11 Best Plugins Award WordPress in 2024

You will find over 60,018 free plugins in WordPress. Look at the number! Isn’t it huge? Guess how difficult it is to find the best one! 

No doubt, some plugins perform better than others. Installing the wrong plugin may adversely affect your site’s performance. 

So, to offer you the best plugins award WordPress 2023, our expert team has tested thousands of plugins throughout the year. While evaluating them, we focused on these 5 criteria: 

• Security
• Performance
• SEO
• Backups
• Marketing

Depending on our analysis, we have picked the top 11 plugins in this blog. 

Here, we will discuss these free and paid plugins in detail so that you can make the right choice. Let’s dig in! 

What Is a Plugin? 

WordPress plugins are mainly software/apps that amplify the existing features and functionality of a WordPress website. 

Plugins are packages of code that extend the core functionality of WordPress. WordPress plugins are made up of PHP code and can include other assets such as images, CSS, and JavaScript.

WordPress

Major Differences Between A Paid And A Free Plugin

WordPress offers thousands of free plugins to ease your tasks. Therefore, you may think, “Why should I spend on a plugin? 

Well, free plugins will allow you to use a certain number of features. On the other hand, if you use a paid plugin, you will enjoy more premium features. So, depending on your necessity, choose the exact version. 

Let’s see some key differences between a paid and free plugin: 

Factors	Free Plugin	Paid Plugin
Updates	The service provider company/persons are not bound to make updates.	You will surely get regular updates at least once or twice a year.
Support	You will not get 24/7 assistance. If you face any difficulties installing or using the plugin, you have to sort it out yourself.	There is always a dedicated team to help you when needed. They will even support you installing the plugin.
Additional Features	It is the prime factor. In the free version, you will get a limited feature of that specific plugin.	A paid version offers you the freedom to access all the available features of the plugin. Pro features make your tasks easy and your website more engaging.

How To Install And Activate a Plugin From WordPress Dashboard?

Be careful while selecting a plugin. No worries because we will provide you with the easiest ways to choose a plugin. You can follow the below criteria to choose the best plugins. 

You can easily add and activate a plugin from your WordPress dashboard. Just follow the below instructions.

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click Plugins > Add new
3. Input the name of your preferred plugin in the search bar situated at the top right corner.
4. You will find your desired plugin in the search result. Click on the “Install Now” button.
5. Once the installation process is done, click on the “Activate” button to use it. 

How Many Plugins Should You Really Have On Your Site?

If you are a WordPress user and concerned about the speed and performance of your site, one question must be lurking in your head. That is “how many plugins should I use?”

Truly speaking, nobody from any authoritative position ever specified the amount. It means that the number is not fixed. You may use as many as you need. 

Some people will say, for example, you should use 10 plugins at most. On the other hand, others will say you can use up to 50 plugins. But the fact is that you must use well performed plugins. Here, the number is not the focus. Quality is the main point of consideration. 

So, you must consider one thing. That is to always use well coded plugins. Even a single plugin can ruin your website if it is incompatible. 

a. Active Installations

It is worth mentioning the trick while choosing a plugin for WordPress. It is thought that the higher the active installation number, the better it is. 

So, at first, consider this technique. You can simply find the active installation number on the plugin’s WordPress page. 

However, remember that it is not the only process. You may find many high-performing plugins with lower activation numbers. 

b. User Reviews

User reviews are significant. Study says that people give reviews only when they are satisfied or dissatisfied after using any product or service. 

Therefore, if the plugin you are going to install bears a significant amount of positive reviews, you can hope that it will work smoothly. 

On the contrary, if you find too many negative reviews, think twice before activating it. 

So, read the reviews carefully before making your decision. 

c. Frequency of Updates

Regular update of a plugin keeps your site secure and up to date. So, before picking a plugin, double-check whether the developers are providing updates or not. 

Sometimes, it may happen that some volunteers have developed a plugin. But they can not manage time to update it.

d. Compatibility With Your WordPress Version

It would be wise if you use a plugin that is compatible with your WordPress version. But you should not reject any plugin depending only on these criteria. 

