How many wordpress plugins do I need?
- Thread starter Argus
- Start date
ulterios
Well-Known Member
Hello Argus,
This is really not an answer that someone can give you an exact number for. It will depend on a lot of things. WordPress plugins are usually a way of adding or extending the features or capabilities of your WordPress website.
However, you don't want to add any plugins that you don't need because some of these can use up resources your hosting is using. This can slow down your website. There are some that will speed it up, like cache type plugins though.
Usually some of the more common plugins that people add are for security, SEO, caching, image and other optimizations, contact forms as well as some others that will depend on the needs and requirements of each different website.
Based on what I have seen, use personally and have read, most WordPress sites have between 5-10 plugins. Some use less and some more, but again that all depends. Some people do get carried away and I have even recently read an article where there were some people that use upwards of 100 plugins.
You have to be careful with plugins though as some don't work well with other plugins and can slow, break or otherwise cause issues with a website.
Once you have your WordPress website up and going we can get a better idea of what you might need. You will probably want a security plugin like WordFence, an SEO plugin like All in One SEO Pack or Yoast SEO, and a good Cache type plugin to help speed up your site a bit.
One you have it up and going let us know and we can give you some more detailed ideas.
Good luck.
This is really not an answer that someone can give you an exact number for. It will depend on a lot of things. WordPress plugins are usually a way of adding or extending the features or capabilities of your WordPress website.
However, you don't want to add any plugins that you don't need because some of these can use up resources your hosting is using. This can slow down your website. There are some that will speed it up, like cache type plugins though.
Usually some of the more common plugins that people add are for security, SEO, caching, image and other optimizations, contact forms as well as some others that will depend on the needs and requirements of each different website.
Based on what I have seen, use personally and have read, most WordPress sites have between 5-10 plugins. Some use less and some more, but again that all depends. Some people do get carried away and I have even recently read an article where there were some people that use upwards of 100 plugins.
You have to be careful with plugins though as some don't work well with other plugins and can slow, break or otherwise cause issues with a website.
Once you have your WordPress website up and going we can get a better idea of what you might need. You will probably want a security plugin like WordFence, an SEO plugin like All in One SEO Pack or Yoast SEO, and a good Cache type plugin to help speed up your site a bit.
One you have it up and going let us know and we can give you some more detailed ideas.
Good luck.
Dean
Well-Known Member
Adding some plugins can make a Wordpress site better in some ways but it's usually for the site owner. Adding plugins can help things work better, add capabilities, perform functions that the Wordpress install itself doesn't include and lots of other things.
What you are going to be doing with the site will determine a lot of what's needed for plugins so we wouldn't know exactly what you might need till we know more about what the site is for.
You will want some kind of security plugin, a contact form plugin if you want people to be able to send you messages, a good cache plugin to help load times and reduce server load and some other plugins that will depend on what you want your site to be used for.
Once you know what you want to do with your Wordpress site you can let us know more and we can give you a better idea as to what you need.
Hope this helps.
Cheers, Dean
Argus
Active Member
Thank you both for information. I just ask because I keep seeing on searches that you need to add plugins to make the website better but do not say which ones. I want to have a good website that many people will like but word press is not some thing I know alot. I just need experience then I will be ok.
Argus
Active Member
Thank you for the information. Is there a certain amount of plugins that is the limit? I do not know how many is too many so I can avoid it.
KeralMTG
Active Member
There is no certain amount that you will need. It mostly depends on each site because there are different needs. Some plugins that you might need then another site will not need. Because of this there is no way to know the amount for each site. I have read about many things for wordpress and lots of things say to only use the amount you need and not more because it can slow the site down or cause problems with other compatible needs. Just use the ones you need only and you will be fine.
Argus
Active Member
Thank you for your help. Do you know if there are plugins that all wordpress websites need? I heard about seo plugins that all wordpress websites should have but I do not know of which others are most needed.
KeralMTG
Active Member
You are welcome and I am happy to help. Most of the research I have seen says that most wordpress websites should have a seo plugin, a cache plugin and a security plugin and then which you need for your exact needs. I would start with those and then see what else you need after that. I think maybe a contact form plugin too if the theme does not have one.
Argus
Active Member
Those are good ideas. Thank you for your help. I will start with those you stated and see if I need more after that.
KeralMTG
Active Member
That is a good idea because if you do not need a plugin then you should not add it because it can slow down your blog or maybe cause other problems. This is one reason I am thinking about learning to do my own code for a blog. This way I only have what I need to make the blog better and faster. Maybe I will do both.
Argus
Active Member
I would like to learn to do coding form my own websites but I do not think I will have enough time to learn it properly. If you can do that then it will be a good benefit to your skills.That is a good idea because if you do not need a plugin then you should not add it because it can slow down your blog or maybe cause other problems. This is one reason I am thinking about learning to do my own code for a blog. This way I only have what I need to make the blog better and faster. Maybe I will do both.
KeralMTG
Active Member
If you want to learn then you can. You can just learn at your pace. You can learn by watching videos and just watch them when you have the time and even on your tablet of phone if you can. It will be real good to learn and even if you use wordpress. Then if there is a problem you will be able to fix it without needing help form other people.
Argus
Active Member
You are right and thank you. I guess learning from videos will be easier as long as I can have access to them and take notes. This is a good method I think as well. Thank you.
Dean
Well-Known Member
That's actually a good method of learning things like this. Whenever I needed help with something, that's what I would do and it made things easier.
I have always thought that learning from videos is a lot easier than reading something.
Cheers, Dean.
Scott C Baxter
New Member
Unlike most things in life that suggest more is better, this isn't exactly the case with wordpress plugins. While it's true that they give you much more flexibility to you as a blogger or developer, they also add more weight to your website which can have negative effects for the user experience.
When looking at specifically what you;re trying to do with your website, look at other alternative ways of doing it that may not require you to add a plugin in the first place. For instance, adding google analytics can come as easy as adding code directly into your theme files which won't require you to add yet another plugin to do the same, which will also maintain performance. There will be numerous things you'll want to do that can only be done through plugin use, and these are the one's you'll want to deffinitely use.
Like someone already said above, there really is no right or wrong answer, but I personally try to limit myself to 12 - 13 plugins and always strive to stay even lower than that if at all possible.