People often ask me what are the top WordPress plugins that we recommend to use on their blog, so we decided to write this post for the best plugins for using WordPress. This has a mix of both premium and free plugins, but they are all vital to saving you time, increasing your search engine results, and making you money. These are the plugins that I use every time I develop a WordPress site.
- All in One SEO Pack This one should be obvious. This WordPress SEO plugin is the most downloaded plugin, with over 11,000,000 downloads at the time of this writing. This is the original WordPress SEO plugin (since 2007), and is the standard for any and all WordPress sites.
- Google XML Sitemap Generator Creating an XML Sitemap for search engines such as Google is vital, and this plugin does it well.
- Backup Buddy We couldn’t live without this plugin. The security and peace of mind we get, knowing that our websites are backed up at all times, is vital. It also makes migrating a WordPress site a breeze.
- Gravity Forms Creating forms can be a time-consuming task, as well as a technical one. This plugin allows you to easily and quickly create simple or complex forms for WordPress.
- Jetpack Brought to you by the guys who brought you WordPress.com, this plugin adds over a half-dozen awesome features that once were exclusive to WordPress.com hosted blogs.
- Akismet Unless you want to get pounded by spam, this plugin is a must. There are a few other anti-spam plugins, but none use the powerful Akismet network of servers to crowdsource those dirty spammers!
- Pippity This is one of the best plugins that you’ve never heard of. We all hate popups, but Pippity delivers your users popups in a very unobtrusive way, while helping you to increase conversions. WE use this on every site, and almost immediately our conversions went through the roof. It paid for itself in a little under a week.
- WP Super Cache Does this website seem pretty fast to you? If so, thank WP Super Cache. Built by Automattician Donncha O Caoimh, this fully featured caching plugin will keep your hosting company off your back for using up the server’s resources.
There you have it. These are the best plugins out there for a basic installation, either using WordPress as a blog or otherwise. What plugins do you like? Are there any we should add to the list? Let us know if the comments what you think.
This is a great list! I’d say check out W3 Total Cache though as an alternative to WP Super Cache.
What about wpdb backup? I agree with most of the others though.
I had Akisment & Jetpack but I deleted them.
Ehmm… Wp super cache seems very interesting, may be try that plugin.
Thanks for info!
What didn’t you like about Akismet and Jetpack?
I have JetPack in one of my sites, it’s ok if you ask me, but akismet is either deleted either disabled, I’m using “Spam Free WordPress” works for me
Hi RwkY,
Thank you for your comment. What do you like better about Spam Free WordPress?
the fact that blocks the spam, and when there is a new spam method, the plugin gets update the next day
Also after you update, it shows a message like “there was a security hole, we repaired that! Enjoy!”
It does it job
Hi,
it is great list but i recommend idrive in place of backup buddy.
Thanks Manish. I haven’t used iDrive but I’ll have to check that out!
Manish,
I’m interested in why you would pick idrive over backup buddy??
thank you for sharing this list.
I tried W3 Total Cache and had to delete it. It actually slowed things down. I now use WP Super Cache, and find it lighter on its feet (for a shared server) and actually does speed pages loads.
BartC,
We use WP Super Cache on every site we do, and have had no problems, while enjoying significant performance benefits. It’s an especially useful plugin for WordPress sites on shared servers, and some hosts even require it.
Shameless #1 Ranking for AIOSEO Pack – What is the purpose of the monthly/annual fees on top of the license fee? What more does that get you beside the plugin?
I’m sorry you felt the need to post this insulting comment, but I noticed you ended up purchasing All in One SEO Pack Pro anyway. Thank you for your purchase.
Hi Michael,
It seems a login security plugin to protect against hacking attacks is vital these days.
There are 2 I’ve been looking at:
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/askapache-password-protect/
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/login-lockdown/
Do you have any login security plugins you would recommend?
Check out any of the plugins by Website Defender. I wrote one of their three security plugins, and I can personally vouch for their security abilities.
Michael, thanks for publishing your list of recommendations. Many of the tools on your list are talked about on a lot of blogs, and have been around for quite a while, but seeing them mentioned here on your blog – and with a recent date – is a great confidence booster. Because you say you use them yourself, means a great deal.
With Backup Buddy, moving a site to another domain or server, how much “fiddling” do you find yourself having to do with wp_ tables or anything else at the phpMyAdmin level? I am looking for something as fiddle-free as possible.
