By Dan Davies 
WordPress plugins add powerful functionality to your site, from improving SEO to enhancing security and performance. You name it, there is a plugin for it. With thousands of plugins available, it can be difficult to know which ones are essential. In this guide, I’ll cover the top WordPress plugins you should consider in 2025, helping you optimise your site efficiently. This list has been put together based on my experience in developing and managing WordPress websites over the past 15 years.
1. Security: Defender Pro
Security is the key to your WordPress success and Defender Pro offers strong security features to protect your site from attacks and vulnerabilities. It provides an all-in-one solution to safeguard your WordPress installation without requiring technical expertise. I’ve tried them all and while there are several free alternatives on the market, I have to be honest with you and say for a small investment, you get the very best plugin.
Key features:
- Firewall protection against malicious traffic.
- Malware scanning and threat detection (including suspicious code checks).
- Login security to prevent brute force attacks.
- Two-factor authentication for added security.
- Scheduled security scans and email notifications.
Why use it? Defender Pro offers a user-friendly interface with proactive security features that work in the background, protecting your website from threats such as brute force attacks and malware injections. The automated scans and real-time monitoring ensure your site stays secure without constant manual checks. Members of WP Odyssey Pro can add their websites to our Hub and use this plugin as part of your membership.
Alternative: While Defender Pro has a free version with limited features, Wordfence Security is another solid option for those looking for a free alternative with firewall and malware protection. I used it for years but have been much happier since upgrading to Defender Pro
2. Performance: WP Rocket
Speed is critical for user experience and search engine rankings. WP Rocket is a powerful caching plugin that helps improve loading times and overall site performance and it’s really easy to use.
Key features:
- Page caching for faster load times.
- File compression to reduce server load.
- Lazy loading for images and videos.
- Database optimisation to clean up unnecessary data.
- Integration with CDNs for global content delivery.
Why use it? WP Rocket is easy to set up and delivers immediate performance improvements by implementing advanced caching solutions without requiring manual configuration. It helps reduce bounce rates and improves SEO rankings.
3. SEO: Rank Math
Rank Math helps optimise your site for search engines by providing comprehensive SEO features and recommendations. While there are several other popular alternatives on the market, once again I have Rank Math helps optimise your site for search engines by providing comprehensive SEO features and recommendations. While there are several other popular alternatives on the market, once again I have gone with RankMath as the easy user interface has won me over. I love the set up process and how it integrates the website with Google Analytics, Google Search Console and automatically adds your sitemap to Google Search Console – it couldn’t be easier!
Key features:
- Keyword optimisation and content analysis.
- XML sitemap generation.
- Rich snippets and schema markup support.
- 404 monitor and redirection management.
- Google Search Console integration.
Why use it? Rank Math simplifies on-page SEO with actionable insights and recommendations. It provides an intuitive interface that guides you through optimising your content, ensuring better search engine visibility. Rank Math simplifies on-page SEO with actionable insights and recommendations. It provides an intuitive interface that guides you through optimising your content, ensuring better search engine visibility.
4. Backups: UpdraftPlus
RRegular backups are essential to prevent data loss and quick recovery is key in the case of a mishap. UpdraftPlus offers reliable and easy-to-use backup solutions. I absolutely love how easy this plugin is to set up and integrate with platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox. If you need to restore, it can be done with one click!
Key features:
- Scheduled and on-demand backups.
- Cloud storage integration (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.).
- Easy one-click restoration.
- Incremental backups to save space.
- Database encryption for added security.
Why use it? UpdraftPlus provides automatic backups with cloud integration, ensuring your data is always safe and recoverable in case of site crashes, hacking incidents, or accidental data loss. UpdraftPlus provides automatic backups with cloud integration, ensuring your data is always safe and recoverable in case of site crashes, hacking incidents, or accidental data loss.
5. Analytics: Google Site Kit
Google Site Kit offers seamless integration with Google’s analytics tools to track your site’s performance and visitor behaviour. As soon as I discovered this, I made it a staple plugin for every website I manage. Not only does t do a great job, clients absolutely love the summary they see in their WordPress dashboard.
Key features:
- Google Analytics integration with insights.
- Search Console data for performance tracking.
- PageSpeed Insights for optimisation recommendations.
- AdSense integration for monetisation tracking.
- Real-time visitor statistics.
Why use it? Google Site Kit provides a central dashboard to monitor key performance indicators without leaving your WordPress admin panel. It offers actionable insights to improve your site’s visibility and user experience.
Alternative: MonsterInsights offers additional ecommerce tracking features.
