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WORDPRESS
32 Best WordPress Plugins for Bloggers (free & paid)
WordPress powers over 40% of the web, showcasing its popularity among website builders and content creators.
As a digital cornerstone, WordPress has provided you with the flexibility to create and grow your blog over the past seven years, proving time and again to be a reliable platform.
WordPress plugins are essential tools that enhance your blogging experience.
They offer features that extend functionality and improve user engagement.
With the right plugins, you can customize your blog to match your unique style, optimize it for search engines, and even increase monetization.
Selecting the best plugins from the thousands available can be daunting. Whether improving SEO, streamlining social media sharing, or managing your editorial workflow, choosing the right plugins can significantly impact your blog’s success.
Why Use a WordPress Plugin?
When managing your blog on WordPress, plugins are essential tools that enhance functionality and user experience.
They can significantly streamline your blogging operations and offer the following advantages:
- Time-saving: Plugins automate various tasks that would otherwise require manual coding. This means you can implement complex features quickly without needing advanced technical knowledge.
- Seamless integration: They easily integrate with your WordPress site, allowing you to add features such as social sharing buttons, SEO tools, and contact forms with minimal fuss.
- Customization: With plugins, you have the power to customize your blog to match your specific needs and brand identity.
Consider a few of the aspects plugins can help with:
| Functionality | How Plugins Help |
|---|---|
| SEO | Improve search engine ranking. |
| Security | Protect your blog from spam and hacks. |
| Performance | Speed up your site’s loading time. |
32 Best WordPress Plugins for Every Blogger (free & paid)
Here’s a table that breaks down some of the top plugins available, categorizing them based on what they’re best for and their pricing model.
Remember that while some plugins are free, those labeled as FREEmium offer additional benefits through paid upgrades, which can be vital for growing your blog.
1. Kadence Theme + Kadence Blocks (Best WordPress Theme + Block Gutenberg Editor)
Kadence blocks + Kadence theme is a match made in heaven.
That’s what I use on all of my WordPress sites. I literally can’t do without them.
Regarding enhancing your WordPress experience, Kadence Theme coupled with Kadence Blocks offers a robust solution, simplifying the process of creating professional and visually appealing websites.
Kadence WP Theme + Block Features
- Intelligent Load: Kadence Blocks smartly loads CSS or Javascript only for the blocks you utilize, improving page performance.
- Responsive Controls: Fine-tune your pages and posts for every screen size with dedicated settings for tablets and mobiles.
- Typography Controls: Access over 900 Google fonts to craft the perfect typography for your content.
- Prebuilt Library: Jumpstart your design process with ready-to-use blocks and sections.
- Drag and Drop Editor: Kadence Theme provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to position elements precisely where needed.
- Custom Layouts: Modify headers, footers, and other sections with unique layouts and styles.
- Global Color Pallete: Set your color scheme once and apply it throughout your site for consistent branding.
What I like about Kadence WP
I appreciate the level of control that Kadence WP provides without overwhelming complexity. Its seamless integration with the Gutenberg editor transforms the default WordPress builder into a potent page-maker.
This plugin is best for bloggers who seek a no-compromise approach to design flexibility and performance optimization.
The thoughtful features like Intelligent Load resonate with my need for speed and efficiency, while the responsive controls ensure my content looks great on any device.
2. Rank Math (Best SEO Plugin for WordPress)
Rank Math is a versatile SEO plugin for WordPress; it enhances your website’s search engine visibility.
As a blogger, Rank Math is especially useful for optimizing content with built-in suggestions based on widely accepted best practices.
Rank Math Features
- Automated SEO Audits: Provides regular check-ups on your site’s SEO health.
- Rich Snippets Integration: Easily configure structured data for different post types.
- Sitemap Generation: Automatically creates XML sitemaps for search engines.
- 404 Monitor: Tracks 404 errors so you can fix broken links.
- Redirections: Helps you set up and manage URL redirects directly from your dashboard.
- SEO Performance: Offers insights into how your posts perform on search engines.
What I like about Rank Math
Rank Math is impressive because it empowers you with SEO tools that were once only available to experts.
You gain access to features such as 1-click import options from other SEO plugins, which is a huge time-saver if you switch from a different tool. Rank Math’s user interface is intuitive, making it accessible for all levels of users, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned webmaster.
3. Link Whisper
Link Whisper is a dynamic WordPress plugin designed for efficient internal linking, which is crucial for improving your site’s SEO.
It uses artificial intelligence to automate the internal linking process, helping you to strengthen your site architecture and potentially enhance your search engine rankings.
Link Whisper Features
- Automatic Link Suggestions: Link Whisper suggests relevant internal links in real time as you write your content.