Hi Scott,
Thank you. I’m glad you like the list. With Backup Buddy, you don’t have to do any fiddling. You pretty much just click a few buttons. Even as a programer who is certainly capable of migrating a site, I use Backup Buddy for migrations just because it’s so easy and fast.
Thank you for the fast follow-up. That’s excellent news. I’ll be checking it out via your link.
You’re welcome. It’s funny actually. When I first found out my team was always using Backup Buddy for migrations, I said, isn’t that overkill if you are able to do it via phpmyadmin, etc? Then they showed me how it makes migrating so fast it’s silly. That’s what I’ve used ever since.
Hi Michael,
Thanx for the list.
I had a query. I wanted to know that if the permalinks settings are changed from default to a custom structure after many years of using the blog and after many posts, will that effect the old posts, will the old posts be lost?
Nergis
Hi Nergis,
You’re welcome. Absolutely change from the default. Changing from one custom structure to another is a pain, but if you’re still on the default, the change will only help in the long run.
That will affect your old posts, but they won’t be lost. You just need to make sure the old url does a 301 redirect to the new url.
Hi Michael, Thank you for your quick reply. Sorry to sound a little dense, but how do I go about doing this? Is there a plugin which can make this task easier to do? This is for my husband’s blog http://www.gauravblog.com for which there are a little under 950 posts, so to do a redirect manually for them all will be a crazy task.
Nergis
If you’re switching from the default, ?p=x… WordPress will take care of the redirect for you. Switching between custom permalinks gets a little more tricky.
Oh great! Thanx Michael, you’ve been most helpful.
Backup Buddy is a great plug-in that protects site owners’ content in case the site goes down or gets hacked. It’s also helpful for bloggers who want to go on a hiatus but wish to backup their content in case they want to revive the blog in another platform.
Great list Michael, but to be honest, I was hoping you were going to add a proper user commenting plugin because the default WordPress one lacks so many features such as indented replies (so that you know who you’re replying to) comment votes, Facebook shares and likes on comments, etc. Do you have any in mind? What one do you use?
Regards,
Marcus
JWB
Hi Marcus,
Indented replies are supported. Make sure you turn on “threaded comments” and that your theme supports them.
I disabled Akismet because it only attracts spammers
when he worked as a spam comments were 10,000
and turned off and it became 20 per day
Note there is a difference)
and w3 total cache definitely better
Hi Vladimir,
Thank you for your comments. There’s nothing Akismet does to attract spammers. It doesn’t have any public facing element.
What about W3 Total Cache do you like better?
Nice work on this blog post. I really enjoyed visiting your site. Thanks.
nice plugins are. i am using some of them. they are really interesting.
Good solid list Michael; Akismet is a must have, as is Backup Buddy and Google XML site map generator(although be interesting to know if Akismet does attract spammers and how?!?).
WP Super Cache is great for the more basic caching low volume sites, but I must agree with the others W3 Total Cache is far better. As for JetPack we’re actually fans of that as it has some cool features, and continues to be updated. Pippty never have had the need, but I’d guess it be worth looking into it if you’re generating advertising traffic off of your site.
Fred.
Hi Fred,
Thank you for your comment. I’m not sure why he thinks Akisment attracts spammers.
Why do you recommend W3 Total Cache over WP Super Cache?
Pippity is great not just if you have advertising traffic. Any time you need popups for mailing list signups, etc, it will work wonders. It’s hard to explain how awesome it is in a comment. I may do a post on it later.
Thanks for the heads up on WP Smart Cache.
Any thoughts on plugins that help with mobile devices? I currently use WPTouch, and it works alright, but I’m sure that there are other ways to display to phones.
WPTouch is a great way to display your sites for iPhones. For iPads, you may want to look at Onswipe.
Even better than WPTouch, for phones you could look into “responsive” themes.
Hi, I’m a beginner to blogging, so articles like this are really helpful. By the way, do you think a Sitemap is essential for a Blog; I can see the need for a website, but a Blog?
how the site can load faster. help me!. Thank you.
Thanks Michael. I’m still learning and not having much success. Seem to be having trouble getting a squeeze page that’s successful.
