30 best WordPress plugins to improve your website in 2024
By: Richard White — Oct 12, 2023
Reading Time: 15minutes
A common myth about WordPress is that it’s only good for blogging.
In fact, many people think it lacks the features and functionality to create a professional-looking website.
But this is far from the truth.
Aside from powerful native features, WordPress has endless plugins that can enhance your website in various ways. These range from design and performance to security and SEO.
In this article, we’ve selected the best WordPress plugins for 2024 based on our own experience. We’ve also taken into account the reviews and ratings of other WordPress users.
Whether you are a beginner or an expert, our curated list of 30 plugins will help you create and maintain a stunning website with WordPress.
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The right SEO plugin helps search engines properly index and rank your content higher in results.
When picking the best WordPress SEO plugins, key factors to consider are:
Site indexing
Semantic markup
Internal linking
Page speed optimization
You want robust XML sitemap generation, schema markup support, and on-page optimization.
Ensure the plugin aligns with your WordPress version and doesn’t slow down your site. Outdated plugins may lead to compatibility issues.
Additionally, a fast page speed is critical for SEO and conversions.
Some of the best WordPress SEO plugins are Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and All in One SEO. These plugins offer comprehensive features to analyze your site’s SEO and suggest improvements.
With the right plugin, you can maximize search visibility and traffic to your online store.
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is one of the most popular and best WordPress plugins available today.
As one of the best WordPress SEO plugins, AIOSEO lives up to its name by packing a ton of powerful SEO features into a user-friendly plugin. It’s a comprehensive solution that handles everything from technical SEO to content optimization.
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
Active installations
3+ million
Pricing
Basic: $124/year
Plus: $249/year
Pro: $499/year
Elite: $749/year
Features
XML site generation
Competitor site analysis
Automatic search engine indexing
Support for Google AMP and Knowledge Graph
Add schema markup and social media tags to your pages and posts
Manual and automatic SEO title and meta description customization
Analyze your site’s SEO performance and get actionable recommendations
Integrate with WooCommerce, Elementor, Yoast SEO, and other popular plugins
There are many threats that can compromise your site, such as malware, hackers, spam bots, and more.
With such security threats on the rise, choosing the best WordPress plugins to protect your site is crucial.
You want robust protection against common attacks. These include brute force login attempts, SQL injections, XSS, and spam bots.
Restricting unwanted traffic early on is important. Regular malware scans and access control can help protect your site from spam bots and other threats.
When evaluating the best WordPress security plugins, key factors to consider are:
Permissions management
Vulnerability scanning
Firewall protection
Activity logging
Login security
The best WordPress security plugins ensure minimal impact on website performance. They include reporting and alert systems, enabling you to take immediate action in case of security breaches.
Additionally, they can help backup your site, restore it in case of emergency, and keep it updated with the latest security patches.
Wordfence Security is one of the best WordPress plugins for security. It offers vigilant real-time protection and robust features in an evolving threat landscape. These include enterprise-class security features and advanced firewall rules.
This makes Wordfence Security a popular choice among the best WordPress security plugins available.
Rating
4.7 out of 5 stars
Active installations
4+ million
Pricing
Free version available
Premium: $119/year
Care: $490/year
Response: $950/year
Features
Firewall for blocking malicious traffic and preventing brute force attacks
Security Scanner for scanning files, themes, plugins, and database for malware and vulnerabilities
Real-time threat intelligence, country blocking, and malware signatures
Login security to enable two-factor authentication and limit login attempts
Live Traffic monitors site activity and issues alerts for any suspicious behavior
Large WordPress-specific malware database and threat intelligence team
Site cleaning to help recover your site if it gets hacked or infected
Wordfence Central manages and monitors multiple WordPress sites from a single dashboard
Real-time website security dashboard for monitoring security-related events
Two-factor authentication, trusted devices, and passwordless logins for secure WordPress experience
User groups set up and privilege escalation features
Malware scan and automatic removal of malicious code or infections
Brute force protection prevents unauthorized login attempts
Regular WordPress database backup and enforced SSL/TLS connections to the website
Hide Backend setting to change your site’s login URL
Best WordPress backup plugins
Best WordPress Backup plugins: UpdraftPlus, Jetpack VaultPress Backup, BackupBuddy.
One of the best WordPress plugins you can install on your website is a backup plugin. Such plugins allow you to create and restore copies of your website in case something goes wrong. This could be due to a hacker attack, server crash, or human error.
Having a backup plugin can save you a lot of time and money, as well as protect your data and reputation. But how do you choose the best WordPress backup plugin for your website? There are several factors to consider, such as:
Frequency and reliability of the backups
Type of security offered during transmission
Diversity of storage destinations
Variety of backup types offered
Ease of use and restoration
Compatibility and support
Your website’s data is invaluable. Selecting the right backup solution is your safety net against unforeseen data loss.