- Bulk Link Editing: Easily add or change multiple links across your posts with the bulk link editing feature.
- SEO Keywords Importing: Import target SEO keywords from popular plugins like Yoast and RankMath.
- Customizable Settings: Adjust the Link Whisper settings to fit your specific linking preferences and strategies.
- Link Reporting: Access detailed reports showing the performance of your internal links.
What I like about Link Whisper
In my experience with Link Whisper, its AI-driven suggestions for internal links have been a major time saver.
This WordPress plugin has enabled me to create a very interconnected content structure on my WordPress blog without the hassle of manually finding and setting up each link.
What’s particularly useful is the ability to see at a glance where I might be missing link opportunities. It’s a smart plugin ideal for anyone serious about their site’s SEO.
4. ShortPixel Image Optimizer
ShortPixel Image Optimizer is a comprehensive plugin that enhances your WordPress site by optimizing images and PDF documents. It swiftly compresses visuals on your site, improving loading times and boosting SEO rankings, making it an excellent choice for bloggers looking to improve site performance.
ShortPixel Image Optimizer Features
- Automatic Compression: Automates reducing image file sizes without losing quality.
- Bulk Optimization: The ability to compress large quantities of images in your media library with a single click.
- WebP & AVIF Conversion: Converts images to WebP/AVIF formats for faster loading times on supported browsers.
- PDF Optimization: Apart from images, ShortPixel also efficiently compresses PDF documents on your WordPress site.
What I like about ShortPixel Image Optimizer
I appreciate how ShortPixel seamlessly integrates with WordPress, optimizing images as uploaded and saving me time and effort.
The plugin’s ability to compress images in the background allows me to focus on content creation without worrying about site speed. The added support for next-generation formats like WebP and AVIF is a forward-thinking feature that helps future-proof my website.
5. Akismet Anti-Spam
Akismet Anti-Spam is an essential plugin for your WordPress blog, protecting it from unwanted spam in comments and contact form submissions.
It’s a go-to solution for maintaining your site’s cleanliness by effectively filtering out spam using a global database.
Akismet Anti-Spam Features
- Automated Spam Filtering: Akismet automatically scrutinizes all comments and contact form submissions, distinguishing and eliminating those that appear spammy.
- Global Spam Database: The plugin utilizes a worldwide spam database to compare and prevent potential threats, efficiently keeping malicious content at bay.
- Easy Comment Management: Review and manage filtered comments directly from your WordPress admin panel with ease, ensuring legitimate comments are not overlooked.
What I like about Akismet Anti-Spam
As someone who values a streamlined blogging experience, I appreciate that Akismet Anti-Spam works silently in the background.
The reassurance that my site is safeguarded from spam without needing to review every interaction manually is invaluable. Its hassle-free integration with WordPress makes it best for bloggers who desire a clean and professional online presence without the disruption of spam.
6. Wordfence Security
Wordfence Security is an essential plugin for any WordPress site, designed to safeguard your online presence against malicious attacks.
With robust features tailored for website security, Wordfence Security actively detects and blocks potential threats, ensuring your blog remains secure.
Wordfence Security Features
- Firewall Protection: Utilizes a web application firewall that identifies and blocks malicious traffic.
- Real-Time Threat Defense: Constant updates to firewall rules and malware signatures for immediate threat response.
- Malware Scanner: This scanner scans core files, themes, and plugins for malware, bad URLs, backdoors, SEO spam, and malicious redirects.
- Login Security: Implements strong password enforcement, two-factor authentication, and login attempt limits.
- Incident Recovery Tools: This tool offers tools to help recover from a hack and track any changes to your files.
What I Like about Wordfence Security
I appreciate Wordfence Security for its comprehensive approach to site protection.
The plugin’s seamless integration with my WordPress dashboard makes monitoring security straightforward.
The peace of mind it provides with features like the real-time threat defense feed and the robust login security measures is invaluable for beginners and seasoned website owners.
7. WP Rocket WordPress Plugin
WP Rocket elevates your WordPress site’s performance by implementing many optimization strategies.
This caching plugin focuses on improving your site’s loading times, a crucial factor for user experience and SEO rankings. It’s tailored for those who want faster website speed without getting too technical.
WP Rocket Features
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Page Caching: Creates an ultra-fast load time, essential for improving Search Engine Optimization and increasing conversions.
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Cache Preloading: Simulates a visit to preload the cache, ensuring search engines index your website as fast and comprehensively as possible.
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Static Files Compression: Reduces the weight of your HTML, JavaScript and CSS files through minification, which improves load time.
