What plugins do you always add when starting a WordPress project?

Review
1

I’m wondering what plugins everyone installs right away when setting up a new WordPress site. Personally, I try to keep my list short but effective. What are your go-to plugins?

2

We try to stick to what’s needed:

  • SEOPress
  • Gravity Forms
  • OOPSpam for spam control
  • ACF
3

Lorin said:
We try to stick to what’s needed:

  • SEOPress
  • Gravity Forms
  • OOPSpam for spam control
  • ACF

Can free WordPress sites use these plugins, or do you need a paid plan?

4

Tariq said:

Lorin said:
We try to stick to what’s needed:

  • SEOPress
  • Gravity Forms
  • OOPSpam for spam control
  • ACF

Can free WordPress sites use these plugins, or do you need a paid plan?

Check out this guide: WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. They’re different platforms, and it depends on which one you’re using.

5

Tariq said:

Lorin said:
We try to stick to what’s needed:

  • SEOPress
  • Gravity Forms
  • OOPSpam for spam control
  • ACF

Can free WordPress sites use these plugins, or do you need a paid plan?

Are you talking about WordPress.com hosting? That’s really limiting.

6

@Blair
Straight to the point—love it! I learned this the hard way and agree completely.

7

Tariq said:

Lorin said:
We try to stick to what’s needed:

  • SEOPress
  • Gravity Forms
  • OOPSpam for spam control
  • ACF

Can free WordPress sites use these plugins, or do you need a paid plan?

If you’re using self-hosted WordPress, you can install them all. Some might require a premium license though.

8

Tariq said:

Lorin said:
We try to stick to what’s needed:

  • SEOPress
  • Gravity Forms
  • OOPSpam for spam control
  • ACF

Can free WordPress sites use these plugins, or do you need a paid plan?

I’ve never heard about ‘tiers’ for WordPress. Isn’t it free for everyone if it’s self-hosted?

9
  • ACF Pro
  • Classic Editor
  • Gravity Forms
  • Yoast SEO (but thinking about switching to SEOPress)
  • Wordfence
  • Relevanssi
10

Morgan said:

  • ACF Pro
  • Classic Editor
  • Gravity Forms
  • Yoast SEO (but thinking about switching to SEOPress)
  • Wordfence
  • Relevanssi

I used to prefer Classic Editor too, but now I feel like Gutenberg is easier for layout flexibility. It’s good for rows, columns, and custom HTML without needing extra tweaks. What’s your reason for sticking with Classic Editor?

11

@Charlie
I mostly use ACF for content management, so I turn Gutenberg off entirely. My themes handle all the layouts, and editors just add the content.

12

@Charlie
Same here. I don’t use Gutenberg since my focus is feeding data into custom frontends. A fully customizable Classic Editor would be ideal.

13

I’ve saved all my plugin recommendations here: My Plugin List. It’s a long one, but worth a look if you’re curious.

14

Ari said:
I’ve saved all my plugin recommendations here: My Plugin List. It’s a long one, but worth a look if you’re curious.

Can you share just the essentials?

15

UpdraftPlus for backups. Works like a charm.

16

Hello Dolly is always the first plugin I activate!

17

Owen said:
Hello Dolly is always the first plugin I activate!

Absolutely! Hello Dolly is the most valuable plugin ever. :joy:

18

Owen said:
Hello Dolly is always the first plugin I activate!

It’s the only plugin I use. Pure classic! :joy:

19

Classic Editor is still my favorite. It just feels right.

20

I always start with Wordfence, a backup plugin, and caching tools. I also keep a detailed spreadsheet of plugins, licenses, and the sites they’re on.