Some of the top WordPress backup plugins include UpdraftPlus, Jetpack VaultPress Backup, and BackupBuddy.
UpdraftPlus is undeniably one of the best WordPress backup plugins. It’s trusted by millions for its simplicity and reliability.
With a robust set of features, it ensures your website’s precious content remains protected and recoverable at all times. UpdraftPlus is also easy to use making it a top choice for seamless backing up of WordPress sites.
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
Active installations
3+ million
Pricing
Free version available
Personal: $70/year
Business: $95/year
Agency: $145/year
Enterprise: $195/year
Gold: $399/year
Features
Able to backup sites of 100 GB (file size only limited by hosting)
Backs up limitless non-WordPress files and external databases
Multi-site (WPMU/WordPress Network) compatible
Supports both manual and automated (scheduled) backups, as well as incremental backups
Database encryption option for security
Supports various cloud solutions, e.g. Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive
Backs up your entire WordPress website (database + all WP files)
Allows you to set up backup schedules to run automatically
Sends and stores your backup files off-site in a safe, secure location
Provides a process for quickly and easily restoring WordPress from a backup
Allows you to exclude files or database tables from your backups
Includes a malware scanner that can detect and remove malware from the website’s files
Supports FTP and SFTP for backing up and restoring your website
Offers multiple backup options, including daily, weekly, monthly, and on-demand backups
Best WordPress ecommerce plugins
Best WordPress Ecommerce plugins: WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress.
Choosing the best WordPress plugins for ecommerce is crucial when setting up an online store. These plugins can help you create, manage, and optimize your store.
A robust plugin should handle complex product catalogs, promotions, payments, taxes, and shipping.
Integration with shopping channels, shipping carriers, and payment gateways is also essential.
A customizable storefront, intuitive backend, and mobile responsiveness contribute to a great shopping experience. When evaluating the best WordPress ecommerce plugins, key factors to consider are:
Ease of use
Features
Scalability
Security
Support
Pricing
Must-have WordPress plugins include WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, and Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend.
These stand out for their performance and versatility in running a WordPress ecommerce site. With the right plugin, you can launch a fully-featured online store.
Email Marketing for WooCommerce by Omnisend is one of the best ecommerce plugins for WordPress. It’s a robust email marketing plugin that integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce.
Of all free WordPress email plugins that can help you effectively communicate promotions, offers, and valuable content to customers, this one takes the cake.
Stand out by using it in your carefully crafted ecommerce marketing plan to interact with your target audience.
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
Active installations
6,000+
Pricing
Free
Features
Create and send personalized campaigns based on your customers’ behavior and preferences
Automate your email and SMS marketing with prebuilt workflows and triggers
Segment your audience and target them with relevant messages
Track and optimize your ecommerce performance with analytics and reports
Fully GDPR compliant, with your data protected with the latest security standards
Set up different membership levels and pricing plans
View and edit customer records from the MemberPress dashboard
View and export detailed sales performance reports
Restrict access to specific pages, posts, categories, or tags
Offer customizable coupons, discounts, and trial periods
Integrate with popular payment gateways, email marketing services, and affiliate programs
Track and analyze your membership data and revenue
Best WordPress gallery plugins
Best WordPress Gallery plugins: NextGEN Gallery, MetaSlider, Photo Gallery by 10Web.
An excellent way to showcase your products or services on your website is to use a gallery plugin. Gallery plugins allow the creation of beautiful and responsive image galleries. These enhance visual appeal and user experience.
So, how do you choose amongst the best WordPress gallery plugins to meet your needs?
For starters, you want a plugin that makes it easy to create and manage galleries without coding. Features to look for include:
Responsive layouts and design
Image editing and optimization
Drag-and-drop organization
Variety of display options
Compatibility and integrations
The best plugins for WordPress allow you to create inline galleries within pages and posts, as well as standalone galleries. Control over thumbnail sizes and cropping for optimal WooCommerce image sizes is also beneficial.
Leading options include NextGEN Gallery, MetaSlider, and Photo Gallery by 10Web. They stand out for performance and creating engaging, SEO-friendly image galleries with WordPress.
Curious about WordPress tools for showcasing your visual content?
Wonder no more.
NextGEN Gallery fits the bill as one of the best WordPress gallery plugins. Its feature-rich toolkit empowers website owners, photographers, and creatives to craft stunning and interactive galleries.
Rating
4.3 out of 5 stars
Active installations
500,000+
Pricing
Free version available
Starter: $139/year
Plus: $199/year
Pro: $279/year
Lifetime: One-off payment of $699
Features
Multiple album and gallery styles and layout designs to choose from
Customizable Pro Lightbox for full scale image display and slideshows
Image protection disables right-click to download your images
Support for discounts and coupons, as well as connecting pricelists to galleries
Ecommerce integration with support for various payment gateways including PayPal and Stripe
Hover captions with title, descriptions, and social sharing options
Customizable themes and galleries with responsive, mobile-friendly design
Image protection with watermarks and disable right-click feature
Integrations with Instagram and Google Photos, and optimized for Google
Gallery groups for presenting multiple galleries
Move photos and galleries from one WordPress site to another
Organize photos by adding tags to them
Best WordPress translation plugins
Best WordPress Translation plugins: WPML, GTranslate, TranslatePress.
