30 Best Free WordPress Plugins That Will Supercharge Your Website
By James Flarakos | April 24, 2023
Table of Contents
Find a list of the 30 best free WordPress plugins you can use to optimise, secure or edit your website with with a list of features and best usages.
If you’re looking to optimize and enhance your WordPress website, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we have compiled a list of the 30 best free WordPress plugins that cater to various aspects of website management, from SEO to security. We’ve also included descriptions, best use cases, features, and download links for each plugin. This way you can make an informative choice to what plugin you should use when building or editing your website.
All of these plugins are free or use a free version so thy can also be found in the WordPress repository if searched by name.
1. Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is one of the most popular SEO plugins for WordPress, with over 5 million active installations. It offers a comprehensive set of tools to help improve your website’s search engine ranking and on-page optimization.
Best used for: Search engine optimization (SEO)
Features:
- Keyword optimization
- Readability analysis
- Technical SEO improvements
- XML sitemaps
- Breadcrumbs control
- Content analysis
- Social media integration
Download Link: Yoast SEO
2. Akismet Anti-Spam
Akismet is an essential plugin that checks your website’s comments and contact form submissions against a global database to prevent spam.
Best used for: Spam protection
Features:
- Automatically filters spam comments
- Status history for each comment
- Discard feature to save disk space
- Moderate and review comments
Download Link: Akismet Anti-Spam
3. Jetpack
Jetpack is a powerful plugin that offers various features, including security, performance optimization, and traffic growth tools.
Best used for: Site management and optimization
Features:
- Site stats and analytics
- Downtime monitoring
- Brute force attack protection
- Lazy loading images
- Content delivery network (CDN)
- Social sharing
Download Link: Jetpack
4. Elementor Page Builder
Elementor is a powerful and user-friendly drag-and-drop page builder plugin for WordPress, allowing you to create stunning and responsive web pages without any coding knowledge.
Best used for: Page design and layout
Features:
- Drag-and-drop page builder
- Responsive design
- Over 300 pre-designed templates
- Widgets for various elements
- Inline text editing
- Undo and redo history
- Custom CSS
Download Link: Elementor Page Builder
5. Wordfence Security
Wordfence Security is an all-in-one security plugin that helps protect your WordPress website from hacks, malware, and other security threats.
Best used for: Security and firewall protection
Features:
- Firewall protection
- Malware scanning
- Real-time threat defence
- Login security
- Security incident recovery tools
- Two-factor authentication
- Country blocking
Download Link: Wordfence Security
6. WP Super Cache
Description: WP Super Cache is a fast and reliable caching plugin that generates static HTML files from your dynamic WordPress site, significantly reducing page load times and improving site performance.
Best used for: Page caching and performance optimization
Features:
- Static HTML file generation
- Page compression and dynamic caching
- Cache preloading
- Content delivery network (CDN) support
- Browser caching
Download Link: WP Super Cache
7. Contact Form 7
Contact Form 7 is a popular and versatile plugin that allows you to create and manage multiple contact forms on your WordPress website with ease.
Best used for: Contact forms and user inquiries
Features:
- Create and manage multiple contact forms
- Customize form fields
- AJAX form submission
- CAPTCHA support
- Akismet spam filtering
- File attachment support
Download Link: Contact Form 7
8. Smush Image Optimization
Smush is an award-winning image optimization plugin that compresses, resizes, and optimizes your images, improving your website’s loading speed and performance.
Best used for: Image optimization and compression
Features:
- Lossless image compression
- Bulk image optimization
- Lazy loading
- Image resizing
- WebP conversion
- CDN support
Download Link: Smush Image Optimization
9. UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin
Description: UpdraftPlus is a reliable and easy-to-use backup plugin that allows you to schedule and manage backups of your WordPress website, ensuring the safety of your data.
Best used for: Site backups and data protection
Features:
- Complete website backup
- Scheduled backups
- Incremental backups
- Backup to cloud storage
- Backup encryption
- Site duplication and migration
Download Link: UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin
10. W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache is a comprehensive caching plugin that enhances your website’s performance by leveraging features like CDN integration, minification, and browser caching.