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Lazy Loading: Loads images only as your visitor scrolls down the page, improving the page’s load time. This also reduces the number of HTTP requests.
What I like about WP Rocket
In my experience, WP Rocket stands out for its ease of use.
With just a few clicks, I could activate advanced caching settings that typically would require modifications to the code or the use of several plugins. The results were noticeable—the loading times decreased significantly.
What impresses me most about WP Rocket is its ability to combine simplicity with powerful features, suitable for beginners and advanced users looking to optimize their site’s performance efficiently.
8. ConvertBox
ConvertBox is a robust tool designed to elevate your WordPress site’s engagement and conversion rates by providing dynamic lead capture forms and personalized, on-site messaging.
It excels as a popup tool for bloggers due to its precise targeting capabilities and user-friendly interface. These features are especially suited to turning your readership into a loyal subscriber base or customer group.
ConvertBox Features
- Customization Options: Build forms that match your blog’s aesthetic with customizable templates.
- Smart Targeting: Deploy forms based on user behavior, geolocation, and devices for tailored interactions.
- A/B Testing: Test various form designs and content to identify what resonates best with your audience.
- Integration Ease: Connect seamlessly with numerous email marketing services to manage your leads efficiently.
- Real-Time Analytics: Evaluate the performance of your campaigns with built-in analytics and reporting.
What I like about ConvertBox
I appreciate ConvertBox for its intuitive design and sophisticated targeting, which simplify the creation of effective opt-in forms without needing to code.
9. Google Site Kit
Google Site Kit is a powerful plugin designed specifically for WordPress users who want to easily manage and get insights from Google’s tools directly in their dashboard.
This plugin brings a suite of Google services, including Analytics, Search Console, and more, to your fingertips, streamlining how you access data and insights about your website’s performance.
Google Site Kit Features
- Performance Insights: Access key metrics from Google Analytics, PageSpeed Insights, and AdSense on your WordPress dashboard to monitor website performance.
- Easy-to-Use Dashboard: A user-friendly interface within your WordPress dashboard that simplifies monitoring your website’s metrics and analytics.
- One-Click Setup: Connect your WordPress site to various Google services with a simplified setup process, ensuring you can get started quickly without needing expert knowledge.
What I Like about Google Site Kit
In my experience, the Google Site Kit plugin has been particularly helpful for providing easy access to complex data.
I appreciate how it consolidates important Google tools into one centralized location.
This integration means you don’t have to juggle multiple tabs or sign into different services to understand how your site is performing. Its straightforward setup and comprehensive insights cater to bloggers and website owners who want to stay informed with minimal hassle.
10. WPForms WordPress Plugins
WPForms is a user-friendly WordPress plugin designed to make form creation intuitive.
It allows you to build professional forms for your blog or website, catering to various needs, from simple contact forms to detailed surveys, without requiring any coding knowledge.
WPForms Features
- Drag and Drop Form Builder: Easily construct forms by dragging and dropping fields into place, enabling you to see your form take shape in real time.
- Pre-built Form Templates: Select from various templates to quickly start with a form that meets your needs, saving you time and effort.
- Responsive Design: Forms are fully responsive and function well on mobile, tablet, and desktop screens, ensuring accessibility for all users.
What I Like about WPForms
I appreciate WPForms’s ease of use; the drag-and-drop interface eliminates any technical barrier I might face when creating forms. The pre-built templates are a massive time-saver, serving as a starting point for customized forms.
11. Pretty Links
Pretty Links is a robust WordPress plugin designed to streamline affiliate marketing efforts.
It allows you to shorten, brand, track, and manage your affiliate links directly from your WordPress dashboard, making it indispensable for bloggers and digital marketers.
Pretty Links Features
- Create clean, short links: Transform long, unwieldy affiliate links into neat, manageable URLs.
- Track link performance: Monitor clicks, identify trends, and optimize affiliate strategies.
- Automate link management: Set up redirections and categorize links to maintain organization.
- Enhanced SEO control: Cloak links and direct search engine behavior to boost your site’s SEO.
What I like about Pretty Links
I appreciate the simplicity Pretty Links brings to managing affiliate links. With just a few clicks, I can create a short, branded link that looks professional and is easy to share.
12. Social Warfare
Social Warfare is a WordPress plugin that boosts social shares and enhances social media presence. This plugin makes it easy for your visitors to share content, offering customizable buttons and optimized images for sharing across various platforms.
Social Warfare could be your go-to solution if you run a WordPress site and aim to maximize social engagement.
Social Warfare Features
- Customizable Buttons: Tailor the look of your social share buttons to match your site’s design.
- Content Protection: Ensure your content is shared with the credit it deserves using Frame Buster.