There might be a plugin that is not compatible with your WordPress version. But still, it may work better. 

e. Support 

Support is another vital factor when selecting a plugin. If you get a quick response to your queries, you can assume that a dedicated support team is ready to help you. 

You may face difficulties dealing with a plugin at any time. Hence, instant assistance is important.

Best Plugins Award WordPress 2023- Our Top Picks 

If you are using WordPress, you must use plugins. But selecting the best one is a tiresome job. So, we have made a list of top 11 plugins for you. 

Let’s learn more about them! 

1. Eazy Plugin Manager- Best For Plugin Management

Eazy Plugin Manager is the best WordPress plugin manager around. EPM makes managing your plugins a breeze. It lets you search for plugins by name or description, add new plugins from the plugin directory, manage plugin versions and updates, export your plugin library to a zip file, and much more.

Amazing But Free Features of Eazy Plugin Manager

• Fast Navigation: This plugin lets you navigate very quickly and easily. 
• Quick Search: Allows you to search for plugins by name or category. Plus, it shows results as you type in the search bar. 
• Bookmark Plugin: You can categorically organize your favorite plugins with EPM. As it makes your plugins easily accessible, you can quickly use them when needed. 
• Plugin History: Permit you to monitor the activities of your installed plugins such as installation, activation, updates, deletion, and deactivation. 
• Download Plugin: You can download any version of your favorite plugins on your local drive.
• Plugin Thumbnail: You can see the images of all installed plugins in the list. It lets you quickly navigate them. 

Pro Features of Eazy Plugin Manager

• Asset Optimization: This feature gives you the freedom to decide which assets you want to load for a certain post or page. Thus, it makes your site super fast. 
• Plugin Vault: Store the most essential plugins in an organized way in one place. 
• Active Guard: With this feature, you do not have to compromise safety. If there is any security issue with your installed plugin, it will detect it and automatically notify you. 
• Version Management: Allows you to monitor the versions of an installed plugin. Plus, you can easily switch to any version of a plugin. 
• Block Plugin: There is no chance for a problematic plugin to get installed. Its blacklist feature will prevent it. 
• One Click Bulk Installation: You can install all of your bookmarked plugins in just one click. 
• Lock Plugin: It allows you to save your plugins from being deleted or updated depending on your preference. 
• Note Taking Feature: Opportunity to add any important notes relating to a plugin so that you can quickly and easily utilize them later.

2. Akismet- Best For Anti Spam 

Akismet is a powerful anti-spam plugin that is installed on millions of WordPress sites. Akismet checks your comments and contact form submissions against its global database of spam to protect you from unwanted messages.

Akismet is constantly learning and evolving to keep ahead of the latest spam trends. The plugin is free for personal use, with paid plans available for businesses and professional users.

Some of the key features of Akismet include:

• Automatic comment moderation: Akismet will automatically flag comments as spam if they match known patterns.
• Status history for every comment 
• Manual review: If a comment is flagged as spam, you can review it and decide whether to approve or delete it.
• Spam protection for contact forms: Akismet can also protect your contact forms from spam submissions.
• Shows URLs: You can see the URLs in the comment body. Thus, it offers the opportunity to detect any misleading links.
• API access: Developers can use the Akismet API to build custom integrations with the plugin.

3. Elementor- Best Page Builder Plugin

Elementor is a great page builder plugin with tons of features that make it the best page builder plugin for WordPress. It has an active installation of over 5 million sites and counting. It is also available as a free and premium version.

The free version of Elementor includes all the basic features that you need to create a beautiful website. The premium version includes additional features such as access to more widgets, templates, and integrations with other plugins and services.

Some of the key features of Elementor

• Widget Library: Elementor comes with a huge library of widgets that you can use to add different elements to your pages and posts. There are widgets for everything from social media buttons to forms and maps. It allows you to add menus to your site. 
• Template Library: In addition to the widget library, Elementor also comes with a library of templates that you can use to create complete pages and sections for your website. The template library includes both free and premium templates.
• Drag & Drop Editor: One of the best things about Elementor is its drag & drop editor which makes it very easy to create custom layouts for your pages and posts. You can simply drag and drop elements into place, without having to write any code.
• Responsive Editing: Another great feature of Elementor is its responsive editing capability which allows you to create pages that look great on all devices, including mobile phones and tablets.
• Live Preview: With Elementor you can see the live changes that you are making. 