To reach a global audience with your WordPress website, you must ensure it’s multilingual. That’s why one of the best WordPress plugins you can install is a translation plugin.
Translation plugins allow you to create and manage different versions of your website in different languages. They play a crucial role in making your website accessible and engaging for a wider audience.
But how do you choose the best WordPress translation plugin for your needs? There are several factors to consider, such as:
Ease of use
Translation methods (manual, machine, or a combo)
Support for multilingual content and SEO
Speed and performance
Leading options like WPML and GTranslate allow you to create a multilingual site that serves content based on the visitor’s preferred language. This makes content more accessible and your WordPress site viable in international markets.
WPML is a premium plugin and one of the best WordPress translation plugins available. It allows you to translate your site into over 40 languages. You can also manage all your translations from a single dashboard.
WPML’s global compatibility tools make it a top choice as one of the best WordPress plugins.
Rating
Not available
Active installations
Not available
Pricing
Pricing is in Euros. Account renewals (once per year) are at 75% of the original price (below).
Multilingual Blog: €39
Multilingual CMS: €99
Multilingual Agency: €199
Features
Translate pages, posts, custom types, menus, taxonomy, and even theme texts
Multilingual compatibility with every theme or plugin that uses WordPress API
Automatically translate entire site and achieve 90% accuracy with Google, DeepL, and Microsoft
Supports your own human translators/integrated professional translation service
Glossary and translation memory for site translations
Multilingual SEO includes setting SEO meta information and control over how URLs look
Choosing the right page builder is crucial for designing visually stunning WordPress sites.
Page builder plugins allow you to create and customize your web pages without coding. Instead, you can use drag-and-drop elements and templates. You can also design your own layouts, add widgets, animations, and more.
Among the must-have WordPress plugins, page builders stand out for their ability to simplify web design and development. When choosing one, consider:
Extensive customization options, including ready templates
Clean and optimized code for enhanced SEO performance
Compatibility and seamless integration with your WordPress theme and other plugins
Active support and frequent updates
Speed and optimization
Options like SeedProd, Elementor, and Spectra stand out. They have their usability, expansive design features, and performance going for them.
SeedProd is one of the best WordPress page builder plugins for designing stunning, high-converting web pages.
It allows you to create landing pages and customize their designs and layouts with an intuitive drag-and-drop design builder interface. It also comes with over 100+ pre-made templates. You can customize these with your own images, text, and content.
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
Active installations
1+ million
Pricing
Free version available
Basic: $79/year
Plus: $199/year
Pro: $399/year
Elite: $599/year
Features
Powerful drag-and-drop builder, with exclusive and customizable professionally designed templates
Pre-built smart sections and special blocks like headers, calls to action, countdowns, etc.
Live previews and revision history (one-click reverts)
Native integrations with 3rd party email marketing service providers like Mailchimp
Over 100 pre-built websites and page templates with one-click installer
No dependency on external code as it works with the native WordPress editor
Clean code to boost SEO and ensure flawless compatibility with other WordPress plugins
Super intuitive, as it integrates into the native WordPress interface
Customize anything and maintain design consistency by copy pasting block styles
More WordPress plugins
The specific WordPress plugins you need can vary widely based on your niche, business model, and website goals. Always research thoroughly to ensure you choose compatible plugins that meet your unique requirements.
That said, here are some more of the best WordPress plugins you need:
MonsterInsights – Best Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress
SliceWP – Best WordPress Affiliates plugin
AddToAny Share Buttons – Best WordPress Social Media plugin
LifterLMS – Best WordPress LMS plugin
The Events Calendar – Best WordPress Event plugin
Asgaros Forum – Best WordPress Forum Plugin
LiveChat – Best WordPress Live Chat plugin
Remember, test plugins to ensure the best fit before integrating them into your WordPress site.
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There are thousands of WordPress plugins available today, but not all are created equal.
Focusing on the best WordPress plugins for your specific needs and site goals is crucial. The plugins highlighted in this article offer outstanding solutions for SEO, security, ecommerce, and more.
Still, you want to vet and test plugins before integrating them into your WordPress toolbox.
With the right combination of optimized and purpose-built plugins, you can extend WordPress functionality to grow your online presence.
Ready to take your WordPress website to the next level? Get a head start on email & SMS marketing with Omnisend’s free plan
Richard is a Content Marketing Manager at Omnisend. An avid writer, he's said to have been born holding a pencil. Fascinated by all things handmade, if he's not reading or writing he can often be found practicing leathercraft.
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