- Share Counts: Showcase social proof with accurate, up-to-date share counts from all the popular social networks.
What I like about Social Warfare
In my experience with Social Warfare, I appreciate its seamless integration with WordPress, which enables me to customize how content is shared, especially on visual platforms like Pinterest.
The precision with which you can control the image, title, and description that appears on networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn ensures that your content is presented in the best possible way.
Plus, the plugin’s performance is optimized not to slow down your site, which is often a concern with social sharing plugins.
13. UpdraftPlus Plugin
UpdraftPlus is a WordPress backup and migration plugin that ensures the safety of your website content. It is a versatile solution for maintaining regular backups and smoothly migrating your site when needed.
Whether you run a personal blog or manage a business website, UpdraftPlus is structured to accommodate a range of needs easily.
UpdraftPlus Features
- Scheduled Backups: Set automatic backups daily, weekly, or monthly as per your preferences.
- Off-site Storage Options: Conveniently store your backups in remote locations like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Amazon S3.
- Restore with Ease: Easily restore your website from a backup directly from the WordPress dashboard.
- Site Duplication & Migration: Duplicate or migrate your site to a new domain or host without hassle.
- Incremental Backups: Minimize server load by backing up only the changes since the last backup.
What I Like About UpdraftPlus
I appreciate UpdraftPlus’s reliability; it gives me peace of mind knowing my site’s content is safely backed up. Its user-friendly interface makes it simple to schedule backups and restore my site without technical expertise.
The flexibility to store backups off-site means I can secure my data independently from my hosting environment.
14. WPCode – Insert Headers and Footers + Custom Code
WPCode is a WordPress plugin that empowers you to insert code snippets such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS into your site’s headers, footers, or any other section without editing core theme files.
WPCode Features
- Ease of Use: With WPCode, you can easily add custom code snippets to your site without modifying the theme’s
functions.phpfile or worrying about theme updates that could overwrite your customizations. - Versatility: It supports a variety of scripts including Google Analytics tracking code, custom CSS styles, or any other scripts required by third-party services.
- Management: Keep all your code snippets organized in one place, ensuring you can find and edit them quickly.
What I Like about WPCode
Speaking from experience, I like how WPCode simplifies the process of adding functionality to a WordPress site.
You no longer have to sift through theme files or worry about disrupting your site with an incorrect edit. It’s reassuring that over two million websites trust WPCode, showcasing its reliability and broad adoption.
As a blogger, it’s an invaluable tool that saves time and makes technical customizations much more accessible.
15. Jetpack WordPress Plugin
The Jetpack WordPress Plugin is a versatile tool to enhance your WordPress site’s performance and security.
It’s crafted by Automattic, the same team behind WordPress.com, and it provides a robust set of features to improve security, site speed, and visitor engagement.
Jetpack Features
- Enhanced Security: Provides real-time auto-scans for malware and threats, alongside spam protection for comments.
- Backup and Restore: Offers real-time or scheduled backups and easy site restoration.
- Performance Optimization: This method uses a content delivery network (CDN) to serve images and static files, which speeds up load times.
- Downtime Monitoring: Alerts you immediately if your site goes down so you can get back online quickly.
- Growth and SEO Tools: This package includes analytics and sharing tools to help increase your site’s traffic and optimize for search engines.
What I like about Jetpack
In my experience, Jetpack’s real-time backups have been a lifesaver, ensuring that I never lose any content or data.
The plugin’s integrated approach to security and performance keeps your site running smoothly and securely with minimal effort. As someone who values insights into my audience, I find Jetpack’s analytics features incredibly helpful for tracking engagement.
16. Elementor
Elementor is a drag-and-drop page builder plugin for WordPress that allows you to create stunning websites easily.
Tailored for both beginners and professionals, it offers power and flexibility in design without needing to touch a line of code.
Elementor Features
- Drag & Drop Editor: Build your web pages with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
- Responsive Design: Your designs will look great on all devices, ensuring a mobile-friendly experience.
- Template Library: Access a vast collection of pre-designed templates that can be imported and customized.
- Widgets: Choose from a plethora of widgets to add functions like buttons, headlines, and social media icons to your pages.
- Popup Builder: Create and manage popups with ease for announcements, promotions, or newsletter subscriptions.
What I like about Elementor
I like Elementor’s user-friendly interface, which saves time and effort when designing pages.
The real-time preview function is a game-changer, allowing me to see the changes instantly as I make them. With Elementor, creating professional-looking websites is possible without specialized programming skills.
17. Smush
Smush is a widely recognized WordPress plugin dedicated to optimizing images on your website. It improves your site’s performance by compressing images without compromising their quality, ensuring your pages load faster and provide a smoother user experience.