4. Wordfence- Best Security Maintaining Plugin

Wordfence is the best security maintenance plugin. It has an active installation of over 3 million websites. This plugin provides a comprehensive security solution for your WordPress website. It includes a firewall, malware scanner, and blocking features. 

This plugin helps you secure your website from hackers and malware. It provides an easy-to-use interface for managing your website’s security, as well as a range of features to help you keep your site safe.

It is constantly updated by the development team to ensure that it remains effective against new threats. It also has a large community of users who can provide support and advice if needed.

Some of the key features of Wordfence

• Real-time blocking of known threats: Wordfence constantly monitors the WordPress community for new threats and blocks them in real time. This means that your site is always protected against the latest attacks.
• Malware scanning: Wordfence scans your site for malware and provides you with a report of any malicious files that are found. This helps you to clean up your site and keep it safe from future attacks.
• Blocking suspicious IP addresses: Wordfence blocks IP addresses that have been flagged as being suspicious. This helps to protect your site from brute force attacks and other malicious activity.
• Two-factor authentication: With Wordfence, you can enable two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security. This requires users to enter a code from their mobile device in order to login, making it much harder for hackers to gain access to your site.
• Monitors your site for changes and notifies you if anything suspicious is found.
• Blocks brute force attacks, keeping your site safe from hackers.
• Lets you choose which users can access your site and what they can do.
• Provides detailed reports on who has accessed your site and when.

5. ExactMetrics – Best Google Analytics Dashboard for WordPress (Website Stats Plugin)

In WordPress, ExactMetrics is one of the best Google Analytics plugins. It provides accurate and real-time data about your website traffic, including pageviews, unique visitors, bounce rate, and more. 

The plugin is easy to install and set up, and it comes with a beautiful dashboard that makes it easy to view your data and get insights into your website’s performance. 

ExactMetrics also offers a premium version that includes additional features such as custom dimensions, events tracking, eCommerce tracking, and more.

Some of the key features of ExactMetrics 

• Active installation: With over 2 million active installations, ExactMetrics is one of the most popular Google Analytics plugins for WordPress. This means that you can be sure that it is constantly being updated and improved by the developers.
• Ease of use: The plugin is very easy to use, even for beginners. You can set it up and start tracking your website traffic within a few minutes.
• Comprehensive reports: ExactMetrics provides comprehensive reports on your website traffic, including detailed information on page views, unique visitors, bounce rate, time on site, and more.
• Real-time stats: The plugin also offers real-time stats so that you can see how your website is performing at any given moment.
• Support for eCommerce websites: If you have an eCommerce website, then ExactMetrics will track your sales and conversions so that you can see which products are selling well and which ones need improvement.

6. Rank Math SEO- Best SEO Plugin

Rank Math SEO is one of the best SEO plugins that improve the performance of a WordPress website. Rank Math provides you with all the tools you need to optimize your website for Google and other search engines.

With Rank Math, you can easily add title tags, meta descriptions, and schema markup to your website. Rank Math also allows you to control your social media sharing, so you can maximize your reach and engagement.

Rank Math makes it easy to track your SEO progress with its built-in Google Analytics integration. You can see how your website is performing in the search results and make necessary changes to improve your ranking.

Overall, Rank Math is an excellent SEO plugin that offers everything you need to optimize your WordPress website for better search engine visibility.

