This article focuses on the recommended plugins for all our themes. The plugins you might consider essentially depend on the type of site you’re running (e.g., blog, e-commerce, portfolio). However, some general-purpose plugins can benefit most sites by enhancing security, performance, SEO, and usability.
When you’re just starting out, knowing what to install and use is very overwhelming. That’s why we discuss what we use and recommend to help you and tell you about the ‘stuff’ that no one else will.
Let’s get started with what to use:
Security Plugins:
If you’re with a very good hosting company such as BigScoots, you will not need to install a security plugin. If your hosting is not capable of this, we suggest you use All-In-One Security (AIOS—Security and Firewall), which can be downloaded from your WordPress repository.
Backup Plugins:
Most hosting companies offer backups these days; however, not all perform daily backups, so you will need to check. If you need to use a plugin, then we suggest WP Staging Pro because it’s less complicated than other plugins. You can download their free version from your WordPress repository.
sEO Plugins:
A comprehensive tool for optimizing your content, titles, meta descriptions, and more for search engines. We are big fans of Rank Math SEO and All-In-One SEO; both free versions can be downloaded from your WordPress repository and are upgradeable.
Caching Plugins:
Optimize caching, compress files, and enhance page load speeds. We suggest using LiteSpeed Caching, which is free forever and should be used if your server uses it. If your server doesn’t use LiteSpeed, an alternative is to use WP Rocket. Unfortunately, there is no free version, but it is worth every penny.
Performance Plugins:
We use and recommend Perfmatters, it’s one of the best performance plugins you can use. It is used in addition to a caching plugin. It isn’t free but worth it because it will drastically improve your site’s performance.
Image Optimization Plugins:
We love two optimization plugins, WP Smush and ShortPixel Image Optimizer. Both are outstanding at compressing and optimizing images without losing quality. Wp Smush is a one-off fee – you’ll never have to pay again. Shortpixel offers a monthly subscription or one-off payment that needs topping up if you run out of credits.
Contact Form Plugins:
If you’re using Kadence, you will not need a contact plugin. However, if you’re not using Kadence or prefer a third-party option for more complex forms than Kadence can offer, WP Forms would be our go-to; it’s an easy-to-use form builder that helps you create contact forms, surveys, and more. It is free, upgradeable, and can be downloaded from your WordPress repository.
Analytics Plugins:
We use and recommend the Google Site Kit, which provides insights from Google Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, and PageSpeed Insights and integrates seamlessly with your WordPress dashboard for easy access to site performance data. It is free and can be downloaded from your WordPress repository.
Spam Protection Plugins:
We use and recommend Antispam Bee over and above others; it automatically filters out spam comments to keep your site clean, all without captchas and without sending personal information to third-party services. It is free of charge, ad-free, and 100% GDPR compliant. It is free and can be downloaded from your WordPress repository.
Social Sharing Plugins:
There are some great sharing plugins, such as Social Snap, Hubbub, and ShareThis. We use and recommend Hubbub because it’s lightweight and doesn’t cause conflicts. These plugins are free, upgradeable, and can be downloaded from your WordPress repository.
Accessibility Plugins:
We aren’t big fans of accessibility plugins because, after testing them, they all slowed down our websites, significantly enough that we didn’t want to use them. The best call to action is to utilize Kadence’s accessibility features when creating your posts and pages.
GDPR and Cookie Compliance Plugins:
We use and recommend Lightweight Cookie Notice. It is free forever, can be upgraded, and can be downloaded from your WordPress repository. Check out our knowledge base article Lightweight Cookie Notice Plugin.
Broken Link Checker:
We recommend Broken Link Checker, it’s an external link not a plugin, but still scans your site for broken links and helps you fix them.
E-commerce Plugins (if applicable):
If you’re running an online store, Kadence provides WooCommerce plugin with features like product gallery sliders, quick view, AJAX add-to-cart, and customizable product pages. It also includes options to customize the checkout process to improve conversion rates.
NOTE: Check out our shop recommendations here
These plugins cover a wide range of needs, including security, performance, user engagement, and compliance. Depending on your website’s specific requirements, you may choose more specialized plugins and may need to upgrade certain plugins.