Smush Features
- Lossless Compression: Compress images without degrading quality, maintaining the visual appeal of your site.
- Bulk Smush: Optimize multiple images simultaneously to save time and efficiently streamline your site’s performance.
- Lazy Load: Images load only as they’re about to enter the viewport, reducing initial page load time and server resources.
- Image Resizing: Set maximum dimensions for your images to ensure they are not larger than needed for optimized display across devices.
What I like about Smush
I Like Smush for its intuitive interface, which makes compressing and optimizing images seamless. Its minimal loss of quality makes it a valuable plugin for improving load times without affecting your site’s visual integrity.
The bulk optimization feature is especially useful if you have a lot of images, saving you a significant amount of time and effort.
18. Contact Form 7
Contact Form 7 is a trusted and versatile WordPress plugin that integrates seamlessly with your blog to provide an efficient contact management system.
Known for its simplicity and extendability, it caters especially to bloggers looking for a reliable way to communicate with their audience.
Contact Form 7 Features
- Flexibility: Create multiple contact forms with customizable fields to suit the varying needs of your blog and audience.
- Spam prevention: Built-in tools like Akismet filtering and CAPTCHA help protect your inbox from unwanted spam.
- Customizability: Personalize form behavior with a simple markup and tailor the email content sent to you and the respondents.
What I like about Contact Form 7
Contact Form 7’s straightforward setup doesn’t require much technical expertise. It empowers you to manage form submissions effectively, ensuring you never miss an important message from your readers.
19. WooCommerce
WooCommerce transforms your WordPress site into a fully functional e-commerce platform.
It’s a powerhouse plugin that seamlessly integrates with your existing WordPress site, allowing you to sell products or services online.
Tailored specifically for bloggers, entrepreneurs, and small to medium-sized businesses, WooCommerce is an ideal solution for those looking to expand their online presence and begin selling online.
WooCommerce Features
- Product Management: Easily add and manage your products, complete with images, descriptions, and attributes.
- Secure Payments: Supports numerous payment gateways for secure transactions.
- Inventory Tracking: Keep a sharp eye on your stock levels and manage your inventory effortlessly.
- Shipping Options: Set up various shipping methods and rates, including real-time calculations.
- Analytics and Reports: Gain valuable insights into your sales and customers with built-in analytics tools.
What I like about WooCommerce
WooCommerce simplicity and the extensive functionality it provides right out of the box.
Managing an online store can be quite complex, but WooCommerce makes it straightforward with its user-friendly interface.
Another thing that stands out is the vast community and range of extensions available, allowing you to tailor your store precisely to your needs without needing a specialized developer.
20. Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)
Advanced Custom Fields offers a suite of tools to enhance your WordPress site’s functionality.
With ACF, you can add and manage custom data more effectively, giving you greater flexibility in how content is presented.
ACF Plugin Features
- Custom Fields: Quickly add fields such as text, image, file, gallery, and more to various areas of your site.
- Field Builder: Use an intuitive interface to craft the perfect data structure for your content.
- Location Rules: Display fields only where you need them using conditional logic based on page type, taxonomy, or user role.
- Template Integration: Easily integrate custom fields into your templates with developer-friendly functions.
What I like about ACF plugin
I admire how ACF streamlines the process of creating and managing custom content within WordPress. The plugin’s robust field builder allows you to customize data structures without needing to write extensive code.
It’s particularly helpful for those who want to maintain a high degree of control over their site’s content and presentation while still being simple enough for non-developers to utilize effectively.
21. LearnDash
LearnDash transforms your WordPress site into a comprehensive learning management system (LMS), enabling you to offer and manage online courses with efficiency. It’s an ideal solution for educators, trainers, and anyone looking to create an e-learning platform.
LearnDash Features
- Content Drip: Control when learners can access course content based on a schedule.
- Advanced Quizzing: Assess learners with a variety of question types and custom messages.
- Course Points: Award points to learners as they complete courses and set how points are accumulated.
- Certificates & Badges: Automatically deliver official certifications and badges based on performance.
- Multimedia Lessons: Engage your users with video, audio, images, and Google Docs integration.
What I like about LearnDash
LearnDash’s straightforward integration with WordPress, which makes it effortless to start selling courses.
The plugin’s robust features enable me to construct a tailored learning experience, from its intelligent course builder that organizes courses by lessons and topics to its granular data reporting which helps track user progress.
It’s the versatility and depth of LearnDash that makes it an essential tool for delivering quality e-learning content on your website.