Some of The Key Features of Rank Math SEO

• Automatic Setup: The Rank Math SEO plugin automatically configures your WordPress website for optimal search engine performance. All you need to do is install and activate the plugin, and Rank Math takes care of the rest. There’s no need to fiddle with settings or options or to worry about whether you’re doing things right
• User-friendly interface: The interface is extremely user-friendly and easy to use. You can easily add titles, meta descriptions, and keywords to your posts and pages.
• Rich Snippets: Rich snippets are a great way to improve your website’s click-through rate. This plugin allows you to add rich snippets to your website without any coding knowledge.
• Yoast Compatibility: The Rank Math SEO plugin is fully compatible with Yoast SEO, the most popular SEO plugin for WordPress. You can use both plugins together on your website, and Rank Math will take care of the heavy lifting when it comes to optimizing your site for better search engine visibility.
• Google AMP Support: Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is a technology that allows websites to load faster on mobile devices. Rank Math SEO automatically generates AMP-compatible versions of your articles.
• 404 Monitor: The 404 monitor feature helps you keep track of any broken links on your website. This way, you can quickly fix them and improve your website’s ranking in search engines.

7. WP Rocket- Best Website Performance & Caching Plugin 

Are you looking for the Best Plugins Award WordPress 2023? WP Rocket is a powerful caching and performance optimization plugin for WordPress. It is designed to make your website faster and more responsive. 

It offers a number of features that can improve your website’s performance, including page caching, file minification, and browser caching.

One of the best things about WP Rocket is that it is very easy to set up and use. You can install it just like any other plugin, and then activate it with a few clicks. Once it is activated, WP Rocket will start caching your pages and files automatically.

You can also configure WP Rocket to suit your specific needs. For example, you can choose which types of files should be cached, and how long the cache should be stored for. You can also exclude certain pages or posts from being cached if you need to.

Overall, it is an excellent plugin for anyone who wants to improve the performance of their WordPress site. It is easy to use, and can really make a difference in how fast your site loads. If you are looking for a way to speed up your WordPress site, then WP Rocket is definitely worth a try.

Some of The Key Features of WP Rocket

• Page caching: WP Rocket caches your pages and posts as static files on your server. This means that when a visitor requests a page, the server can serve the cached version without having to process the entire page again. This can dramatically improve your website’s responsiveness and speed.
• File minification: WP Rocket can minify your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files to reduce their size and improve loading times. Minification removes unnecessary characters from code, such as whitespace and comments, to make it smaller and faster to download.
• Browser caching: WP Rocket enables browser caching, which allows visitors to store static files on their computers so they don’t have to download them every time they visit your website. This can further improve loading times as the visitor’s browser will already have some of the files it needs cached.

8. WooCommerce – Best WordPress eCommerce Plugin

WooCommerce is one of the best eCommerce plugins for WordPress. It magically makes your site a powerful and professional online store. It provides all the features you need to run an online store, including inventory management, order processing, customer management, ways to add product filters, and more.

It is used by over 30% of all online stores and offers a wide range of features and benefits. 

WooCommerce is highly customizable. You can add a wide range of add-ons and extensions to change the way it looks and works. This makes it perfect for stores of all shapes and sizes. 

It’s also easy to use. Even if you’re not a technical expert, you should be able to set up and manage your store with ease. The interface is user-friendly and straightforward. 

WooCommerce is free to use. You only have to pay for the add-ons and extensions that you use. Therefore, it is the best option for small businesses and startups. 

Another great thing about WooCommerce is that it integrates with WordPress seamlessly. If you’re already using WordPress for your website, then you’ll find it very easy to install and use WooCommerce. 

Overall, WooCommerce is a great eCommerce solution for WordPress users. It’s highly customizable, easy to use, and free to get started with. If you’re looking for an eCommerce plugin for your WordPress site, then WooCommerce is definitely worth considering.

Some of The Key Features of WooCommerce 

• Intuitive and user-friendly interface: The WooCommerce interface is extremely user-friendly, making it easy for even beginners to get started with selling online.
• Powerful yet lightweight: Despite being packed with features, WooCommerce is a lightweight plugin that won’t slow down your website.
• Flexible pricing options: With WooCommerce, you can offer flexible pricing options to your customers, such as discounts, subscription plans, and more.
• Comprehensive payment gateway support: WooCommerce supports all major payment gateways, so you can accept payments from anywhere in the world.
• Scalable and extensible: As your business grows, WooCommerce grows with you. There are also plenty of extensions available to add even more functionality to your online store.

