Ever wondered what the most popular free WordPress plugins are and why they’re so freaking popular? Knowing the answer could help you understand which ones are a must to install on your site (or even what kinds of plugins you should be building).
The more plugins you include in your site, the more you weigh it down and run the risk of longer pageload times. Instead of overloading your site, choosing your plugins wisely will not only ensure site maintenance is more manageable but can speed up your site.
Here are the top 25 free plugins from the WordPress Plugin Directory and my insights into what makes them so popular. The list of top plugins in the repository changes regularly so the list below is in no specific order – they’re all knock-outs!
This plugin lets you create multiple detailed forms on your site. It has a simple user interface and it’s also easy to setup. You can forget about having only the basic name, email and message field since this plugin does a lot more and works well.
It’s not the most robust contact form out there, but it’s simple to use which is appealing to many users, especially if you’re a developer and your client needs to create forms on their own.
Interested in Contact Form 7?
From simple tools to backups, security, site statistics and more, Jetpack has something for everyone. It’s like installing many plugins, but you only need to activate one.
Jetpack is particularly useful for those who are moving from a free WordPress.com site to a self-hosted one. If you’re used to the functionality and dashboard you received in your free site, you can get most of it back with Jetpack.
Beyond that, there are many useful tools included that can help reduce the overall amount of plugins you need to install.
It’s also maintained by Automattic, the same folks behind WordPress so rest assured, you won’t have to worry about this plugin being abandoned.
Interested in Jetpack?
Wordfence is a security plugin that covers you from any attack – even the latest ones since it’s continuously being updated on a regular basis. Installing this plugin means you get a firewall along with a ton of additional options for protecting your site. There’s a lot to get through and understand, but documentation is available to help you get through it.
There’s a lot to get through and understand, but documentation is available to help you get through it. If you would like to try a premium security plugin for free that has robust features, but that’s a piece of cake to use, check out our Defender plugin.
Since it’s regularly updated to protect you against the latest threats, that alone makes it an enticing option. On top of that, there are many valuable options to help protect your site further including manual scans. Above all, it works well.
Interested in Wordfence Security?
If the standard WordPress gallery feature just isn’t enough for your site, then it’s time to consider the NextGEN Gallery plugin. It not only creates robust galleries but can also handle slideshows and different kinds of galleries including lists and a compact version. You also have the option to delete and sort images.
This plugin goes above and beyond the basics when it comes to image galleries. The features also offer a professional feel that is essential for photographers and artists.
Interested in NextGEN Gallery plugin?
This plugin creates a cached version of your site so it loads faster for your users. It includes browser, page, object and database caching as well as minification features. It’s full of features so even the most tech savvy developers can get everything they need.
If you’re looking for an option that’s a lot easier to use but doesn’t run shy of important features, check out Hummingbird for free.
Check out our post The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Caching for details on caching and what it means for your site.
Short answer: It works. Most people find a lot of success with W3 Total Cache, but then again, everyone’s site is different so it many not be the best solution for you. That’s why it’s a great idea to test out other caching plugins to see which one works best for your site.
Interested in W3 Total Cache?
This plugin works to optimize your site for serch engine optimization (SEO). There’s not much setup required and it’s easy to use. The basics are included for free, but if you need a lot more advanced features, a premium upgrade may be best.
If you want all the features you could want in an SEO plugin, but all for free, check out SmartCrawl.
It’s simple and automatic. Since SEO helps improve your site’s ranking in results for the top search engines (read: Google), having at least basic optimizations can help give your site a boost.
Interested in All in One SEO Pack?
This plugin lets you create your own custom fields and also includes many different field options. For most users, it’s all you really need. You can choose from basics such as text, email and password fields as well as more advanced fields such as a WYSIWYG editor, file upload and color picker.
If you need a lot more features and flexibility while still being able to produce professional custom post types and not just fields, check out CustomPress for free.
Many sites don’t need to go beyond the many field types that are available. It’s also simple enough to use and gets the job done well. If your needs are somewhere on a sliding scale of quick and fairly complex to simple, then it’s a plugin worth considering.
Interested in Advanced Custom Fields?
This plugin provides one function which is to resize your thumbnails once they have already been generated by WordPress. This gives you the option to change the sizing of your thumbnails down the road in case you decide on different dimensions to complete your site’s styling and design.
Regenerate Thumbnails has a simple function and if you need it, it’s useful. It’s a handy tool, but it’s not necessarily one you need to have around all the time unless you upload images by the truckload.
Interested in Regenerate Thumbnails?
WP Super Cache helps speed up your site with browser caching. It has multiple ways of doing this including Mod_Rewrite so you can serve up HTML copies of your site as quickly as possible. This feature is especially handy if you experience high traffic at times.
You also have the option to clean up old cached files that aren’t needed any longer to help reduce the overall load on your server.
If you require a lot more features and power behind the caching plugin you use while still being a cinch to use, you can check out Hummingbird – and for free.
t’s popular because it works well with most sites, though, many users may find their setup is too robust or otherwise incompatible with WP Super Cache and turn to other plugins.
This is just the way it goes sometimes since there are so many sites out there with differing setups and requirements. This plugin is worth a try in a live testing environment before pushing it to your production site.
Interested in WP Super Cache?
Duplicate Posts has one main function which is to let you copy posts whether they’re in draft, pending or already published.
It’s particularly useful if you want to update a post, but don’t want to take a published post offline in order to edit it since it would ruin your search engine ranking. It can also be helpful if you created a particularly stellar post and want to publish a similar one, but want to be able to make quick changes.
It’s not really a useful plugin if you don’t need it, but if you find you do need to copy posts, then you won’t be able to run your site without it. In such a case, it’s incredibly convenient.