22. SolidWP (Formally iThemes)
SolidWP is a robust security plugin designed to protect your WordPress site from potential threats. Formerly known as iThemes, this plugin has evolved and now operates under the StellarWP umbrella, owned by Liquid Web.
It is particularly suited for bloggers who prioritize the safety and integrity of their content and user data.
SolidWP Features
- User Action Logging: Monitors and records user actions, helping you audit and trace any changes or activities within your site.
- Two-Factor Authentication: Adds an extra layer of security by requiring a secondary code before allowing access to your account.
- Malware Scan Scheduling: Regularly scans your website for malware, offering proactive security maintenance.
- Version Management: Keeps your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up-to-date, warding off known vulnerabilities.
- Database Backups: Enables you to schedule and store regular backups of your website’s database, ensuring that you can restore data when necessary.
What I Like about SolidWP
I appreciate SolidWP for its comprehensive approach to WordPress security.
It’s reassuring to know that a reputable company like StellarWP, which continues Liquid Web’s legacy, stands behind this plugin.
What impresses me most is the ease of setting up two-factor authentication, which immediately elevates the security level of my site. I also find the user action logging to be a powerful tool for oversight and accountability, especially when managing multiple contributors.
23. WPML
WPML, or the WordPress Multilingual Plugin, enables you to transform your WordPress blog into a multilingual platform with ease. This gives you the power to reach a broader audience by offering content in multiple languages.
WPML Features
- Compatibility with Themes and Plugins: Works seamlessly with most WordPress themes and plugins, maintaining full functionality.
- Translation Management: Allows for easy management of translations or hiring of professional translators directly from the plugin dashboard.
- Multilingual E-Commerce: Support for multilingual e-commerce sites, enabling you to create product listings in various languages.
- Language Switcher Options: Customizable language switchers to add to your site, including options for menus, widgets, and more.
What I like about WPML
I appreciate how WPML makes it straightforward for you to serve a global audience. Its user-friendly interface allows you to manage translations directly within WordPress without requiring any technical knowledge.
24. The Events Calendar
The Events Calendar is an essential WordPress plugin that enables you to create and manage an events calendar on your website effortlessly.
It’s particularly suited for bloggers who host or promote events, providing a professional and easy-to-use solution to keep your audience informed.
The Events Calendar Features
- Customizable Event Pages: Tailor the look and feel of your event pages to match your blog’s branding.
- Integration with Popular Payment Gateways: Sell tickets and manage transactions directly through your site.
- Robust Event Management: Keep track of schedules, ticket sales, and attendee information with ease.
What I like about The Events Calendar
I appreciate The Events Calendar for its seamless integration and the way it simplifies event management. It allows me to connect with my audience and keep them updated, making my events a key part of my blog’s community-building efforts.
25. MonsterInsights WordPress Plugin
MonsterInsights is a powerful Google Analytics plugin for your WordPress site, designed to give you insights about your website traffic and audience behavior directly from your WordPress dashboard.
With an easy setup and a user-friendly interface, it is an excellent choice for both beginners and seasoned website owners.
MonsterInsights Features
- Real-time Stats: View how your site is performing at this very moment with up-to-date metrics.
- E-commerce Tracking: Monitor your online store’s performance by tracking sales and conversions easily.
- Universal Tracking: Set up the tracking of your site across devices and campaigns for a comprehensive understanding of traffic.
- Customizable Reports: Generate detailed reports that are tailored to your specific needs and website goals.
What I Like about MonsterInsights
In my experience, what makes MonsterInsights stand out is the incredible ease with which you can connect your website to Google Analytics.
There’s no need to mess with code or hire a developer; it’s all done with a few clicks.
Moreover, its dashboard is remarkably intuitive, giving you valuable insights at a glance without the complexity. Whether you’re a blogger, a small business owner, or running a large e-commerce site, MonsterInsights offers functionalities that can help elevate your site’s understanding of visitor behavior.
26. All-in-One WP Migration
When you’re looking to transfer your WordPress site to a new host or server, All-in-One WP Migration provides a comprehensive solution. This plugin simplifies the migration process, ensuring your website’s elements remain intact during the move.
All-in-One WP Migration plugin Features
- Compatibility: Works across a wide variety of hosting environments, supporting WordPress versions from 3.3 to 6.4.2, PHP versions from 5.3 to 8.3, and all versions of MySQL and MariaDB.
- Intuitive User Interface: Designed to facilitate effortless website exports and imports with a few clicks within the WordPress dashboard.
- Support for Various Elements: Capable of handling custom uploads, plugin and theme folders, extending its functionality beyond standard migrations.
