Out of all the advantages of using WordPress, one benefit that stands out is its extensibility. You can add multiple add-ons, plugins, or extensions to your WordPress site and enhance its functionality however you like. The right combination of WordPress plugins can take your website to the next level but the wrong combination could slow your website down or worse, break it.
Now, I know what you’re thinking “Which plugins to install and which I shouldn’t? “
Honestly, that depends on a couple of things like what kind of website you have, what area you need help with, or what are your personal or professional goals with your WordPress site. See, WordPress has plugins for every task from sharing your WordPress post to social media to adding a payment gateway.
But regardless, there are some plugins that every website can use.
So I have handpicked 10 must-have WordPress plugins out of the sea of 60,000+ WordPress plugins available on the internet.
Ready to explore which are those?
Let’s begin.
10 Must-have WordPress plugins for every site
1. Yoast SEO
Want your WordPress website to rank higher in the search results? Then you have to download YoastWith over 13 million downloads, Yoast SEO is the most popular and widely used SEO plugin for WordPress. It is a comprehensive solution that helps you optimize your website for search engines, both technically and on-page. Yoast SEO is known for its user-friendly interface, its comprehensive set of features, and its commitment to staying up-to-date with the latest SEO trends.
Notable features of Yoast SEO:-
- Content analysis: Yoast SEO’s tool helps you optimize your content for your target keywords. The tool provides feedback on your keyword density, readability, and overall SEO score.
- Readability analysis: The readability analysis tool helps you improve the readability of your content. The tool provides feedback on your sentence length, paragraph length, and use of passive voice.
- Social media optimization: Yoast SEO helps you optimize your content for social media. The plugin allows you to set custom social media titles and descriptions for your posts and pages.
- XML sitemaps: The plugin automatically generates XML sitemaps for your website. XML sitemaps help search engines index your website more effectively.
- Internal linking suggestions: Yoast SEO suggests internal links that you can add to your content. Internal linking helps search engines understand the structure of your website.
- Canonicalization: It can also help you prevent duplicate content issues by adding canonical tags to your website. Canonical tags tell search engines which version of a page is the original.
- Schema markup: Helps you add schema markup to your website. Schema markup helps search engines understand the meaning of your content.
- Local SEO optimization: With Yoast SEO, you can optimize your website for local search. The plugin allows you to set your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) in your website’s settings.
Pricing:–
Yoast SEO has a free version with limited features, as well as a premium version with more features and support. The premium version starts at $99 per year for a single-site license.
2. UpdraftPlus
In the unforgiving realm of the digital world, data loss can strike like a bolt from the blue. A corrupted file, a malicious attack, or a simple human error can wipe out years of hard work in an instant. That’s where UpdraftPlus comes in, as your trusty shield against the perils of data loss.
With UpdraftPlus, you can rest assured that your WordPress website is always safe and sound. Its comprehensive backup and restoration features make it easy to create complete backups of your website’s files, database, and plugins. And with its wide range of storage options, you can choose to store your backups locally, on a remote server, or in the cloud.
So if you’re looking for a WordPress backup plugin that is both powerful and user-friendly, then look no further than UpdraftPlus. With UpdraftPlus, you can be confident that your website is always backed up and protected, no matter what life throws your way.
Most notable features of UpdraftPlus:
- Complete backups: UpdraftPlus can create complete backups of your WordPress website’s files, database, and plugins.
- Scheduled backups: You can schedule UpdraftPlus to create automatic backups of your website on a regular basis.
- Multiple storage options: UpdraftPlus can store your backups locally, on a remote server, or in the cloud.
- Easy restoration: UpdraftPlus makes it easy to restore your website from a backup, even if you’re not a technical expert.
- Extensive support: UpdraftPlus has a large and active community of users and developers who are always happy to help.
Price:
UpdraftPlus has a free version with limited features, as well as premium versions with more features and support. The premium versions start at $70 per year for up to 2 sites.
3. WP Rocket
WP Rocket for WordPress is a premium caching plugin that helps boost website performance and loading times. It is widely regarded as one of the most effective and user-friendly caching plugins available, making it a popular choice for WordPress users of all levels.
With WP Rocket, you’ll witness loading times plummet, Core Web Vitals soar, and user engagement skyrocket. Experience the transformative power of speed and propel your WordPress website to new heights of success!
Notable features:
- Page caching: Stores static copies of your website’s pages, reducing the server load and delivering pages to visitors at lightning speed.
- Browser caching: Instructs browsers to store frequently accessed files locally, minimizing the number of requests sent to the server.
- GZIP compression: Reduces the size of files transferred between the server and browser, resulting in faster loading times.
- Minification: Removes unnecessary characters from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files without affecting their functionality.
- Combining files: Reduces the number of HTTP requests required to load a page by combining multiple CSS and JavaScript files into a single file.