6. Contact Forms: WPForms
A contact form is essential for collecting inquiries and user feedback. WPForms provides an intuitive solution with powerful features. While Contact Form 7 is something I have used more, I see how WPForms is a much easier option for most.
Key features:
- Drag-and-drop form builder.
- Pre-built templates for quick setup.
- Spam protection with CAPTCHA and honeypot.
- Email notifications and confirmations.
- Payment integrations with Stripe and PayPal.
Why use it? WPForms allows you to create user-friendly contact forms without coding. It offers conditional logic and file uploads, making it suitable for everything from simple contact forms to complex survey forms.
Notable Mention: Contact Form 7 is a lightweight alternative but lacks modern UI features.
7. E-commerce: WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the go-to solution for setting up an online store on WordPress. For me there is no credible alternative so this is always my go-to for any commerce site.
Key features:
- Product listing and inventory management.
- Multiple payment gateway options.
- Customisable shipping settings.
- Product reviews and ratings.
- Coupons and discount management.
Why use it? WooCommerce transforms your site into a fully functional e-commerce store with flexibility to sell physical or digital products. It supports various extensions to expand its capabilities.
8. Image Optimisation: Smush Pro
Optimising images helps improve site speed and user experience. Smush Pro provides powerful image compression without loss of quality. While there are several other alternatives out there, the easy user interface and the delivery of images over CDN is no-brainer for me and the small investment in this premium plugin is worth every penny. Again, members of WP Odyssey Pro can add their websites to our Hub and use this plugin as part of your membership.
Key features:
- Automatic image compression.
- Bulk optimisation of existing images.
- Lazy load feature to improve performance.
- Integration with CDN for faster delivery.
- PNG to JPEG conversion.
- Delivery of images in Next-Gen fomat.
Why use it? Smush Pro helps reduce image file sizes without compromising quality, making your site load faster and improving SEO scores.
Alternative: Smush (free version) offers basic optimisation features.
9. Email Delivery: WP Mail SMTP
The default WordPress mailer is considered unreliable as it is generally not authenticated which leads to emails being sent from your website landing in spam folders. WP Mail SMTP resolves this issue by connecting to reliable mail services. This is a must for all WordPress websites.
Key features:
- Connects your site to mail services like Gmail, Outlook, or SMTP.
- Prevents emails from going to spam folders.
- Logs all email activity for tracking.
- Supports OAuth for secure authentication.
Why use it? WP Mail SMTP ensures your emails reach recipients reliably, improving communication with customers and subscribers. WP Mail SMTP ensures your emails reach recipients reliably, improving communication with customers and subscribers.
10. Anti-Spam: Akismet
Spam comments can clutter your site and affect its credibility. Akismet helps filter spam effectively.
Key features:
- Automatically filters spam comments.
- Blocks suspicious content based on global spam data.
- Keeps spam history for review.
Why use it? Akismet runs in the background, preventing spam before it reaches your comment section, saving you time on moderation.
11. Custom Fields: ACF (Advanced Custom Fields)
ACF allows for better content organisation and customisation. While this plugin is more on the advanced scale and a little more complex to configure, they do have great documentation to assist in setting it all up. Any website I am developing for clients is built with ACF at the heart of it as it makes editing the content easier for everyone.
Key features:
- Easy-to-use field creation.
- Flexible content structuring.
- Seamless integration with themes and plugins.
Why use it? ACF makes it easier to build custom layouts and add dynamic content to your site without coding. ACF makes it easier to build custom layouts and add dynamic content to your site without coding.
12. Cookies Compliance: CookieYES
CookieYes is a popular cookie consent management plugin that helps WordPress sites comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other data privacy laws. It provides an easy-to-use interface to implement cookie consent banners and manage user preferences effectively.
Key features:
- Automatic cookie scanning and categorisation.
- Customisable cookie consent banner.
- Compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations.
- Consent logs to track user preferences.
- Integration with Google Tag Manager and other analytics tools.
Why use it? CookieYes offers a free version with essential compliance features, making it a great starting point for website owners looking to meet privacy regulations without incurring extra costs. The intuitive dashboard and automated scanning make it easy to set up and manage. Complianz helps your website stay compliant with data privacy laws without manual effort.
Conclusion
Using the right plugins can help you build a secure, fast, and user-friendly WordPress site. Start with the essentials listed above and tailor your choices to suit your site’s needs.
Looking for more guidance on building your WordPress site? Join our WP Odyssey Skool Community for expert tips and support from fellow WordPress users.