Kim
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
1
Hi everyone,
I’m setting up my first blog and could use some advice. What plugins do you consider must-haves for any blog, no matter the niche? I’m especially interested in plugins for functionality, security, SEO, and user experience. Any tips or recommendations would be great.
Thanks!
Mai
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
2
It depends on where you’re hosting your site. If it’s self-hosted (LEMP), I handle most speed, security, and backups on the server side. If it’s with WPEngine, they handle a lot of it for me.
Regardless, these are always on my list:
Site Builder : GeneratePress Premium + GenerateBlocks
Forms : Forminator
Custom Post Types : Pods
SEO : The SEO Framework
For nostalgia : Simple Editor
For shared hosting, I’d add:
Backups : Duplicator
Caching : Autoptimize + Async JavaScript
Firewall : NinjaFirewall
Email : PostSMTP
Joey
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
3
Here’s a solid list of plugins to start with:
SEO : Yoast SEO or Rank Math
Security : Wordfence or Sucuri
Caching : WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache
Backups : UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy
Page Building : Elementor or Beaver Builder
Forms : Contact Form 7 or WPForms
Image Optimization : Smush
Email Marketing : Mailchimp for WordPress
These cover the basics for most sites. Just avoid adding too many plugins as it can slow things down.
Weston
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
4
@Joey
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll check these out.
Reilly
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
5
Instead of just listing plugins, maybe we should ask which ones are coded well and efficient?
Emerson
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
6
Here’s my setup for any business site:
Building : OceanWP/Astra/Neve + Elementor Pro/Visual Composer
Management : MainWP
Backup : WP All-in-One Migration or BlogVault
Security : Virusdie or MalCare
Speed : SiteGround Optimizer (if on SG) or WP-Optimize, EWWW, or ShortPixel
SEO : SEOPress or Squirrly SEO
Forms : WP Fluent Forms
Analytics : Clicky or HockeyStack
Kim
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
7
@Emerson
Thanks for this! I’ll definitely try out some of these.
Mason
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
8
You should look into multi-factor authentication (MFA). Here’s a plugin I’ve used: Two-Factor Authentication . Would love to know what others are using for security!
Sawyer
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
9
Here’s my go-to list:
WPOptimize for caching and compression
Yoast SEO for search engine optimization
WebP Express for converting images
ACF for custom fields
Always have backups, either via your hosting or a plugin.
Vega
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
11
Jin said :
I always add these:
Security : Wordfence or Defender
Caching : Hummingbird or WP Super Cache
Image Optimization : Smush
SEO : Yoast
Backups : UpdraftPlus
Lol, isn’t that cheetah plugin actually called ‘Fastest Cache’?
Kai
December 24, 2024, 10:28am
12
Jin said :
I always add these:
Security : Wordfence or Defender
Caching : Hummingbird or WP Super Cache
Image Optimization : Smush
SEO : Yoast
Backups : UpdraftPlus
Why use Smush? Have you tried ShortPixel or Imagify?
Jin
December 24, 2024, 10:29am
13
@Kai
No real reason, just what I’m used to.
Kai
December 24, 2024, 10:29am
14
Jin said :
@Kai
No real reason, just what I’m used to.
You should compare them—they might surprise you with better results.
Peyton
December 24, 2024, 10:29am
15
This article might help you choose the best security plugin: WooCommerce Security Plugins .