Must Have Plugins for WordPress in 2025 (Included Free Options)

Without any doubt, WordPress is currently the most popular content management system. If you want to get the most out of WordPress, you need to choose the right plugins.

Currently, more than 60,000 plugins are available in the WordPress plugin directory. But not each of them is required to build a perfect website.

But yes, you need some must have plugins to get the best experience with this amazing content management system.

Plugins you should have in 2025

Here I have shared a complete list of essential plugins for WordPress. Before selecting the plugins, I have tested them and checked their performance, average customer feedback, frequency of updates, and additional details. So, each of them are: 

ElementsKit (Builder plugin)

Elementskit is the best Elementor addon with more than 1 million active installations. If you want to create a website from scratch just with Elementor, ElementsKit should be your go-to solution.

With this single plugin, you can perform basic page designs to advanced mega menu, header footer, parallax effects, and more.

The best part? You don’t even have to understand any coding.

It currently offers more than 100+ Elementor widgets to design a variety of sections for websites. Some of the popular widgets are advanced parallax, animation effect, testimonial, social feed, advanced search option, and more.

Not only that, you can even create your own widget with the Widget-Builder. Also, ElementsKit offers integration with other plugins that make it easy to get a flawless experience.

With the widgets, all you need to do is drag and drop it into the page layout. You can then do advanced customizations to get the desired look.

If you have less time to do everything from scratch, there is a large template library with more than 90+ highly customizable ready page templates.

Just import a template and customize it as you want.

There are both free and pro versions of ElementsKit. If you need to do some basic design with ElementsKit, you can use the lite version.

Once you are good with it and want to enjoy some advanced features, you can choose the right plan for you.

GutenKit (Builder plugin)

GutenKit is like the ElementsKit addon but for Gutenberg. It means you don’t have to install Elementor page builder to create professional websites.

GutenKit is comparatively new compared to ElementsKit. Currently, this plugin powers more than 10,000 websites around the world.

The interesting thing is, this plugin got tons of 5 star ratings just after release. Users are highly satisfied with its native interface like Gutenberg. Compared to similar plugins, it is more convenient and easy to use.

You can create a website up to 10x faster with its ready Gutenberg blocks for almost any section of a website.

Some of the popular features of this plugin are advanced mega menu, motion animation, query loop builder, responsive breakpoint, Parallaxeneffekte, und mehr.

It features Vollständige Website-Bearbeitung that makes sure you can complete an entire website with ready blocks.

Besides 65+ advanced blocks, you will have access to 900+ patterns and tons of ready templates to speed up the website design process.

Considering all these features, it is the ideal plugin you want to avoid multiple plugins to design the structure of your website.

MetForm (Form builder plugin)

If you are a fan of Elementor page builder, MetForm is the best form builder solution you should have.

Creating forms in WordPress shouldn’t be complex and MetForm considered it greatly. Whether you want to create a basic contact form or an advanced conditional form, MetForm is the ideal solution.

It is the most advanced drag and drop form builder addon for Elementor.

The thing I mostly like about MetForm is it doesn’t require any coding knowledge or website design knowledge. Simply choose a form type and you are ready to create it from scratch.

Some of the popular form styles of MetForm are multi-step form, payment form, GDPR complaint form, conditional form, quiz form, and more.

Suppose you want to collect donations to your business, you can create the donation form within minutes. As MetForm supports all the popular payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe, you won’t have any hassle at this point.

Whichever form you create, you can check them inside your WordPress dashboard. Not only that, you can import the entries in CSV format for further assessments.

This plugin currently offers 30+ pre-designed templates to create a form with clicks. Simply choose a template and replace the content with yours and you are good to go.

ShopEngine (WooCommerce builder plugin)

If you are considering selling online and want to create a store in the drag and drop style, ShopEngine is for you.

This is the most complete WooCommerce builder plugin to create a complete store with Elementor or without Elementor.

Mit 15+ WooCommerce modules and tons of widgets, anyone can create an online store without writing or understanding codes. Also, there are tons of ready templates and sections to create any section for an online store.

With its builder, you can create a new shop page, single product page, cart page, checkout page, and more. For each of these pages, there are multiple templates to choose from.

In most cases, you need to install multiple plugins to build an eCommerce store in the WooCommerce platform. But with ShopEngine, the scenario is different. You will have all the features within this one plugin.

ShopEngine’s advanced modules allow you to run flash sales, promote cross sell and upsell, take pre-order, partial payment, and more.

Es unterstützt alle Woocommerce supported payment gateways like PayPal, stripe, Amazon Pay, WooPayments, and more.

Whether you are using the Elementor addon version or the Gutenberg version, you will have the same experience. So, when you choose ShopEngine, you don’t have to install third-party plugins to enjoy the advanced features.