Best used for: Website performance optimization
Features:
- Page caching
- Minification of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Database caching
- Object caching
- Browser caching
- Content delivery network (CDN) integration
- Mobile device support
Download Link: W3 Total Cache
11. Really Simple SSL
Description: Really Simple SSL is a user-friendly plugin that helps you quickly and easily enable SSL on your WordPress website for a secure browsing experience.
Best used for: SSL management and site security
Features:
- Automatic SSL detection
- Redirects HTTP to HTTPS
- Mixed content fixing
- Security headers
- .htaccess redirect
- Certificate expiration check
Download Link: Really Simple SSL
12. Google Analytics Dashboard for WP (GADWP)
GADWP is a powerful plugin that allows you to easily integrate Google Analytics with your WordPress website, providing detailed statistics and insights about your site’s traffic and performance.
Best used for: Site analytics and traffic insights
Features:
- Real-time statistics
- Traffic source tracking
- Page and post performance
- Device and browser tracking
- Customizable dashboard widget
- Google Analytics tracking code integration
Download Link: Google Analytics Dashboard for WP (GADWP)
13. Redirection
Redirection is a popular plugin that helps you manage 301 redirects, track 404 errors, and improve your website’s overall user experience and SEO.
Best used for: URL redirection and error tracking
Features:
- Create and manage 301 redirects
- Monitor 404 errors
- Import and export redirects
- Regular expression support
- Conditional redirects
- Redirect logs
Download Link: Redirection
14. All in One SEO Pack
All in One SEO Pack is a comprehensive and easy-to-use plugin that helps you optimize your WordPress website for search engines.
Best used for: Search engine optimization (SEO)
Features:
- XML sitemap support
- Google AMP support
- Google Analytics integration
- Schema.org markup
- Advanced canonical URLs
- Meta tag generation
- SEO settings import and export
Download Link: All in One SEO Pack
15. Mailchimp for WordPress
Mailchimp for WordPress is an easy-to-use plugin that allows you to integrate your Mailchimp account with your WordPress website, helping you grow your email list and manage your subscribers.
Best used for: Email marketing and subscriber management
Features:
- Mailchimp integration
- Customizable sign-up forms
- AJAX form submission
- Form styling options
- GDPR compliance features
- Integration with other plugins
Download Link: Mailchimp for WordPress
16. Broken Link Checker
Broken Link Checker is a useful plugin that scans your WordPress site for broken links and images, helping you fix them to improve your site’s user experience and SEO.
Best used for: Link management and website maintenance
Features:
- Scans for broken links and images
- Email notifications for broken links
- Dashboard widget
- Filters and search functionality
- Prevents search engines from following broken links
Download Link: Broken Link Checker
17. Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
This plugin allows you to easily add customizable social media share buttons and icons to your WordPress site, encouraging visitors to share your content on various social media platforms.
Best used for: Social sharing and increasing website traffic
Features:
- Customizable social share buttons
- Over 200 social media platforms supported
- Multiple icon design options
- Floating or static share buttons
- Shortcodes for placement control
- Follow and share counts
Download Link: Social Media Share Buttons & Social Sharing Icons
18. WP-Forms Lite
WPForms Lite is a user-friendly drag-and-drop form builder plugin that allows you to create and manage various types of forms for your WordPress website.
Best used for: Form creation and management
Features:
- Drag-and-drop form builder
- Pre-built form templates
- Responsive design
- AJAX form submission
- Captcha and spam protection
- Email notifications
Download Link: WPForms Lite
19. Advanced Custom Fields
Advanced Custom Fields is a powerful plugin that enables you to create and manage custom fields for your WordPress website, allowing you to easily customize your site’s content and design.
Best used for: Custom field creation and management
Features:
- Over 30 field types
- Custom field groups
- Conditional logic
- Export and import fields
- Developer-friendly
- Integrations with other plugins
Download Link: Advanced Custom Fields
20. Regenerate Thumbnails
Regenerate Thumbnails is a handy plugin that allows you to regenerate your website’s thumbnail images after changing their dimensions, ensuring a consistent and professional appearance.