Interested in Duplicate Post?
WooCommerce is popular because it’s a professional option that works incredibly well without a hefty price tag. Though, it may be worth noting that there are many features that are available that do require an investment such as many popular payment gateways.
Interested in WooCommerce?
This plugin helps you check on your site’s statistics through Google analytics. It’s easy to setup and use and has all the basic features most users need.
Instead of having to switch between interfaces to check on your site’s analytics, you can conveniently do it all from one place in your admin dashboard.
Interested in Google Analytics for WordPress?
This plugin works well and when used with other free plugins, it can really pack a punch, though, you’re better off grabbing one plugin that has all the features you need to prevent your site from being bloated.
Interested in Google XML Sitemaps?
CAPTCHA has been a popular choice for reducing spam for quite some time. Since this plugin only works when used with one of the top free plugins, it makes sense that Really Simple CAPTCHA would match it in popularity.
Interested in Really Simple CAPTCHA?
The WordPress Importer is designed to transfer your site and its contents. You can export your site so you can load it onto a fresh install or import your site from other blogging platforms.
This plugin is useful when you need to import or export your site, but isn’t necessary to keep installed when you’re not using it. Since you can access it through the Tools tab in the admin dashboard, it’s usually tucked away enough that most people forget it’s even there. I know I’m guilty of that, big time.
Interested in WordPress Importer?
Akismet effectively reduced comment spam on WordPress sites and is maintained by the WordPress team. It works in the background so once you can install it, you can forget about it while Akismet works to protect your site.
It works well and saves sites from a ton of spam. At best, spam is annoying and bloats your site and at its worst, it can lead to many serious threats such as DDoS, XSS and XML-RPC attacks. This being the case, it’s no wonder why this plugin is so popular.
Interested in Akismet?
Creating content is at the heart of most WordPress sites and this plugin makes the process easier. It’s especially helpful for those who don’t have a lot of time to be editing code or for developers who create sites for clients who need more options in the editor.
Interested in TinyMCE Advanced?
WP-PageNavi adds fancy pagination to the bottom of your blog so it’s easier for your visitors to get around. Instead of displaying the default Older and Newer links to navigate posts, this plugin adds page numbers and arrows to navigate through them.
Advanced pagination is not so much a luxury these days than it is a necessity. Most (if not all of) the top companies and sites use this kind of pagination since user experience is an important part of what keeps visitors from leaving. Anything you can do to make browsing your site easier and more pleasant for your users is a step in the right direction.
Interested in WP-PageNavi?
This plugin lets you layout your pages the way you want without coding. It also uses the same basic WordPress interface so it’s easier to use to build stylized pages that fit your site’s design.
Interested in Page Builder?
As I mentioned earlier, spam can not only be annoying, but it can be downright dangerous for your site or network. Rather than sorting through comments and finding spam, this plugin lets you disable the comments feature altogether. It also prevents users from overriding this option.
While this plugin may not be for everyone, it can certainly help reduce all comments spam. Also, if you’re planning on using a third party comments system, this plugin is even better since it disables the default system so you receive much less spam. No matter which camp you sit in, it’s an effective option for reducing or even halting spam.
Interested in Disable Comments?
The Google Analytics Dashboard for WP plugin is another one on this list that links your site with Google Analytics and displays them for you in the back end. You can track the basics such as traffic sessions and sources, but also more detailed features such as average page speed and information on user engagement.
Most of the features you need from Google Analytics can be seen and handled right from your admin dashboard when this plugin is installed. The convenience is definitely a plus, but the sheer amount of features you get also helps sweeten the deal. Many advanced users won’t ever need to switch back and forth between pages, at least most of the time.
Interested in Google Analytics Dashboard for WP?
With this plugin, you can add a WYSIWYG editor to your widgets since it lacks this feature by default. With this plugin, long gone are the days where you have to use only HTML to your text widgets to add the rich content you need for your site.
This plugin makes it super easy to add rich text and dynamic content to your widgets without code. Its simplicity as well as the fact that it makes adding content easier gives this plugin a winning score.
Interested in TinyMCE Widget?
UpdraftPlus is a full-featured backup plugin that also handles restores. You can also store your backups in multiple locations and schedule them as well.
You get all the features you want for free. What’s better than that? Well, I suppose when you get that plus a whole lot of other plugins, themes and services all for free.
Interested in UpdraftPlus?
iThemes security has great features such as scheduled scans, two-factor login authentication, password security and quite a few more options. It’s also easy to setup and use, though, there are some advanced features that could break your site.
That being said, there are clear warnings and documentation to help you along the way.
All the features you need to protect your site are included free and the only premium upgrades are for other services such as backups.
It may be helpful to note that Defender has similar features with an easier interface and there are tons of other plugins, themes and more all included for free.
Interested in iThemes Security?
This plugin effectively replaces passwords while still providing the security of being stronger than a password. It works by letting you sync your mobile phone to provide fast and protected logins.
Security and user experience are among the top priorities for most sites that require many users to login because without them, the personal information and engagement of your visitors becomes at risk. Two-factor authentication is fast and easy to use while still providing a lot of security, especially given how easy it is to forget one of many passwords.
Interested in Clef Two-Factor Authentication?
Are you using any of these top WordPress plugins? Even if you’re not, you now have a bit of insight as to why they’re so popular so you can make an informed choice.
For more details on picking the best plugins for your site, check out one of our other posts A Thoughtful Guide to Picking the Perfect Themes and Plugins for Your WordPress Site.
If you want to know how you can find and install more free WordPress plugins, check out another one of our posts How to Find and Install Hundreds of Free WordPress Plugins from GitHub.
There’s also a ton of premium plugins that you can get for free at WPMU DEV.