WpSocial (Social plugin)

When you create a website, it is essential to show some social proof to your visitors to gain their trust and you can easily do that with WpSocial. It is the ultimate social addon plugin for Elementor.

The most popular features of this plugin are social share, social counter, social login, and customizer for social media. With WpSocial, you can allow your users to share your content in social media which will give you the chance to get more audience.

Also, if you are writing a valuable piece of content after doing hours of research, you might want to get more views from the targeted audience. WpSocial makes it easy. When your existing users find an interesting content inside your WordPress website, they can instantly share it in different social media platforms with a single click.

If you have a WordPress website where you want to add a logging-in system for the users with social media, you can integrate that with a single click with WpSocial.

It is too simple to set up and use. And it comes with an API integration system for all the popular social media platforms.

All the designs and layouts of WpSocial are by default responsive and fit any display size and device.

Holen Sie sich Genie (AI content and SEO plugin)

AI tools are now in trending and if you want to experience AI in WordPress, GetGenie is the ideal solution. GetGenie is an AI writing tool and SEO assistant. Currently, it is widely used for content marketing and content marketing strategies.

The core features of this plugin are blog post writing, copywriting, WooCommerce product description writing, Stichwortforschung, Und SEO analysis. Not only that, you can do real-time Wettbewerbsanalyse using this plugin.

You can even visualize the competition between you and your competitors. Based on the competition and optimization, you can get a content score that predicts how the content is going to perform in the SERP.

The thing you would like most in this plugin is its easy to use navigation menu. Once you have this tool in hand, you don’t have to look further for content and SEO for WordPress websites.

You can combine this plugin with other plugins as well to get the most out of it.

The GetGenie WordPress plugin allows you to write content like a human with the help of AI and do all the SEO tasks within the native WordPress dashboard.

Genie-Bild

As I already mentioned, this is the era of AI, and Genie Image is another must-have plugin for your WordPress website. If you want to create and generate unique images directly within the WordPress dashboard—without any hassle and with just a few lines of commands—this plugin is for you.

If you’re a GetGenie AI user, there’s good news for you! You can enjoy this plugin for free with the Pro and Agency packages.

Sometimes, you might need to generate images for a specific section of your content, post, or page. Now, you can do that within a minute with a well-crafted creative prompt.

Currently, this plugin is a great solution for basic to intermediate needs. However, in the future, it may introduce advanced features to generate high-quality and more sophisticated images.

Elementor (Page builder plugin)

If you want complete control over your WordPress website’s design without writing a single line of code, Elementor is the go-to solution. With its intuitive drag-and-drop builder, you can create professional websites in minutes—no technical skills required. Whether you’re building a landing page, an eCommerce store, or a full-fledged business website, Elementor makes the process simple and enjoyable.

The plugin comes with 100+ widgets, responsive design controls, and pre-built templates to speed up the design process. With its inline editing feature, you can see the changes in real time. You can also add custom animations, parallax effects, sticky headers, and dynamic content without relying on extra plugins.

Elementor is compatible with almost all WordPress themes and offers flawless integrations with WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and other essential tools. For those who want even more advanced features, Elementor Pro unlocks powerful options like theme building, popup builder, form integrations, and more.

The best part? It ensures your website remains fast and lightweight. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, Elementor gives you complete freedom to design and customize your site conveniently. 

WP Ultimate-Rezension (Review plugin)

Want to build trust and boost conversions by showcasing customer reviews? Ultimate Review is the perfect plugin for displaying testimonials, ratings, and feedback on your WordPress website. Whether you’re running an eCommerce store, a service-based business, or a blog, this plugin helps you highlight authentic user experiences with ease.

With Ultimate Review, you can allow users to submit their reviews with star ratings, images, and custom review criteria. It supports rich snippets, meaning your reviews can appear in Google search results, helping improve SEO and visibility.

The plugin integrates perfectly with WooCommerce, making it an excellent choice for online stores. You can display product-specific reviews, filter feedback based on rating scores, and even add pros and cons sections.

Customization is easy with multiple design templates, advanced styling options, and the ability to control review moderation. You can also enable user voting so visitors can upvote helpful reviews. If you’re serious about increasing credibility and encouraging sales, Ultimate Review is the must-have plugin for your website.

FundEngine (Donation plugin)

If you want to collect donations for a charity, non-profit, startup, or personal cause, FundEngine is the best WordPress fundraising plugin. This all-in-one donation plugin makes it easy to set up and manage fundraising campaigns directly from your website.

You can create donation forms with custom fields, set fundraising goals, and display progress bars to encourage more contributions. FundEngine supports multiple payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and offline donations, ensuring a smooth transaction process for donors.

What makes this plugin unique is its flexibility. You can enable recurring donations, allow users to donate anonymously, and even provide custom thank-you messages after a donation is made. The plugin is also fully responsive, meaning your donation forms will look perfect on any device.