Best used for: Image resizing and thumbnail management
Features
- Thumbnail regeneration
- Selective regeneration
- Bulk regeneration
- Easy to use interface
- Supports custom image sizes
Download Link: Regenerate Thumbnails
21. Classic Editor
Classic Editor is an official WordPress plugin that restores the previous classic editor and the Edit Post screen, allowing users to continue using the familiar interface for creating and editing content.
Best used for: Editing and content creation
Features:
- Restores the classic editor
- Supports older themes and plugins
- Allows users to switch between Classic and Block editors
- Simple and user-friendly interface
Download Link: Classic Editor
22. Shortcodes Ultimate
Shortcodes Ultimate is a comprehensive plugin that provides a wide range of shortcodes for various elements, making it easy to create custom layouts and add unique features to your WordPress site.
Best used for: Content enhancement and layout customization
Features:
- Over 50 shortcodes
- Custom CSS editor
- Shortcode generator
- Responsive design
- Custom widget
- Import and export functionality
Download Link: Shortcodes Ultimate
23. The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar is a powerful and easy-to-use plugin that allows you to create and manage events on your WordPress site, featuring a sleek and professional design.
Best used for: Event management and promotion
Features:
- Event creation and management
- Calendar view
- List and day view
- Event search
- Responsive design
- Widget and shortcode support
- Customizable templates
Download Link: The Events Calendar
24. TablePress
TablePress is a user-friendly plugin that allows you to create and manage tables on your WordPress site without any coding knowledge, making it easy to present data in a structured format.
Best used for: Data presentation and table creation
Features:
- Create and manage tables
- Import and export tables
- Customizable table design
- Sorting, pagination, and filtering
- No coding required
- Short-codes for easy insertion
Download Link: TablePress
25. Custom Post Type UI
Custom Post Type UI is a powerful plugin that allows you to create and manage custom post types and taxonomies for your WordPress website, offering greater flexibility in organizing and presenting your content.
Best used for: Custom post type and taxonomy creation
Features:
- Create and manage custom post types
- Create and manage custom taxonomies
- Import and export functionality
- Developer-friendly
- Built-in help documentation
Download Link: Custom Post Type UI
26. Duplicate Post
Duplicate Post is a useful plugin that allows you to easily duplicate or clone any post, page, or custom post type on your WordPress site, making it simple to create similar content without starting from scratch.
Best used for: Content creation and management
Features:
- Duplicate or clone posts, pages, and custom post types
- Customize duplicated content settings
- Bulk duplicate actions
- User role restrictions
- Compatible with other plugins
Download Link: Duplicate Post
27. Autoptimize
Auto ptimize is a powerful plugin that optimizes your WordPress site’s performance by compressing, aggregating, and caching scripts, styles, and HTML.
Best used for: Site performance optimization
Features:
- Minification of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Concatenation of scripts and styles
- Image optimization and WebP support
- CDN integration
- Browser caching
- Extensible with hooks and filters
Download Link: Autoptimize
28. User Role Editor
User Role Editor is a versatile plugin that allows you to easily edit the capabilities and permissions of user roles on your WordPress site, providing better control over user access.
Best used for: User role management and access control
Features:
- Edit user roles and capabilities
- Create new user roles
- Assign multiple roles to users
- Block access to admin functionality
- Copy roles from one site to another
- Developer-friendly
Download Link: User Role Editor
29. Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Widget Area Manager
Custom Sidebars is a powerful plugin that allows you to create and manage custom sidebars and widget areas for your WordPress site, offering more flexibility in content presentation and layout design.
Best used for: Sidebar and widget management
Features:
- Create and manage custom sidebars
- Unlimited custom widget areas
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Display widget areas on specific pages or posts
- Import and export sidebars
- Compatible with most themes
Download Link: Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Widget Area Manager
30. WP-Optimize
WP-Optimize is an all-in-one plugin that helps improve your WordPress site’s performance by cleaning up your database, compressing images, and caching pages.
Best used for: Site optimization and database clean-up
Features:
- Database optimization and clean-up
- Image compression
- Page caching
- Minification of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- CDN support
- Scheduled optimizations
Download Link: WP-Optimize
Conclusion
Using our list of the best 30 free WordPress plugins you can not only optimise your site, but also secure it, create better content, manage users and much more! And if you are paying too much for your WordPress hosting, get started for only £1 per month!
