Published: Jul 4, 2024, 5:10pm
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In 2024, WordPress is one of the most powerful content management systems (CMSs). Millions of people use CMS to create and manage their websites efficiently and effectively. However, to unlock the platform’s full potential, users often turn to plugins, which help add features that aren’t available by default.
Using the right plugins can help a website grow in no time. Faster loading times, easy-to-fill forms, and intuitive options improve the user experience. Hence, if you’re a WordPress user looking for the best plugins in 2024, here are some of the best options.
We’ll start with the best WordPress security plugins, as security is one of a website’s most integral parts. Then, we’ll move on to the functional plugins that help improve a website’s performance and design.
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Website Security
Firewall, malware scanning
Website Security
Firewall, malware scanning
This plugin from Sucuri Inc. provides all-around security. It provides features like activity auditing and remote malware scanning and adds enterprise-grade website firewall protection. It can safeguard a website against denial-of-service attacks and zero-day vulnerabilities.
The Sucuri Security WordPress plugin provides several performance-related optimizations and security features. Given the nature of its services, this plugin is slightly more expensive than the others.
Performance Optimization
Caching, compressing, preloading
Performance Optimization
Caching, compressing, preloading
Now that we’ve sorted security let’s move on to the functional aspects of a website, which will help improve overall performance. To improve a website’s loading speed, consider installing WP Rocket, a plugin designed to create cached copies of its pages. The plugin shares the cached copies instead of loading the page from scratch.
Further, it compresses the website’s HTML, CSS, and Javascript files, resulting in smaller file sizes requiring less bandwidth. Together, these techniques help the plugin reduce the loading times, improving overall performance.
Analytics
Google Analytics integration, easy-to-read reports
Analytics
Google Analytics integration, easy-to-read reports
For those hosting their website via WordPress, Monster Insights is an excellent way to link it with Google Analytics, the search giant’s ultimate performance-tracking tool. In addition to accessing all the information and metrics from the Analytics database, Monster Insights showcases them in an easy-to-read format.
It can help users discover the most visited website pages, provide detailed audience insights, and even handle e-commerce analytics within the user’s WordPress dashboard.
Search Engine Optimization
On-page optimization, technical SEO suggestions, useful insights
Search Engine Optimization
On-page optimization, technical SEO suggestions, useful insights
Designed to optimize a website and its content for search engines, the Yoast SEO plugin helps create the best SEO title and meta description. The plugin provides an overall SEO score (based on the focus keyword) and a reliability analysis with suggestions for improving clarity and sentence structure.
The plugin generates relevant internal links, offers tips for outbound links, and lets users preview how the content will appear on the web and social media platforms.
Form Builder
Drag-and-drop form creation with conditional logic
Form Builder
Drag-and-drop form creation with conditional logic
Every website, at some point or another, requires forms for gathering information from visitors. Whether for maintaining a contact sheet or generating leads, WPForms provides a simple drag-and-drop interface that helps users design forms, choose from various pre-designed templates, and use conditional logic to hide or show certain fields based on the users’ choice. One can also get paid add-ons for payment and marketing integrations.
Search Enhancement
Advanced search functionality
Search Enhancement
Advanced search functionality
Installing the SearchWP plugin helps visitors find what they’re looking for without hassle. It improves the default WordPress search by indexing content, comments, and media files, fetching search results from the entire website. Further, the plugin shows the most relevant results based on keyword placement, title matches, etc. Users can also go through insights into the search queries and optimize their content accordingly.
E-commerce
Product portfolio creation and management, shopping cart, payment processing
E-commerce
Product portfolio creation and management, shopping cart, payment processing
One of WordPress’s most popular e-commerce plugins, WooCommerce, is used by over five million websites. The plugin transforms a WordPress website into an online store with product catalogs, descriptions, images, shopping cart functionality, and the ability to integrate popular payment gateways. More importantly, users can customize the look and feel of their online store and implement strategies based on the analytics and reports provided by the plugin.
Lead Generation
Optional forms (popups, slide-ins, etc.), email marketing
Lead Generation
Optional forms (popups, slide-ins, etc.), email marketing
After figuring out the security, performance, analytics, and SEO, one could use some help in generating and converting leads. OptinMonster, a popular WordPress plugin, helps users create catchy pop-ups (that trigger at a specific time), slide-in messages, and inline forms. It also helps target these toward relevant audiences, such as those about to leave the website or those who scroll to a specific point on the webpage. The plugin also provides conventional marketing features such as sending emails.
Stripe Payment
Allows creation of payment forms via Stripe
Stripe Payment
Allows creation of payment forms via Stripe
WP Simple Pay is one of the best options for those who wish to integrate a Stripe-based payment form plugin into their website. The plugin is easy to set up, supports over 10 payment methods (including credit/debit card), provides “buy now, pay later” functionality, and lets users create recurring payments. Further, WP Simple Pay lets users design the payment forms to match the website’s theme and appearance. Additional features include creating coupon codes, payment notifications, order management, etc.
Code Snippet Management
Allows adding code snippets for customization
Code Snippet Management
Allows adding code snippets for customization
Previously known as the Insert Headers and Footers plugin, WPCode allows users to add code snippets to header and footer scripts for scripting and tracking-related purposes. Whether it is live chat integration, custom fonts, or social media integration, code snippets help users add different functionalities to their websites. Although the plugin might not be useful for all users, it allows the technical flexibility experts want.
WordPress plugins are pieces of code or software that unlock various features on a WordPress website. As explained above, multiple plugins are designed for a specific task.
The cost of WordPress plugins can vary depending on the developer and the version one uses. Although most plugins are free, some offer comprehensive solutions and are chargeable. Free WordPress plugins often offer limited functionality, as opposed to paid ones.
Featured Partners
1
Bluehost
Price Per Month
From INR 165.53 ($1.99) onwards
Benefits
Free CDN, Domain and SSL for 1st year
Features
10 GB SSD Storage and 1 Website
On Bluehost’s secure website
2
Hostinger
Price per month
INR 149 onwards
Features
Drag-and-Drop Editor, Free Domain and Unlimited Free SSL
Free trial
30 days
On Hostinger’s secure Website
3
HostGator
Price per month
INR 219 ($2.64) per month
Benefits
Free domain and SSL for 1st year
Features
10GB SSD Storage and Basic email included
On HostGator’s secure website
Choosing a WordPress plugin is relatively easy, considering that much literature is available online. You must figure out the purpose and conduct a quick Google Search to find some of the most well-reviewed plugins. Go with the popular ones, as they will likely offer better customer support and feature updates.
Read More: Best Website Builder
WordPress plugins, like any other digital tool, are as worthy as one wants them to be. While spending hundreds of dollars on a plugin and not using it correctly won’t bring the desired results, optimizing the free ones according to the website’s need could have a positive impact. To sum up, WordPress Plugins are worth it as long as one knows how to use them.
A WordPress website should have as many plugins as it can efficiently handle. Depending on the hosting plan, the available resources for a website could differ, and so could its processing capability. Hence, adding too many plugins could slow down a website.
Most WordPress plugins are available for free, albeit with limited functionality. However, some plugins could be expensive, depending on the features they offer.
The best WordPress plugins vary from website to website. However, some of the best plugins include Sucuri Security, WP Rocket, Monster Insights, Yoast SEO, etc.
You should use as many plugins as you need or as many as your website’s allocated resources can handle.
Yes, too many plugins can slow down WordPress by occupying the available resources.
Shikhar is is a technology journalist who has been covering news and features for several publications. In the past, Shikhar has worked with ScreenRant, Digit, and Republic World, covering several developments related to iOS, Android, and Windows.