- Lazy loading: Defers the loading of images and videos until they are visible in the viewport, reducing the initial loading time of a page.
- Database optimization: Cleans up your WordPress database, removing unnecessary data and improving performance.
- CDN compatibility: Works seamlessly with popular content delivery networks (CDNs) to further enhance performance.
- Developer-friendly features: Offers a range of advanced features for developers, such as cache preloading, cache exclusion, and CSS/JS critical path rendering.
Price:
WP Rocket is available for purchase on a yearly basis. Prices are as follows:
- 1 website: $59
- 3 websites: $119
- Unlimited websites: $299
4. HubSPot CRM for WordPress
HubSpot CRM for WordPress is a free plugin that connects your WordPress website with HubSpot’s powerful CRM platform. This allows you to easily collect and manage leads, track interactions, and gain insights into your website visitors.
Using HubSpot Gather valuable insights into your visitors, nurture leads into customers, and streamline your sales and marketing efforts.
Most notable features
- Centralized CRM: Manage all of your contacts, companies, and deals in one central location.
- Lead capture: Create forms, pop-ups, and live chat to capture leads from your website.
- Contact tracking: Track visitor behavior and identify trends with HubSpot’s powerful analytics.
- Contact segmentation: Segment contacts based on their interests and engagement to send targeted messages.
- Marketing automation: Automate tasks such as email marketing, social media posting, and lead nurturing.
- Reporting and analytics: Gain insights into your website’s performance and identify areas for improvement.
Price:-
HubSpot CRM for WordPress is free to use. However, if you need more advanced features, you can upgrade to a paid HubSpot plan.
5. JetPack
Unleash the full potential of your WordPress website with Jetpack, the all-in-one solution that empowers you to achieve greater security, performance, and growth. With a vast array of features at your fingertips, Jetpack takes the hassle out of managing multiple plugins, providing a streamlined and intuitive experience that lets you focus on what matters most – creating captivating content and engaging with your audience.
Notable features in Jetpack:
- Security: Jetpack provides a robust suite of security features to safeguard your website from malicious attacks. These include brute force protection, malware scanning, and automated backups, ensuring that your website remains protected and secure.
- Performance: Jetpack helps to optimize your website’s performance, ensuring that it loads quickly and delivers a seamless user experience. Features such as image optimization, lazy loading, and content delivery networks (CDNs) work together to improve your website’s speed and responsiveness.
- Marketing: Jetpack offers a range of marketing tools to help you promote your website and reach a wider audience. These include social media integration, related posts, and email subscriptions, making it easier to connect with potential visitors and convert them into loyal followers.
- Growth: Jetpack provides insights into your website’s traffic and performance, enabling you to make informed decisions about how to grow your audience. Features such as site stats, visitor tracking, and search engine optimization (SEO) tools help you to understand how your website is performing and identify areas for improvement.
Pricing:
Jetpack offers a free tier that includes a limited set of features. For access to the full range of features, paid plans are available starting at ?285.95 per month.
6. Contact Form 7
In the realm of WordPress contact forms, Contact Form 7 reigns supreme. Its simplicity belies its power, enabling users of all technical skill levels to create elegant and effective forms that seamlessly integrate with their website. With Contact Form 7, you can effortlessly gather feedback, generate leads, and foster communication with your visitors. So if you’re looking to add contact form features, look no further than Contact Form 7.
Notable features of Contact Form 7:
- Drag-and-drop interface for easy form creation
- Ajax-powered form submission for a seamless user experience
- Unlimited forms and fields to meet your specific needs
- Spam filtering and reCAPTCHA support to protect your forms from unwanted submissions
- Integration with popular email marketing services
- Extensive add-on ecosystem for further customization
Price:
Contact Form 7 is completely free to use.
7. Akismet
In today’s digital world, spam is a constant threat to any website. It can clog up your comment sections, damage your reputation, and even lead to security breaches. If you’re a WordPress user, then Akismet is essential for keeping your site spam-free.
Akismet for WordPress is a powerful anti-spam plugin that helps protect your website from unwanted comments, spammy trackbacks, and malicious links. It is one of the most popular and trusted anti-spam solutions for WordPress, with over 5 million active installations.
Notable features in Akismet:-
- Protect your website from spam comments and trackbacks
- Automatically filter out spam comments
- Allow you to review suspected spam comments and decide whether to approve or delete them
Pricing:
Pay what you can for personal sites. Pro plan for commercial sites starts at ?579.00 per month!
8. Elementor
Elementor for WordPress is a leading front-end page builder that empowers users to create stunning websites without touching a line of code. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Elementor grants complete control over every aspect of your website’s design, from the layout and styling to the animations and interactions. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a complete beginner, Elementor’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to craft captivating designs that will engage and impress your visitors.
