WordPress is the preferred platform of millions of web designers worldwide, thanks to its flexibility and the huge variety of plugins available. In this article, we present ten must-have plugins to boost the performance, security and user experience of your WordPress site, detailing their number of installations, as well as their free or paid version.
1. Elementor
Elementor is a visual page builder with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. It lets you create custom layouts without the need for development skills. Its free version is already very comprehensive, offering a range of tools and widgets, but the Pro version adds advanced features such as forms, animations, and WooCommerce integration.
Number of installations: 11+ million
Version: Free and paid
2. Site Kit by Google
Site Kit is the official Google plugin for WordPress. It enables quick and easy integration of essential Google tools such as Google Analytics, Search Console, PageSpeed Insights and AdSense. The plugin provides statistics directly from the WordPress dashboard, offering a quick overview of your site’s performance.
Number of installations: 3+ million
Version: Free
3. Wordfence
Wordfence is an all-in-one security plugin for WordPress. It offers a firewall, malware protection and security scans. The free version is sufficient to protect basic sites, but the Premium version offers real-time threat detection and advanced IP address filtering options.
Number of installations: 4+ million
Version: Free and paid
4. WP Hide
WP Hide is an effective tool for hiding the fact that your site uses WordPress. This plugin is essential for strengthening your site’s security by hiding information such as file paths or links to the WordPress dashboard. The free version offers basic options, but the paid version offers full customization.
Number of installations: 90,000+
Version: Free and paid
5. Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is one of the most popular SEO plugins for WordPress. It helps optimize your content for search engines with real-time suggestions. The free version is ideal for basic optimization, while the premium version unlocks features like redirect management and multiple keywords.
Number of installations: 5+ million
Version: Free and paid
6. WP Code (formerly Insert Headers and Footers)
WP Code is a simple yet powerful plugin for adding custom code to your site, whether in the header, footer or elsewhere. It’s great for integrating tracking scripts or additional elements without directly modifying your theme files. The free version is already very comprehensive, and a Pro version offers additional code management options.
Number of installations: 1+ million
Version: Free and paid
7. Filebird
Filebird is an indispensable plugin for organizing your WordPress media library. It lets you create folders and organize your files in a structured way. This makes it much easier to manage multimedia content on a site containing numerous images, videos or documents. The free version allows basic organization, while the Pro version unlocks features like unlimited folder management.
Number of installations: 100,000+
Version: Free and paid
8. Really Simple SSL
Really Simple SSL is the must-have plugin for those wishing to secure their site with an SSL certificate. It automatically detects your certificate and configures your site to work with the HTTPS protocol. The free version is sufficient for most sites, but the Pro version adds tools such as mixed content error detection.
Number of installations: 5+ million
Version: Free and paid
9. CookieYes
CookieYes helps manage compliance with data protection laws, including the RGPD. It displays a cookie consent banner and allows users to customize their preferences. The free version is perfect for a basic site, but the paid version offers more customization options and detailed consent reports.
Number of installations: 1+ million
Version: Free and paid
10. WPML
WPML is one of the best plugins for creating multilingual sites on WordPress. It allows you to translate your entire site, including posts, pages, menus and widgets. This plugin is particularly useful for international companies or sites with a large audience. It’s only available as a paid version, but offers full integration and compatibility with most WordPress themes and plugins.
Number of installations: 1+ million
Version: Paid
Plugins for asset management professionals
Asset management is an industry that requires specific tools to manage and display complex financial data. Here are a few plugins that will meet the needs of industry professionals.
SAND360
SAND360 is a plugin developed by the SAND agency, designed specifically for asset management professionals. It enables the import and restitution of net asset values (NAVs), performance calculations, as well as the management of commercial and regulatory documents. This plugin is an essential tool for automating and simplifying the management of financial information on a WordPress site.
Graphina Charts
Graphina Charts is a powerful plugin for creating interactive charts on your site. It allows you to represent financial data in a variety of graphical formats, making it ideal for performance reporting and analysis. Its intuitive interface makes it easy to customize visuals to suit the needs of financial professionals.
M Chart
M Chart is another excellent tool for creating charts on WordPress. It stands out for its simplicity and compatibility with complex data. Whether you need to display historical data or financial forecasts, M Chart lets you easily integrate them into clear, attractive charts.
Stock Market Overview
Stock Market Overview is an indispensable plugin for financial sites wishing to display real-time stock market data. It allows you to track stock, currency and index prices directly on your WordPress site. This makes it ideal for asset management companies and financial analysts.