James Magee
Franklin, NC
@Michael – Nice list! In addition, I’d recommend
* google-analyticator : for dashboard GA overview/insights
* broken-link-checker : a great tool to control your links
* contact-form-7 : for those that only need simple mailform(s)
* widget-logic : widget control, if template doesn’t support this
Beyond these basics, there’s
rss-includes-pages, page-tagger, post-layout, theme-my-login …
Thank you for your suggestions Jazzvox.
There are some great plugins on there. Widget logic is one we definitely use a lot, though not on every site.
My suggestions would be that if Gravity Forms is overkill, to just use Jetpack’s new contact form functionality instead of Contact Form 7.
Thanks Michael for the wonderful information. Most of these plugins I’m using right now or have used in the past. The only one on your list that I haven’t had good results with is Super Cache. I know a lot of people recommend it, but that plugin writes a lot of files to your server and good luck trying to get rid of them all when you decide to deactivate and remove it. Btw, thanks for Jazzvox for the broken link checker recommendation. I’ve been blogging for 7 years, off and on. Found a TON of broken links and redirects. That plugin is worth it’s weight in gold.
Thank you for this list. I never herd of Gravity Forms or jetpack something that has helped me is pushbutton seo. Again thank’s
I took a look at Pippity, and it’s a bit expensive for my taste. For an inexpensive alternative, do you have any suggestions? Greyboxes aren’t that hard to do, but I’d like a bit of flexibility. I just need something that works with wordpress without the extra hassle, and I can take care of the extra coding.
Popup plugins and scripts are a dime a dozen. None of them are a real alternative for Pippity. I know it’s a bit pricey, but it has functionality and features that nothing else comes close to.
Akisment charges five dollars a month. A waste when you consider there are free plugins for the same function. That is a sixty dollar savings a year. When you think about it, 60 dollars time 5 years is a big waste of money. Akisment is no better than other for something you can get free.
Hi Holly,
Thank you for your comment. Akismet is different than other anti-spam plugins in that it crowdsources the spam filtering. Also, it is free for non-commercial use.
Hi Michael,
What about WordPress Backup to Dropbox; Ultimate TinyMCE and One-Click Child Theme so that you can ‘fiddle’!
I also like the Broken Link Checker and believe that Akismet is pretty darn good. Never made a mistake on my sites.
Must get around to checking out the Jetpack now that it includes ‘us’
Cheers
Ian
Oi Michael.
Estou de acordo com as suas indicações, uso da lista 5, os outros não conheço ainda, mas vou sim testá-los!
Eu quero um plugin para que nem apareça em meu blog SPAM, toda vez que abro o painel do blog lá está bloqueado pelo AKISMET, centenas de comentários que não tem nada a ver com o Blog. Como se dá isto?
Thanks for the post, it’s very infomative though I agree with you on other plugins, but do not agree on akismet, I use it but recently discovered that it sometimes block comments from real people. One day a friend of mine posted a comment on my blog, then I replied him back and he too answered me in return but akismet blocked that his reply.
So, on my blog I combine “Akismet”, “Growmap Anti Spambot Plugin” and “No SpamNX” to fight spam comments.
I use “W3 Total Cache” and not “WP Super Cache” (though I have not tried it but will try it out)
I use “Google XML Sitemaps” and I guess it’s same plugin that is called “Google XML Sitemap Generator” and so on.
Thanks.
Hi Azubulke,
There will always be a chance for false positives, just like with email, etc.
Thank you for sharing these plugins. Have a few of them but will try out the others.
Thanks Michael,
Nice post. I have a few of those plugins – the next one I will look into getting is Backup Buddy from just looking at these comments. Oh, and about the pop ups – I don’t like those at all. My skin crawls when I open a website and see one. Especially the ones you can’t get rid of unless you fill out the form. Ugh!
To Money Honey!
где можно подробнее узнать о pippiti? где скачать?
where you can learn more about pippiti? where to download?
Hi,
You can click here to download Pippity.
Hi, I’m surprised not to see any security plugins on your list. I have been looking at a few that protects against A number of hacks including Base 64, SQL injection and code injection hacking
Do have a view on security plugins?
Phil
Definitely setting up my Google XML Sitemap and Super Cache right now. Thanks for the tip!
nice collections, i love it..
i’d like to share it on my blog..
thx for sharing..
