Looking for the best WordPress plugins to take your business to the next level in 2024? There are over 60,000+ WordPress plugins that you can choose from. This makes it extremely overwhelming for new users to find the right plugin for their website. Choosing the right plugins is crucial for the speed, security, and user-friendliness of your website.
So to help with finding the best plugins for your website, we’ve put together a list of the basic WordPress plugins every website needs.
Table of Contents
Why are plugins for WordPress important?
Plugins are the real powerhouses of WordPress and have the capability to enhance your website to the next level. WordPress plugins will help you improve your website’s security, performance, and functionality.
Some of the basic WordPress plugins have transformed the way people design their websites. Even non-coders can use plugins to achieve the exact features and functionality that their website requires. WordPress plugins are used for expanding functionality, making your website user-friendly, and adding new features.
Basic WordPress plugins that every site must have
WordPress is a powerful platform for creating websites. Using basic Wordpress plugins is the most effective way to increase the features and functionality of Wordpress. Plugins perform several functions, the most important of which is to improve website performance. Numerous WordPress plugins can help you with these tasks, but some are better than others. Let’s look at the essential WordPress plugins every site must have:
- WP ROCKET
- UpdraftPlus
- iThemes Security
- WPForms
- EWWW Image Optimizer
- Site Kit by Google
- Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE)
- WP Mail SMTP
WP Rocket
WP Rocket is a highly effective and best cache plugin for WordPress that is designed to help improve the speed and performance of your WordPress website. It includes some features created for Google’s Core Web Vitals, like the capacity to eliminate unused CSS on a page-by-page basis.
Learn How to Install and Setup WP Rocket.
Features
- Multisite Compatibility
- SEO Friendly
- Database Optimization
- Compatible with Cloudflare
- WooCommerce Friendly
- Lazy Loading Images
- CDN Support
Pricing
It is free to download and has a premium version, which begins at $49 per year.
Pros and Cons of WP Rocket
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use | Conflict with the WP Super Cache plugins and the W3 Total Cache plugin. |
| User Friendly | There are no tools to manage custom scripts. |
| A well-designed dashboard | Not suitable for managing hosting |
| Speed Optimization | |
| 14-day money-back guarantee |
UpdraftPlus
UpdraftPlus is a WordPress backup plugin that makes backing up, restoring, and migrating WordPress websites easier. With more than 3M+ active installations, UpdraftPlus is one of the best WordPress backup plugins out there and the most popular backup plugin in the official WordPress directory. You can improve the functionality of the main plugin by using add-ons, and you receive access to features like external cloud storage and scheduled backups. UpdraftPlus’s free version will perfectly back up and transfer your website. However, you can purchase the premium version if you require additional features and choices.
Learn How to Install and Setup UpdraftPlus.
Features
- Automatic Backups
- Remote Storage
- Scheduled and Incremental Backups
- Database Encryption
- Multiple Storage Options
- Cloning and Migration
- Multisite Support
Pricing
It is free to download and has a premium version, which begins at $95 per year.
Pros and cons of UpdraftPlus:
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to use | Limited Free Storage |
| Versatile backup options | Reliance on third-party storage |
| Migration functionality | |
| Lot of Storage Options | |
| Wide Compatibility | |
| High User Ratings |
iThemes Security
iThemes Security is now also known as Solid Security after the company rebranded as SolidWP.
iTheme Security is one of the best WordPress security plugins designed to increase the security of WordPress websites. WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) for creating and managing websites. But like other online platforms, it has security risks. It is best to plug up any holes, strengthen your website against specific types of attacks, and strengthen user credentials to keep hackers out of your website. The iThemes Security plugin does this and more. It gives you more than 30 ways to protect your site and its users. It is included in the list of the top WordPress security plugins because it is, in reality, one of the most feature-rich and comprehensive security plugins available.
Learn How to Install and Setup iTheme Security.
