Elementor
Easy Table of Contents
Akismet
Broken Link Checker
Pre-publish Checklist
WP Last Modified Info
Lazy Load for Comments
Ultimate Posts Widgets
Sidebar Manager
ShortPixel
Q2W3 Fixed Widget
Advanced Custom Fields
Enable Media Replace
The GDPR Framework
Onesignal
WP-Live Chat by 3CX
Classic Editor
W3 Total Cache

1. Elementor

Elementor’s free page builder has over 4 million downloads at the WordPress repository. This unpaid version still gives you access to the essential design features its paid counterpart offers.

This includes the intuitive drag and drop builder and live edit features that lets you see real-time changes as you create your website. You’ll also get access to over 100 WordPress templates and decent customization features (background overlays, headline effects and more).

Other neat features include:

300+ blocks for adding sections to each page (e.g. services, testimonials, call to action).
Responsive design for proper rendering across mobile devices.
Built-in maintenance and coming soon mode.
Box shadows, headline effects and other attractive customization features.

2. Easy Table of Contents

Easy Table of Contents by Steven A. Zahm is a plugin that does what its title suggests. It allows you to insert a table of contents into your pages and posts with minimal effort on your part.

It has over 100,000 downloads and receives regular updates from its developer. It’s compatible with popular page developers, including Elementor, Divi and WPBakery.

Other features include:

The option to select which headings are used for your tables.
Supports smooth scrolling and multiple counter bullet formats.
A range of options for configuring your table of contents and how they appear.

3. Akismet

Akismet is an excellent choice for killing spam. It’s another widely used plugin with excellent support from the reputable Automattic company.

Basically, it works by checking all incoming comments and contact forms submissions using its global database of spam. If it flags anything, it’ll prevent it from getting published on your site.

After installing the plugin, you’ll be guided through several steps to retrieve your API key for activation. Moreover, it should be noted that the free version can only be used with personal blogs and non-profit sites. If you intend to use it on a commercial site, you’ll need to get a paid subscription.

4. Broken Link Checker

Broken Link Checker is another plugin that does the obvious: it scans your entire website for links that don’t work.

Other features worth mentioning:

Monitors the validity of links in pages, posts, comments and everywhere else.
Notifies you if it detects any broken links via email or its dashboard.
Option to prevent search engines from following broken links.
Option to edit links straight from the plugin’s dashboard (saves you the trouble of manually editing each post).
Has over 700,000 downloads and receives regular updates.

5. Pre-Publish Checklist

Pre-Publish Checklist is another self-explanatory plugin. When installed, it allows you to create a checklist of requirements that must be complied with before your page or post goes live.

They probably should make something like this for social media.

Features at a glance:

Create a unique checklist for each post, page and custom post type.
Shows a column indicating if the checklists have been completed or not (displayed alongside your list of pages and posts).
Display a custom message whenever you (or someone else) hits the “publish” button without completing your checklist.

Note: while it’s been over 4 months since the plugin was last updated, it was developed by Brainstorm Force (they’re legit).

6. WP Last Modified Info

WordPress will show when a post was published by default, but it won’t show when a post was last modified. If you run a website that needs to show when a post was last updated (e.g. a news publication site), then WP Last Modified Info can help.

It’s an easy-to-use plugin that simply needs to be configured once to show the last modified information across all your posts (or individually, if preferred).

You can also create a custom message that appears with the last modified information.

7. Lazy Load for Comments

Lazy Load for Comments is a plugin that speeds up your site performance by preventing comments from loading simultaneously.

Basically, it only shows these elements when necessary. Such would be the case when site visitors scroll down the comments section to see other people’s comments on your page or post. This program will only load the “on-screen” comments as they scroll down. This means fewer HTTP requests, and thus, faster load times.

It’s a user-friendly plugin that involves no complex configurations whatsoever.

8. Ultimate Posts Widgets

Ultimate Posts Widgets gives you access to different display options for posts, sticky posts and custom post types. You can use it to display a list of posts within a widget area.

This can be useful for making an additional navigation menu for your users.

It’s a plugin that’s user-friendly and ideal for beginners as well. Other configuration options include:

Order the list of posts according to date, title or just random.
Set the number of posts to display.
Filter by category, current category or post type
Display the title, published date/time or author of each post

9. Sidebar Manager Light

Sidebar Manager Light lets you replace your current sidebar with a customized one of your own. You can drag new widgets into the new sidebar as desired and specify which posts or pages it appears.