FundEngine works smoothly with Elementor, so you can design donation pages that match your website’s branding. Plus, you get access to pre-built templates that allow you to launch a fundraising campaign in minutes. If you’re looking for an easy way to raise funds without relying on third-party platforms, FundEngine is the ideal choice.

EmailKit (WooCommerce email customizer)

One of the best ways to keep your customers engaged with your store is email marketing. With Woocommerce, you can send emails to your customers.

But the default email is not good enough in most cases. EmailKit is the drag and drop builder to customize WooCommerce email. Anyone can create a catchy and conversion-friendly email with this WooCommerce email builder.

Also, EmailKit comes with tons of templates that you can simply drag and drop and customize with custom elements and texts.

There are 23+ elements available with the Email editor to customize each of your emails.

Once you are done with the installation of EmailKit, you can connect it with your favorite email senders to automate the process.

Akismet (Anti-spam plugin)

Spam comments can harm your website’s credibility and slow down performance. Akismet is the ultimate spam protection plugin that automatically filters out junk comments and bot submissions, keeping your WordPress site clean and professional.

Powered by an advanced AI system, Akismet continuously scans millions of websites to detect spam patterns. It automatically blocks suspicious comments, preventing them from appearing on your site. You can review filtered comments in your WordPress dashboard and manually approve any false positives.

Akismet is particularly useful for blogs and WooCommerce stores where user-generated content plays a crucial role. It works flawlessly with contact forms, preventing fake submissions from clogging up your inbox.

The plugin is lightweight and doesn’t affect website speed. If you’re tired of dealing with spam manually, Akismet is a must-have plugin to automate the process and ensure your website remains spam-free.

Wp Rocket (Site speed plugin)

A slow website can drive visitors away and hurt your rankings. WP Rocket is the best caching plugin for WordPress that significantly boosts your site speed with minimal effort.

Unlike other caching plugins that require complex configurations, WP Rocket works right out of the box. It automatically enables page caching, browser caching, and GZIP compression, making your website load faster.

The plugin also offers lazy loading for images and videos, meaning content loads only when users scroll down. This reduces initial page load time and improves user experience.

For those who want advanced optimizations, WP Rocket includes features like database cleanup, CSS/JS minification, and delay of JavaScript execution. It even integrates with CDN services to further enhance loading speed.

If you care about SEO and user experience, installing WP Rocket is one of the best ways to make your WordPress site faster and more efficient.

Der Veranstaltungskalender (Calendar plugin)

If you host events, webinars, or meetups, The Events Calendar is the best plugin to manage and display events on your WordPress website.

This plugin allows you to create events with detailed descriptions, images, and custom event categories. You can enable recurring events, add RSVP options, and even sell tickets through integrations with WooCommerce or PayPal.

Users can view events in different formats, including calendar view, list view, and day view. It also syncs with Google Calendar, making it easy for attendees to add events to their schedules.

The Events Calendar is highly customizable, with multiple design templates and styling options to match your site’s branding. Whether you’re organizing corporate events, online courses, or community meetups, this plugin makes event management simple and professional.

Wordfence (Security plugin)

Security is essential for any WordPress website, and Wordfence provides one of the most comprehensive protection systems available.

This plugin includes an advanced firewall that blocks malicious traffic before it reaches your site. It also comes with a malware scanner that detects and removes security threats, keeping your website safe from hackers.

Wordfence offers real-time monitoring, showing you live traffic insights, including failed login attempts and suspicious activity. You can set up two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security and receive instant alerts if any vulnerabilities are detected.

The plugin is easy to use and doesn’t require technical knowledge. Whether you run a blog, eCommerce store, or business site, Wordfence ensures your WordPress site remains secure against cyber threats.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Do you need all of these plugins?

Not like that! You don’t need all of them. But you should have plugins from each category like page builder, form builder, social plugin, AI plugin, security plugin, etc.

Why should you use premium WordPress plugins?

There is no doubt that there are tons of free plugins out there. But to be honest, there are certain limitations with such plugins. If you are a beginner, free plugins are enough. But for any purpose, if you need some advanced features, it is better to go for the pro version.

Should you use Nulled plugins?

Never! Nulled plugins are very risky for your website. You should never go for them. Instead, try the free versions of plugins and go for the premium if it is necessary.

Is Elementor essential to build your website?

With Elementor, you can enjoy drag and drop building features. By combining it with Elementor add-ons, you can create any professional website from scratch without any knowledge of coding.

Einpacken

This list includes the plugins that a website must have to achieve the perfect look. However, if you have specific use cases, you may need additional plugins.

Before choosing a random WordPress plugin for your website, always check the average rating from existing users. Also, if the plugin receives regular updates, it means the developers are adding new features and fixing bugs.