Features
- Brute Force Protection
- Two-Factor Authentication
- File Change Detection
- Database Backups
- Malware Scanning
- Security Logs
Pricing
It is free to download and has a premium version, which begins at $99/year for use on one site.
Pros and Cons of iThemes Security
| Pros | Cons |
| Beginner-friendly | Overlapping Features |
| Wide range of features, like password enforcement, two-factor authentication, malware scanning, and database backups, even in the free version. | Compatibility Issues |
| Cost-effective | Resource Intensive |
| Highly customizable | |
| Regular updates | |
| File Change Detection | |
| Security Dashboard |
WPForms
WPForms is a free and best-form plugin for WordPress. It is a beginner-friendly tool that makes it easy to add forms to your WordPress website. It has more than 3 million active installations. It also has a premium version. WPForms is the most user-friendly forms plugin in the WordPress ecosystem. With the use of WPForms, website owners can create effective and engaging forms for their sites. With its range of features and tools, WPForms is a valuable tool for anyone looking to improve the functionality and user experience of their website.
Learn How to Install and Setup WPForms.
Features
- Drag and Drop Form Builder
- Form Landing Page
- Email Marketing Integration
- Compatible with WooCommerce
- Conditional Logic
- Spam Protection
- Survey Builder
- Multi-Page Forms
Pricing
WPForms is available as a free WordPress plugin. However, WPForms Pro plans begin at $49 per year.
Pros and cons of WPForms
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to Set Up | There is no free trial available to try out the paid version. |
| User-Friendly | WPForms does not allow you to upload multiple files into forms at the same time. |
| Pre-made Templates | |
| Mobile Friendly | |
| Unlimited number of forms | |
| Helpful Documentation |
EWWW Image Optimizer
EWWW Image Optimizer is a WordPress plugin made to automatically enhance photos that are added to a WordPress website. It helps to reduce image file sizes without compromising quality, which can enhance website performance by decreasing page load times. The plugin offers optimization methods, such as resizing images, converting them to more efficient formats, and lossless and lossy compression. This helps website owners make sure their pages load quickly, which is important for both search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience.
Learn How to Install and Setup EWWW Image Optimizer.
Features
- Lossless and lossy compression
- Compress API
- Multiple optimization tools
- Automatic optimization
- Backup and restore
- SWIS Performance
- Bulk and Cloud Optimization
- Optimization Statistics
Pricing
It is free to download and has a premium version, which begins at $70/year.
Pros and Cons of EWWW Image Optimizer
| Pros | Cons |
| Beginner-friendly | CDN Overwrite Issue |
| Improves Website Performance | Dependency on Third-party Services |
| Local optimization means images can be compressed directly on the server without needing to go through a third-party service. | |
| WebP Conversion | |
| Local optimization means images can be compressed directly on the server without needing to go through a third-party service. | |
| Integration with other tools, such as WordPress themes and plugins, enhances the user experience. |
Site Kit by Google
Site Kit is the official WordPress plugin from Google for insights on site traffic and usage. To make a website successful on the web, Site Kit is a one-stop solution for deploying, managing, and gaining insights from essential Google products. It offers free, dependable, and current insights from several Google products right on the WordPress dashboard for ease of use.
Features
- Easy Setup
- Unified dashboard within your WordPress admin interface
- Google Analytics Integration
- Google Search Console and Google AdSense Integration
- PageSpeed Insights
- Real-time Alerts and Notifications
- Data Privacy and Security
Pricing
It is free to download and open source.