This product allows you to create an unlimited number of sidebars. You also get to create unique sidebars for only the posts/pages you need them in. You can even configure it to display certain sidebars to those with specific user roles.

Another notable feature is that it’s compatible with the WPML plugin. When used together, it lets you display sidebars and content based on language.

10. ShortPixel

ShortPixel is one of the best WordPress plugins for compressing your blog’s images and PDF documents. This is a form of optimization that helps improve your site’s load time. This, in turn, boosts your standing with the search engines and creates a better user experience.

It’s easy to install and configure. All it takes is one click and the plugin optimizes your existing images and PDF documents. It’ll also do the same for future files uploaded to your website.

Other notable features include:

Regularly updated.
Over 200,000 active installations.
It’s a lightweight plugin that requires minimal resources.

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11. Q2W3 Fixed Widget

Q2W3 Fixed Widget is a plugin that lets you create a sticky widget that remains visible to your users as they scroll through your webpages.

A sticky widget can be used in a number of different ways. You can showcase product ads, announce upcoming sales and more.

While this free product has 100,000+ active installations and receives regular updates from its developers, do keep in mind that this plugin doesn’t work with all WordPress themes.

You can read more about compatibility at its download page.

12. Advanced Custom Fields

Advanced Custom Fields adds extra content fields to your WordPress edit screen. It leverages the existing WordPress custom field’s functionality to create an interface that’s much easier to learn and use. This product was created to make the process of building websites easier and faster.

There’s over 30 field types for you to choose, including:

Checkboxes
Gallery
Images
Google Map
Calendar
User

You can add these new content fields to any page or post as you please. You can also dictate what type of content goes into each field.

It’s a well-supported plugin with over 1,000,000 active users to date. Moreover, it’s compatible with any theme or template (as per the developer).

13. Enable Media Replace

Enable Media Replace saves you from the burden of replacing files via WP’s default method. It can get the job done in a few clicks, saving you time and effort.

That doesn’t sound like much, but the conventional way would require you to suffer a little:

Access your media library
Delete the old file
Upload your new file
Edit the post and link it to the new file again.

You’ll suffer even more if you have multiple pages or posts to work on.

Enable Media Replace has an option where the new file you upload will retain the same filename as the one it just replaced. It also has an option where it’ll use the new filename and update all links pointing to the old one.

This plugin was created by the same team that created the popular plugin ShortPixel. It has over 400,000 downloads and receives regular updates.

14. The GDPR Framework

Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation designed to protect the privacy of EU citizens. It applies to all websites handling personal information of EU citizens, including the ones that aren’t based in the EU.

The GDPR Framework plugin was designed to help your website comply with these regulations and avoid getting fined.

Here’s some ways this plugin can help you handle Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs) and make you more GDPR compliant:

Delete or anonymize personal data automatically.
Receive notifications to delete personal data manually.
Track, manage and withdraw consent.
Allow visitors without an account to view and delete their personal data.

Please keep in mind that this plugin isn’t guaranteed to make your site GDPR compliant. The developers have some useful information regarding GDPR requirements by clicking here.

WPBeginner has an article detailing what GDPR is all about and how to comply as well. Click here to check it out.

15. Onesignal

One Signal is a plugin that lets your visitors sign up for push notifications. Whenever you publish something new, your subscribers will be notified. It’s commonly used to get one-time visitors to return and even help with site conversions.

Other reasons why this makes the list of must-have WordPress plugins include:

Easy-to-configure plugin.
Lets you customize the optin process for visitors.
Analytics and A/B testing for testing which optin messages convert better.
Control when the notifications are sent.
Get up to 30,000 subscribers with the free version.

16. WP-Live Chat by 3CX

WP-Live Chat is a plugin that adds a live chat feature to your website. It’s another way to bolster your business’ level of customer support by answering any questions (or complaints) your visitors may have.

This free-of-charge product a long list of features, including:

An easy-to-use interface for both administrators and users.
6 live chat themes with various customization options.
Automatic chat popup with behavioral triggers (e.g. show chat popup when customer is about to leave).
Connect an unlimited number of live agents (you’ll need to hire them or become one).
Surveys and polls displayed before or after chat sessions.
Send canned responses for FAQs.
Review and respond to missed chat sessions.