9. OptinMonster- Best Lead Generation Plugin

OptinMonster is one of the best lead-generation plugins for WordPress. It offers a wide range of features that can help you capture more leads and convert them into customers.

Some of The Key Features of OptinMonster

• Easy to use drag and drop form builder- Creating an opt-in form is easy with OptinMonster’s drag-and-drop form builder. You can add or remove fields, change field types, and customize the layout of your form without any coding required.
• A/B testing- With OptinMonster’s A/B testing capabilities, you can test different versions of your opt-in forms to see which one performs the best. This allows you to improve your conversion rate and get more leads.
• Exit intent technology- OptinMonster’s exit intent technology detects when a user is about to leave your website and displays a targeted opt-in form to convert them into a lead. This is an effective way to boost your conversion rate and get more leads.
• Integrations- OptinMonster integrates with all major email marketing platforms so you can easily export your leads into your email list. Additionally, it also integrates with popular CRM and eCommerce platforms for even more flexibility.

10. Smush- Best Image Optimization Plugin 

As the name suggests, Smush is an image optimization plugin that can help you speed up your website by compressing your images. This can be a great way to improve your website’s performance, as large image files can often take longer to load.

Smush is available as a WordPress plugin, and it is also possible to use it with other CMS platforms such as Joomla and Drupal.

Some of The Key Features of Smush 

• Compresses all images on your website without losing quality
• Automatically optimizes new images that you upload
• Scales down oversized images
• Improves website performance
• Allows you to customize compression settings
• Lazy load and bulk action

11. Smash Balloon – Best Social Feed Plugin for WordPress 

Smash Balloon is one of the best WordPress plugins for social media marketing. It provides an easy way to display your social media feeds on your website. There are many features of Smash Balloon that make it the best choice for your social media needs.

You will find 4 different plugins under Smash Balloon for social feed. They are: 

• Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed
• Smash Balloon Social Post Feed
• Custom Twitter Feeds (Tweets Widget)
• Feeds for YouTube (YouTube video, channel, and gallery plugin)

Some of The Key Features of Smush

• Easy to set up and use – Smash Balloon is very easy to set up and use. You can have your social media feed up and running in just a few minutes.
• Fully customizable – You can customize Smash Balloon to match your website’s look and feel. You can also select which social media networks you want to display in your feed.
• Display multiple feeds – With Smash Balloon, you can display multiple feeds from different social media networks on your website. This is perfect if you want to provide a comprehensive view of your social media activity.
• Display real-time updates – Your visitors will see the most up-to-date information from your social media feeds thanks to the real-time updates provided by Smash Balloon.

FAQ(s) on Best Plugins Award WordPress 2023

What are the benefits of using plugins on your site?

There are numerous benefits of using WordPress plugins. Some of them are:

• Time saving
• Flexibility
• Low cost
• Solution for almost all necessities
• Marketing
• Security
• Easy management 
• SEO performance

What are some optimization plugins for WordPress in 2023?

Here are some optimization plugins for WordPress.

• WP Rocket
• Perfmatters
• W3 Total Cache
• WP-Optimize
• WP Fastest Cache

What are the best SEO plugins in 2023?

The best SEO plugins are:

• Rank Math SEO
• Yoast SEO
• SEOquake
• Ahrefs
• SEMRush
• Ubersuggest
• Moz Pro

Do plugins affect site speed?

Plugins occupy space in your server. So, they affect the speed of your site. There are some plugins that really boost up your site’s speed. On the other hand, some badly-coded plugins may make your website slow. 

Should I delete inactive WordPress plugins?

Sometimes, inactive WordPress plugins may be the cause of security breaches. Hackers may target them to initiate malwares on your website. Besides, they occupy space in the server. So, it is better to delete inactive WordPress plugins. 

Final Verdict

Hurrah! You have a deeper knowledge about the best plugins award WordPress. We believe you can now select the must have plugins for your site. 

We advise you not to focus on the number of plugins you want to install, but on quality. 

If you have any recommendations, please comment below.