What I like about All-in-One Migration plugin
The All-in-One WP Migration plugin is easy to use—you don’t need to be technically skilled to perform a successful migration. Its reliability is noteworthy; you can trust that your website’s data, themes, and plugins will be securely relocated without loss or corruption.
The plugin is best suited for bloggers and small business owners who require a straightforward solution for moving their site.
27. Really Simple SSL
Ensuring the security of your WordPress site is crucial, and Really Simple SSL simplifies the process of securing your site with an SSL certificate. This plugin automates the SSL configuration, ensuring your site is accessed via HTTPS.
Really Simple SSL Features
- Automatic Detection: Scans your site to detect an existing SSL certificate; if none is found, guides you through the process of obtaining one.
- Site-Wide Secure Connection: Automatically configures your website to run over HTTPS, thus protecting all data transmitted between the server and users.
- Troubleshooting Support: Handles common SSL-related issues in WordPress, including potential concerns when using a load balancer.
What I like about Really Simple SSL
The straightforwardness of Really Simple SSL is second to none.
It’s a reliable tool that takes charge of the technical details, so you don’t have to worry about complex configurations.
Plus, the wide adoption of this plugin is a testament to its effectiveness and user-friendliness. It’s ideal for bloggers not well-versed in SSL and web security but who understand the importance of protecting their sites and their users’ data.
28. Lasso (GetLasso)
Lasso is a premium WordPress plugin designed to enhance your affiliate marketing efforts. It allows for efficient management, optimization, and display of affiliate links, catering particularly to bloggers and online marketers.
GetLasso Features
- Affiliate Link Management: Centralize control of all your affiliate links, making them easy to manage and find.
- Automatic Link Conversion: Converts normal product links into affiliate links effortlessly.
- Analytics Dashboard: Offers insights into link performance, helping you make data-driven decisions.
- Product Display Customization: Create attractive, conversion-focused affiliate link displays.
What I like about GetLasso
In my experience, Lasso’s strength lies in its simplicity and effectiveness.
The automatic link conversion saves hours of manual labor, while the analytics provide a straightforward understanding of which links perform well.
The product display customization has given my affiliate links a professional look that integrates seamlessly into my content, resulting in higher click-through rates.
29. Shared Counts Plugin
The Shared Counts plugin is a powerful tool for adding social media share buttons to your WordPress site.
This plugin helps increase traffic and engagement by making it easy for your readers to share your content across various social media platforms.
Whether you are a blogger, a small business owner, or managing a nonprofit site, this plugin caters to your need for a simple and efficient way to amplify your online presence.
Shared Counts Features
- Button Inclusion: Provides an array of share buttons, including Facebook, Pinterest, Yummly, and Twitter.
- Performance-Oriented: It is designed to keep your site swift and doesn’t drag your load times down.
- Customization Options: You can choose button styles and placement to match your site’s design.
What I like about Shared Counts
In my experience, the efficiency with which Shared Counts operates makes a notable difference. I appreciate the plugin’s focus on maintaining website speed, as it doesn’t affect the loading times adversely, which is a common issue with similar plugins.
30. Classic Editor WordPress Plugin
The Classic Editor plugin is a lifeline for those comfortable with WordPress’s prior editing experience. It reinstates the traditional editing screen and toolset, aligning with your preferences for a straightforward, no-frills interface.
Classic Editor Plugin features
- Retains the Classic Editing Interface: The plugin brings back the familiar WordPress editor, allowing you to work with the layout and tools you’ve always known.
- Support for Older Plugins and Meta Boxes: Classic Editor ensures compatibility with older plugins and meta boxes that rely on the previous editor version, ensuring seamless integration.
31. LuckyWP Table of Contents
LuckyWP Table of Contents is a comprehensive plugin designed to enhance the structuring of your blog content.
It offers an automatically generated table of contents that can be inserted into your WordPress posts or pages, improving both readability for your audience and SEO for your site.
LuckyWP WordPress table of content plugin features
- Auto-insertion capabilities: The plugin can detect headings in your content and automatically insert a table of contents, saving you the hassle of manual placement.
- Customization options: You can access a range of settings that allow you to tailor the appearance of your table of contents to your site’s design.
- Performance consideration: The plugin focuses on efficiency and ensures that the loading of your table of contents does not impact the overall speed of your website.
What I like about LuckyWP
In my experience using LuckyWP, I am particularly impressed with its intuitive setup process, which requires no technical know-how.
32. Thrive Suite Plugins
Thrive Suite is a collection of WordPress plugins specifically designed to enhance the functionality and design of your blog or business website. It offers a broad toolkit aimed at improving conversions, engagement, and the overall online presence of a website.
Thrive Themes (Thrive Suite) features
- Thrive Theme Builder: Easily craft custom WordPress themes without needing to code, ensuring your site matches your brand perfectly.