17. Classic Editor

The Classic Editor is an official WordPress plugin that lets you revert back to the old editor and the “Edit Post” screen. There’s over 5 million webmasters using the plugin mainly out of personal preference.

The WordPress team says it’ll continue to support this plugin up until 2022 or longer if they deem it necessary.

Features:

You can add the default editor for all users.
Users can be given the option to change their default editor.
Users get the option to select the editor they’d prefer to use for editing specific posts.

18. W3 Total Cache

W3 Total Cache is one of the most popular free caching plugins with over a million downloads to date. It is a well-supported plugin that improves site performance through standard file compression practices and its integration with CDN (Content Delivery Network).

Other notable features include:

Works well with different hosting options (shared, dedicated and clusters).
Mobile compatibility so users viewing your site on mobile will get faster load times as well.
The improved loading times for your website is beneficial for SEO and creating a better user experience.

While W3 Total Cache is an excellent caching plugin, its many settings can be confusing for many new users.

A great free alternative that’s much easier to use would be WP Super Cache. It was created by Automattic and has millions of active installations. It also uses methods such as file compression and CDN integration to improve your SEO and UX.

Most of the essential settings are already activated after plugin installation. It offers 3 caching modes, including Simple Mode for newbies who’d like to keep things as simple as possible.

Must have WordPress plugins from the free list

- Elementor
- MonsterInsights
- WP Forms Lite
- MalCare
- Akismet
- ShortPixel
- OneSignal
- The GDPR Framework
- W3 Total Cache

Essential WordPress plugins: what kind of plugins do you really need?

A security plugin like MalCare or All-in-one WP Security & Firewall
A backup plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy
A speed optimization plugin like SeoPress Pro or Rank Math
A caching plugin like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache
A page builder like Elementor or Divi
An anti-spam plugin like Akismet or AntiSpam Bee
A forms maker like WPForms or Gravity Forms
An image optimizer like ShortPixel or Optimole
A popup maker like ConvertPro or Sumo
A push notifications plugin like OneSignal
A Google Analytics plugin like MonsterInsights or Matomo

FAQs on the best WordPress plugins

What are blog plugins?

A blog plugin is a piece of software that’s added to your WordPress blog to extend its functionality. It can also be used to simplify a function that would otherwise be complicated or time-consuming to execute using code. It can also allow web browsers to show content that it originally wasn’t capable of displaying.

What are the best free WordPress plugins?

This will depend on what you want to achieve with your site. Here’s a list of the best essentials (free-of-charge) WordPress plugins:

What plugins do I need for my blog?

The ones you’ll need depends on your design ambitions and the type of blog you want to create. Here’s a list of the essential WordPress plugins:

Elementor – a page builder
SEOPress – an SEO plugin
WP Rocket – caching plugin
Akismet – anti-spam
ShortPixel – image and PDF compression
WPForms – form maker
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics plugin
MalCare – website security and firewall
The GDPR Framework – GDPR compliance plugin
UpdraftPlus – backup plugin

What are the most popular WordPress plugins and their functions?

Here’s a list of the most popular WordPress plugins and their functions:

Yoast SEO – (an expensive) solution for improving your site’s on-page SEO.
Akismet – protects your site against spam.
Contact Form 7 – lets you create site forms.
Jetpack – helps with design, security, marketing and more.
Wordfence Security – protects against malware, hackers and other threats
WooCommerce – turns your website into an ecommerce store.

How many WordPress plugins are there?

Currently, there are over 56,100 plugins according to the WordPress repository. Identifying the best WordPress plugins to install can be a daunting task. Fortunately, we’ve created a list of the most important plugins that’ll help make the decision making process easier. Feel free to check it out.

How many WordPress plugins is too many?

There’s no fixed number for how many is too many. Instead, consider the following:

Never install anything you don’t need.
Install quality plugins – poorly written plugins can slow your site down and even crash it
Your webhost – budget or shared hosting can handle less than cloud hosting dedicated servers (HostGator and Bluehost have good hosting options).
Site load times – 40% of site visitors abandon sites that take more than 3 seconds to load.

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