Notable features of Elementor
- Drag-and-drop editor: Intuitive and easy to use, Elementor’s drag-and-drop interface lets you quickly and easily create complex layouts without any coding knowledge required.
- Live editing: See your changes take effect immediately as you make them, with Elementor’s live editing feature. This ensures that your website always looks exactly the way you want it to.
- Responsive design: Elementor’s designs are automatically responsive, ensuring that your website looks great on all devices, from desktops to tablets to smartphones.
- Extensive library of widgets: Elementor comes with a vast library of widgets that can be used to add all sorts of content to your website, such as images, videos, forms, and social media feeds.
- Template library: Elementor offers a wide range of pre-designed templates that can be used as a starting point for your own designs.
- Theme builder: Elementor’s theme builder allows you to customize every aspect of your WordPress theme, including the header, footer, and single post templates.
- Global widgets: Create global widgets that can be used across your entire website, saving you time and effort.
- Custom CSS: If you do have coding knowledge, Elementor allows you to add custom CSS to your designs.
Pricing:-
Elementor is available in both free and pro versions. The free version offers a wide range of features, while the pro version adds even more advanced functionality. The PRO version starts at USD 59/Year.
9. MonsterInsights
MonsterInsights is the most popular Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. It makes it easy for anyone to add Google Analytics to their WordPress site without touching any code. With MonsterInsights, you can gain valuable insights into your website traffic, such as – where your visitors are coming from, what they’re doing on your site, how they’re finding you, and much more!
MonsterInsights sets you apart by providing an analytics dashboard for WordPress that delivers actionable insights directly within your WordPress dashboard. Their customized reports eliminate clutter and present only the most relevant stats, enabling you to swiftly identify what’s working and what’s not.
In short, MonsterInsights is the most comprehensive Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, seamlessly blending ease of use with unmatched power. This is why millions of small businesses and leading companies, such as Microsoft, Bloomberg, FedEx, Yelp, and Subway, rely on MonsterInsights to establish Google Analytics on their WordPress sites.
Notable features in MonsterInsights:
- Easy setup: MonsterInsights can be installed and configured in just a few clicks. No coding required!
- Comprehensive tracking: MonsterInsights tracks all the important Google Analytics metrics, such as page views, bounce rate, session duration, and more.
- Advanced tracking: MonsterInsights also offers a number of advanced tracking features, such as eCommerce tracking, form tracking, and event tracking.
- Powerful reports: MonsterInsights comes with a variety of powerful reports that make it easy to understand your website data.
- Actionable insights: MonsterInsights provides actionable insights that you can use to improve your website and grow your business.
Price:
MonsterInsights is available to download for free. You can get MonsterInsights Plus for $99.50 per year, MonsterInsights Pro for $199.50 per year, and MonsterInsights Agency for $399.50 per year.
10. WooCommerce
Developed by Automattic, WooCommerce is a free, open-source eCommerce plugin that transforms WordPress into a robust and flexible online store. It is the most popular eCommerce platform in the world, powering over 30% of all online stores.
Whether you’re embarking on a new venture, expanding your brick-and-mortar presence into the digital realm, or crafting captivating online storefronts for clients, WooCommerce empowers you to create a seamless fusion of engaging content and compelling commerce.
Notable features of WooCommerce
- Product management: Add, edit, and manage products with ease, including product descriptions, images, variations, and pricing.
- Payment gateways: Accept payments from a wide range of gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and credit cards.
- Shipping options: Configure various shipping methods and rates, including flat rate, free shipping, and table rate shipping.
- Taxation: Automatically calculate taxes based on customer location and product type.
- Reporting and analytics: Gain valuable insights into your store’s performance with comprehensive reports and analytics.
- Extensions and themes: Extend the functionality of your store with thousands of free and paid extensions and themes.
Price:-
WooCommerce is free to download and use. However, there are costs associated with hosting your WordPress website, as well as any paid extensions or themes you may choose to use.
Ready to try your favorite WordPress plugin?
WordPress is a powerful platform for building websites, but it’s important to choose the right plugins to enhance its functionality and performance. In this article, we discussed the top 10 must-have plugins for your WordPress website in 2023.
These plugins can help you to improve your website’s SEO, security, performance, and functionality. If you’re serious about building a successful WordPress website, I highly recommend installing all of these plugins.
Here are some additional tips for choosing and using WordPress plugins:
- Only install plugins from trusted sources.
- Keep your plugins up to date.
- Disable or uninstall plugins that you’re not using.
- Test your website thoroughly after installing or updating any plugins.
I hope this article has been helpful. Got questions? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
If you’re looking to turn your WordPress site into an eCommerce store, check out the 6 Best WordPress eCommerce Plugins in 2023.
Found a third-party app or tool to add to your site but can’t find a WordPress integration for it? Contact us for assistance.
Also Read: How to Integrate Third-Party Apps into Your WordPress Site
