25 Essential WordPress Plugins: Upgrade Your Site's Performance

With over 58,000 plugins in the WordPress directory, choosing the right ones can be overwhelming. These WordPress plugins, written in PHP, enhance your site by adding new features or improving functionality.

In this article, we’ve curated 25 useful WordPress plugins to consider for your business website. They can simplify tasks, boost performance, and enhance user experience without requiring you to write any code.

Note: Do not install null plugins just to save money. It’s not worth it.

 

#1 Elementor

Elementor

  • Category: Website Builder
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD49/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Elementor is an easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder for beginners to design their websites in WordPress.

If you are new to website design and looking for a simple page builder, then Elementor will be a good choice for you to get started.

#2 Oxygen Builder

Oxygen website builder

  • Category: Website Builder
  • Free Version: No
  • Premium Version: As low as USD129
  • Lifetime Deal: As low as USD129

If you are looking for speed, and flexibility in designing your website, Oxygen is the best choice for you.

The learning curve for Oxygen Builder will be steeper as you are required to have some basic HTML & CSS knowledge. 

I’m personally using Oxygen Builder, and I’m happy with it.

#3 SEOPress

SEOPress all-in-one SEO plugin for WordPress

  • Category: SEO
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD39/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

SEOPress is a light-weight SEO Plugin that makes SEO easier to execute. 

With SEOPress, you can generate a sitemap, modify your meta title, meta description, manage 301/303 redirections, set up rich snippets, and many more.

#4 RankMath

RankMath SEO WordPress plugin

  • Category: SEO
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD59/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

If you are new to SEO and wish to improve your organic traffic, RankMath is a good option for you.

Their interface is beginner-friendly, making it easy for beginners to get started with SEO.

#5 Ahrefs SEO

Ahref SEO plugin

  • Category: SEO
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Ahrefs SEO Plugin is complementary to the other SEO plugins you are using such as RankMath or SEOPress.

With Ahrefs SEO Plugin, you’re able to see the total  traffic, organic traffic, and backlinks of each post and page.

#6 Site Kit by Google

  • Category: SEO
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Site Kit by Google is an official WordPress plugin from Google. It helps you to gain insights on how customers visit & use your website, and what you should be doing next to get better results directly in your WordPress dashboard.

It also makes integration with Search Console, Analytics, AdSense, and PageSpeed Insights much easier.

#7 Ninja Firewall

  • Category: Website Security
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

NinjaFirewall (WP Edition) is a web application firewall that provides various security features such as filtering engine, brute-force attack protection, real-time detection, and more.

#8 UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin

  • Category: Website Security
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD42/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

UpdraftPlus is an easy-to-use backup and restoration plugin that allows you to directly store your backup on cloud storage such as Google Cloud in one click.

#9 Advanced Database Cleaner

  • Category: Website Security
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD39/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Advanced Database Cleaner is a useful tool for you to delete all your orphaned items such as ‘old versions’, ‘spam comments’, ‘data from unused plugins’, and more.

#10 TutorLMS

  • Category: Online Course
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD149/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: As low as USD399

If you’re planning to create and monetise your online course on your website, TutorLMS is a good option to get started. 

TutorLMS is compatible with Oxygen as well as Elementor, so if you are using either one of these, it would not be an issue for you.

#11 LearnDash

  • Category: Online Course
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD159/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

LearnDash is another well-known WordPress plugin you can use to monetise your online course. It provides all the elements you need to sell your online course professionally.

Unfortunately, there are no free trials for you to try.  

#12 Autoptimize

  • Category: Speed Optimisation
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Autoptimize is an easy-to-use website speed optimisation tool, helping you to improve your website speed in minutes.

It provides speed optimisation features such as HTML/CSS minification, lazy loads images, async JavaScripts, and more.

#13 WP Rocket

  • Category: Speed Optimisation
  • Free Version: No
  • Premium Version: As low as USD49/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

WP Rocket is a premium speed optimisation WordPress plugin that provides everything you need to improve your website speed.

It includes Critical CSS, eCommerce optimisation, caching, GZIP compression, and many more advanced features.

#14 LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress (LSCWP)

  • Category: Speed Optimisation
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

LiteSpeed Cache  is a WordPress plugin that provides server-level caching plugin for websites. It provides a number of settings, giving you more control on your website.

If your website is using LiteSpeed Web Server, then this is a plugin that you should install.

Note: If your website is hosted with Exabytes v12 Hosting plans, then your website is using LiteSpeed.

#15 Cache Enabler

  • Category: Speed Optimisation
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Cache Enabler is another Caching WordPress Plugin that is easy to use, and does not require much configuration. At the same time, giving you the same performance as other caching plugins in the market.

#16 Assets CleanUp: Page Speed Booster

  • Category: Speed Optimisation
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD49/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Assets CleanUp gives you the ability to unload Javascript/CSS that you are not using page by page. Making it easier for you to lower down the number of HTTP requests on your website.

Note: If you are using Assets CleanUp with Autoptimize, then you should just use Assets CleanUp for unloading scripts.

#17 Disable WooCommerce Bloat

  • Category: Speed Optimisation
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

If you are using WooCommerce for your eCommerce store, then this is a tool to make your WooCommerce site faster by reducing all WooCommerce bloat.

#18 TranslatePress

  • Category: Multiple Language Site
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD92.30/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

If you are planning to make a multilingual website, then TranslatePress is a WordPress plugin you should consider.

If you’re planning to use TranslatePress, we have a guide on how to create a multilingual website with TranslatePress.

#19 Insert Headers & Footers by WPBeginner

  • Category: WordPress Essential
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

With Insert Headers & Footers by WPBeginner, it makes it easier for you to insert scripts on your website header and footer.

#20 WooCommerce

  • Category: eCommerce
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

If you wish to sell products on your WordPress website, then WooCommerce is a must. 

WooCommerce makes it easy for you to upload your products into your online store, collect customer shipping details, payments, and manage orders.

#21 FluentForm

  • Category: Contact Form
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD59/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: As low as USD249

FluentForm is a lightweight, drag-and-drop contact form builder. With FluentForm, anyone can create a beautiful contact form in minutes.

If you’re planning to use FluentForm, we have a guide on how to create a detailed contact form with FluentForm.

#22 Amelia

  • Category: Booking System
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD59/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: As low as USD189

Amelia provides a beautiful and feature-rich booking system for your WordPress website. It provides advanced features such as SMS notifications, Google Calendar Synchronisation, Google Meet Integration and more.

#23 Advanced Custom Fields

  • Category: WordPress Essential
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD49/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

With Advanced Custom Fields, you can take full control over your edit screens and custom field data.

It enables you to add fields on demand, and show them anywhere you wish.

#24 Code Snippets

  • Category: WordPress Essential
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: N/A
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

Code Snippets is an easy, clean and simple way to run PHP code snippets on your site. It removes the need to add custom snippets to your theme’s functions.php file.

#25 FacetWP

  • Category: Filtering
  • Free Version: Yes
  • Premium Version: As low as USD99/yr
  • Lifetime Deal: N/A

If you are planning to have a smart and advanced filtering feature on your WordPress website, then you should be considering FacetWP.

FacetWP is compatible with most page builders and themes in the market too.

Final Thoughts on WordPress Plugins

Thanks for your time reading this article, I hope this article has helped you to discover new WordPress plugins that can make your life easier.

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