WordPress plugins are the reason WordPress has become what it is today – a platform that allows any business to build a powerful website with complex functions. We all know that plugins can be great and save a lot of time and money, but sometimes they can also create problems – the site becomes slower, there are conflicts between plugins, or suddenly something stops working after an update. So how do you know when to use a plugin and when not to?
In this article, we’ll talk about how to choose plugins correctly – what criteria to look for, and what the “non-monetary” cost of each plugin can be (such as impact on speed, future maintenance, and more). We’ll also understand what the alternatives are: Should we give up on the feature? Or maybe invest in custom development? And finally, I’ll present the plugins that I recommend over and over again – ones that stand the test of time and provide real value to the site.
My philosophy for choosing plugins
A few weeks ago I was trying to explain to my client how I choose plugins for his site, and then I thought – this is something that should be put in an article. Because in the end, this approach is what guarantees me that every plugin that goes into a client’s site will support the site long-term, and won’t cause problems later on.
The thing is, I have very simple rules – almost “insurance” for the site. For a plugin to be included on one of my clients’ sites, it has to meet three basic requirements:
1. Well Maintained
The plugin should be updated regularly, with technical support available. A plugin that hasn’t been updated in a year is a red flag. This means that if there is a bug, or a security issue, or a conflict with WordPress itself, there is no one to take care of it.
2. Well Used
I prefer plugins that have a lot of active users. Why? Because it means the plugin has been tested on hundreds of thousands of different sites, with different configurations. It means the community will find bugs before I do, and that there are enough users who care about the plugin continuing to exist.
3. Long Enough in the Market
I’m not in a hurry to install a plugin that was released a month ago. A plugin that has been on the market for a few years has proven that it can survive WordPress updates, technological changes, and that its developers are committed to the long term.
Bonus: Proper use of the plugin’s capabilities
Another thing I pay attention to – am I going to use a significant part of the plugin, or only 5% of it? If I only need one small feature from a huge plugin, maybe that’s a sign that I need to look for another solution – because a heavy plugin that brings with it a lot of unnecessary code is something that can affect the performance of the site.
So what happens if a plugin doesn’t meet the criteria?
If a plugin doesn’t meet these three basic rules, I basically have two options:
Option 1: Custom Development
This means writing custom code for exactly the specific function you need. It’s more expensive up front, but sometimes it’s the right move – especially if it’s a unique or business-critical feature.
Option 2: Give up the pitch
Sometimes you have to ask the painful question: “Do I really need this?” If the feature isn’t really critical, and there’s no good plugin that does it – maybe it’s better to just give up on it and focus on what’s really important.
Plugins vs. Alternatives – What to Consider
So we said that if an extension doesn’t meet the criteria, there are two options: custom development or giving up the feature. But it’s important to understand what that means in practice, because these alternatives also have their considerations.
Custom Development
Custom development sounds like the perfect solution – exactly what you need, without the frills. But there are a few things you need to know:
- It’s more expensive – In most cases, custom development will cost much more than a ready-made plugin. You’re paying for developer time, testing, and bug fixes.
- Not every developer is suitable – Custom WordPress development is not just about “writing code.” It needs to be done according to WordPress best practices, otherwise you may end up with code that conflicts with future updates or other plugins.
- Regular maintenance – Custom code needs maintenance. When WordPress is updated, you need to make sure your code still works. When there’s a bug, you’re dependent on the developer who wrote it (or someone else who needs to understand the code).
- Security and Performance – Development should follow WordPress security and performance guidelines . Insecure or unoptimized code can create bigger problems than a plugin.
Give up the feature
This is an option that is sometimes overlooked, but it is completely legitimate. Not every feature that has a plugin needs to be on your site.
Why? Because supplements come with a “non-monetary” price:
- Impact on performance and speed
- Loading delays (latency)
- Complications with annual updates – every additional plugin is another thing that needs to be checked and maintained
Before installing a plugin, you need to ask a simple question: Does this feature really bring value to the business?
A classic example: an e-commerce site that wants to add a wishlist plugin because it’s free and sounds like a nice feature. But if your customers don’t actually use it, and if it doesn’t improve the service or experience – why add more weight to the site? In that case, it’s better to forgo the feature in favor of site performance and a faster user experience.
Installing plugins yourself – how to do it right
After all this talk about plugins, I know some of you will want to install plugins yourself – plugins that probably aren’t on my list, but that you think are relevant to your site. And that’s totally fine! But if you’re going to do it, let’s do it right.
How to act
Here is the process I recommend going through to safely install a new plugin:
1. Website backup
Before installing any new plugin – make a full backup of your site. It doesn’t matter how secure the plugin seems, there’s always a chance something will go wrong. Backup is your insurance.
2. Work when people aren’t visiting the site
Install plugins during quiet hours – at night, on weekends, or when site traffic is low. That way, if something goes wrong, it won’t affect your customers.
3. If your hosting provider offers it – create a Staging environment
This is the most important step! A staging environment is essentially an exact copy of your website, where you can test things without touching the real site. Many WordPress hosting companies offer this for free .
4. Install the plugin in the staging environment and test everything
After you have the staging ready – install the plugin there, not on the main site. Now comes the important step: test every possible scenario a client could do with this plugin. Make sure everything works properly.
Tip : It is recommended to make a list on the side of what is broken – because something always breaks, usually it is the problems with language/translation.
5. If everything works – move to the main site
Only if everything is functioning perfectly in the staging environment can you move the plugin to the main site. Even then – do it during quiet hours, and check again after installation.
My Bonus: The Plugins I Recommend for Every Website
Now comes the part you’ve been waiting for – here are the plugins I recommend time and again to my clients. Each one meets the criteria we discussed: well-maintained, widely used, and long-standing in the market. And most importantly – each one provides real value to the site.
Post Types Order (NSP Code)
A simple plugin that does one thing and does it well – lets you change the display order of posts and pages without writing any code. Instead of messing around with dates or complicated codes, just drag and drop. Sounds simple? Because it is. And the plugin has been working great for years.
Yoast SEO
If there’s one plugin that almost every website needs, it’s Yoast. It helps you manage all aspects of your website’s SEO: titles, descriptions, sitemaps, and a ton of other technical stuff that needs to be done right. Yoast is one of the most popular plugins, and rightfully so – it works, is regularly maintained, and has excellent support.
Redirection (John Godley)
Every website needs to manage redirects – when changing page addresses, deleting old content, or fixing 404 errors. Redirection does it in a simple and clear way, without getting complicated. The plugin has been around for many years and it just works. Bonus: it also helps you track and fix 404 errors.
Elementor Pro
If you use a page builder, Elementor Pro is my choice. It gives you complete control over your site’s design, with great flexibility but without getting too complicated. It’s a big plugin, yes, but that’s what it’s designed for – it’s not a plugin that you’ll use 5% of. If you need a page builder, Elementor does the job best, and it’s constantly maintained and updated.
Duplicate Post (Yoast)
Sometimes you need to duplicate a page or post – maybe to create a new version, maybe to start from an existing template. Duplicate Post does it with one click. It’s a small, lightweight, and simple plugin – and that’s exactly why it’s perfect. It does one thing and does it well.
Loco Translate or WPML
If your website needs to be multilingual, there are two main options:
Loco Translate – Perfect if you want to translate your website into Hebrew or another language, but don’t need separate content management for each language. It’s a free, lightweight plugin, and works great for translating interfaces and fixed text.
WPML – If you need a fully multilingual website, with different content in each language and complex language management – WPML is the industry standard. It’s a paid plugin, but for serious multilingual websites – it’s a worthwhile investment.