Хороший пост. У меня Akismet за один год 1765 спам комментариев удалил.Я использую “Google XML Sitemaps” и много других плагинов. Когда начинала делать блог, было 35 плагинов, сейчас 27. Многое пересматриваю, меняю плагины, тестирую. Все ок
Good post. I have Akismet in one year the 1765th spam of comments removed. I use “Google XML Sitemaps” and many other plug-ins. When started to do the blog, there were 35 plug-ins, now 27. A lot of things I reconsider, I change plug-ins, I test. Everything is ok
Awesome list!
if I do have genesis SEO plugin, do I need all in one?
Yes.
Do you recommend any plugin to handle a subscribers only mechanism for viewing site content or particular pages of a site?
Hi Jon,
Check out WP e-Commerce.
Hi Michael, hope you are still answering questions from late comers!
I would also like to change my permalinks to the pretty URLs, but when I did all of my “likes” on my social plugin are gone and it looks like there are none. I changed back to the regular URL structure and they are back.
Do you know if there is anyway around this? I’m using the bottomless plugin and tried to contact them, but no response.
Thank you for any suggestions!
Deanna
All plugins are very good. But this list is too big, if all installed , the website may not afford the heavy load. you are not supposed to install ALL of them. Many offer duplicate functionality anyway. The point is to use this list to find the best plugins suitable to your site.
[...] just made an updated list of the top WordPress plugins for ANY blog or site. There are some old tried and true plugins, and a few you may have never heard [...]
Hi Michael,
Its me again, On using All In One SEO pack, I don’t know if I should noindex categories and tags… I’m really not happy cos I recently found out that my site passes dofollow link juice to useless links on my site such as widgets, affiliate banners and links on widgets, tags, categories, social sharing buttons, below footer links, facebook, twitter etc profiles, read more links, pagenation number links etc. I don’t know how to nofollow them, I’m afraid cos I once activated a nofollow plugin for that which ended up in making my site unavailable in search engines to the extend that I hardly get 5 visitors from search engines on daily basis.
Please any help on how I can nofollow those links without affecting my site visibility negatively? Thanks.
Hi Michael,
Its me again, On using All In One SEO pack, I don’t know if I should noindex categories and tags… I’m really not happy cos I recently found out that my site passes dofollow link juice to useless links on my site such as widgets, affiliate banners and links on widgets, tags, categories, social sharing buttons, below footer links, facebook, twitter etc profiles, read more links, pagenation number links etc. I don’t know how to nofollow them, I’m afraid cos I once activated a nofollow plugin for that which ended up in making my site unavailable in search engines to the extend that I hardly get 5 visitors from search engines on daily basis.
Please any help on how I can nofollow those links without affecting my site visibility negatively? Thanks.
Just about everyone uses Akismet. Fine. I do too.
But I think they use it wrong.
Akismet is great at spotting spam and putting the spam comments in a special file. Most people delete the spam Akisment has quaranteened for them. I think that’s a mistake.
1) check to see how many spam comments you get from each outgoing site (an easy search), delete duplicates
2) if a spam passes the duplicates test, hit the ‘edit’ button
3) delete the spammer’s Name and URL
4) insert a keyword or your blog’s name as Name
5) put your blog’s URL or the URL of one of your pages in the URL space.
6) Approve and Update your edited comment.
To be legal, put a warning to comment spammers somewhere in your legal pages that you reserve the right to edit comments.
This method turns comment spam into internal links. Does that make sense to you too? It does to me.
Nice list!
Thanks for your list!
If you are planning on doing any javascript or php coding on your wordpress site – these are two very helpful plugins:
Enhanced Header / Footer Injections – allows you to code inside the head section.
Insert PHP – lets you add php code to a page.
There are afew other plugins depending upon your application (eg. session control is one)
All In One SEO pack its a powerfull seo of tools ,thanks I am glade using it
Thanks Michael,
These are really great plugins.
I also like Squirrly SEO plugin for on-page SEO. It does a great job with seo live assistant tool.
I see that works just fine with other plugins.
Cheers!
Hello! I have a fairly new WP website with the blog feature. Just added the Akismet spam filter. Is the SEO Service Pak 2 a good add-on to increase traffic to my site. In the past I have been receiving a lot of spam from vistors, but after reading this blog the posts maybe from spammers looking for backlinks. Any suggestions on improving my SEO?
Hi Adolphus,
All in One SEO Pack is an essential tool in managing your on-site SEO. We would definitely recommend you use it for your WordPress SEO.