Pros and Cons of Site Kit by Google
| Pros | Cons |
| Official Google Product | Site Kit’s functioning is mostly dependent on many Google services. |
| Ease of Use | Learning Curve |
| Displays important website metrics in a concise manner, such as search traffic, user engagement, keyword performance, and website speed. | Not for Advanced Users |
| Combines many Google products (AdSense, PageSpeed Insights, Analytics, and Search Console) into a single, unified interface within your WordPress dashboard. | |
| Free and Officially Supported | |
| Real-time Alerts about critical issues affecting your website |
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE)
Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) A flexible tool designed to improve WordPress website functionality and user experience. Website administrators can enhance user engagement, optimize workflow, and improve the look and feel of their websites with the help of ASE’s feature-rich and configurable solutions. Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE) provides a complete solution to customize the WordPress experience to specific demands, from improving the admin interface to enhancing user role management and fine-tuning site branding.
Features
- Admin area enhancements
- Modularity
- Performance Optimization
- User Management
- Analytics and Reporting
- Enhance Search Functionality
- Integration with Third-party Services
- Multilingual Support
Pricing
It is free to download and has a premium version, which begins at $19/year for one site.
Pros and Cons of Admin and Site Enhancements (ASE)
| Pros | Cons |
| Improved User Experience | Learning Curve |
| Increased efficiency and productivity for both administrators and users. | Compatibility Issues |
| Enhanced Security | Limited features in the free version |
| By increasing the site’s scalability, ASE can prevent decreases in performance and allow it to manage future growth and increases in traffic. | |
| Customization | |
| Keeping the site’s latest updates can give it a competitive advantage by delivering cutting-edge functionality and outperforming competitors. |
WP Mail SMTP
WP Mail SMTP is the best WordPress SMTP plugin, which easily replaces the PHP mail() function on your WordPress blog with SMTP. Used by more than 3 million websites, this plugin allows you to connect your website to SMTP service providers such as Brevo (formerly SendinBlue), SendLayer, and AWS to enhance your email deliverability.
Moreover, WP Mail SMTP allows you to send test emails to check if the emails are being successfully sent to the users.
Features
- Connects to popular SMTP providers
- Email logging
- Email Resending
- SMTP Setup Options
- Backup Connections
- Failure Alerts
- Works with WordPress Multisite
- Translation and Localization Support
Pricing
It is free to download and has a premium version, which begins at $49/year.
Pros and Cons of WP Mail SMTP
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy Configuration | Limited Features in Free Version |
| It is compatible with most WordPress hosting providers and email service providers. | Regular Updates are required. |
| Email Logging | Learning Curve |
| Customization | |
| Reduced Server Load |
Conclusion
Using the essential WordPress plugins can take your website from good to exceptional. You can enhance the user experience, increase online visibility, and streamline functioning by including these basic WordPress plugins. There is a plugin designed to match your individual goals, whether your goal is to improve performance, strengthen security, or improve SEO. Recall that the secret is to balance performance and functionality so that each plugin enhances the site without compromising its stability or speed. Explore the world of WordPress plugins, give these top choices a try, and see how your website grows with improved functionality and features.
FAQs
Are WordPress plugins free?
Although there are many premium WordPress plugins available for purchase, many of them are free. For the majority of fundamental website requirements, free plugins are usually sufficient; however, paid plugins frequently provide more features, better support, frequent upgrades, and help to grow a website’s authority.
How many plugins should I install on my WordPress website?
Although there isn’t a set restriction on how many plugins you can install, it’s usually advised to install as few as possible to prevent conflicts and performance problems. Installing plugins that aren’t essential for the operation of your website is advised, and you should periodically check and uninstall any inactive or out-of-date plugins.
How do I choose must-have WordPress plugins for my WordPress website?
A plugin’s reputation, user reviews, ratings, frequency of updates, compatibility with your WordPress version, support options, and suitability for your needs should all be taken into account when selecting one. Before putting plugins on your live site, it’s a good idea to test them there to make sure there are no conflicts and everything functions as it should.
Right here is the right website for everyone who wants to find out about this topic.
You understand so much its almost tough to argue with you
You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject which has been written about for years.
Wonderful stuff, just wonderful!
Feel free to discover more about WordPress plugins and theme on you homely blog Lost In Press