- Thrive Architect: Utilize a drag-and-drop page builder to create visually appealing landing pages and layouts quickly.
- Thrive Leads: Grow your mailing list with this powerful lead generation plugin, which is optimized for high conversion rates.
- Thrive Apprentice: Develop and sell online courses directly from your WordPress site with an easy-to-use module.
- Thrive Comments: Encourage engagement by enhancing the commenting experience on your blog with features like upvoting and downvoting.
What I like about Thrive Suite WordPress plugins
As someone who focuses on efficient website growth, I like the coherence of Thrive Suite’s plugins.
They seamlessly integrate with each other, saving time and simplifying the process of enhancing your site. The focus on conversion optimization is evident and offers tangible benefits in attracting and retaining an audience.
The plugins are tailored for individuals and businesses focused on growth, looking for tools that not only assist in building their website but also in achieving their online objectives.
What to Look For in WordPress Plugins
Consider these crucial factors to identify plugins that align well with your needs.
Free vs. Premium Plugins
Free Plugins offer no cost but might lack advanced features, while Premium Plugins require investment in exchange for superior functionality and additional support.
- Free Plugins: May be sufficient for basic needs.
- Premium Plugins: Provide more complex features and dedicated support.
Compatibility
Your plugin should be fully compatible with your WordPress version and other active plugins. Incompatible plugins can cause:
- Website malfunction or crashes.
- Security vulnerabilities.
Support and Updates
Look for plugins from developers who provide regular updates and reliable support:
- Regular updates protect against security issues and bugs.
- Responsive support is crucial for troubleshooting.
Customer Ratings and Reviews
Ratings and reviews can indicate reliability and user satisfaction. Assess:
- High Ratings: A sign of quality and robust functionality.
- Insightful Reviews: Provide real user experiences and feedback.
Active Installations
Plugins with a high number of active installations suggest:
- Widespread trust and use in the community.
- Longevity and reliability.
Performance
Assess the plugin’s impact on performance to maintain a fast website:
- Look for plugins optimized for speed.
- Avoid plugins that slow down your page loading times.
FAQs
What are the essential plugins for a WordPress blog?
Essential plugins for a WordPress blog include SEO optimization plugins like Rank Math, security plugins like Wordfence Security, and caching plugins like WP Rocket.
How can I enhance my WordPress blog’s functionality with plugins?
You can enhance your blog using plugins like WPForms for advanced forms, WooCommerce for an e-commerce solution, and Elementor for drag-and-drop page building.
Which free plugins should every WordPress blogger consider using?
Every WordPress blogger should consider using Jetpack for comprehensive enhancements, Akismet to handle spam comments, and Classic Editor for a traditional editing experience.
What are the most popular plugins for optimizing WordPress blog performance?
Popular performance optimization plugins include WP Rocket for caching, ShortPixel and Smush for image optimization, and Query Monitor for debugging and performance monitoring.
How do I choose the right plugins for my WordPress blog’s theme and content?
Read plugin reviews, check the number of active installs, and ensure they are regularly updated to choose plugins compatible with your WordPress theme and content. Prioritize plugins that align with your blog’s goals and enhance the user experience without overloading your site.
Disclosure: We may earn commissions if you buy via links on our website. Commissions don’t affect our opinions or evaluations. We’re also an independent affiliate of many platforms, including ClickFunnels, Kartra, GoHighLevel, Podia, Northwest Registered Agent, and others. We’re not employees of these services. We receive referral payments from them, and the opinions expressed here are our own and are not official statements of these companies.
WORDPRESS
John Kostak of Web Dev USA – WordPress.com News
John Kostak has been building websites for longer than most social media networks have even been around. So splashy features don’t interest him much—he’s far more into performance, reliability, and compatibility. Which is why he and his company, Web Development USA, have been using WordPress.com from the start.
In this fun Q&A, John shares more about his WordPress journey, what matters most to him as a developer, and a few of his favorite sites (in spite of the fact that it was like making him pick his favorite child). Note: The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
If John’s love for WordPress.com has you reconsidering your current hosting environment, you can learn more about our specs and get started at WordPress.com/hosting.
Jeremy: How long have you been using WordPress and WordPress.com?
John: I have been building websites for about 15 or 16 years and started in a corporate environment for a large company. We never had an internal digital team and we basically created our own digital agency within this big corporate company. And that was pretty innovative back then.
Then out of that, I spun off and started Web Development USA. That began in 2015, and so next year will be our 10th year, which is crazy to think about. But it went quickly because we really do enjoy this. And we look for people who find this to be a passion, as we do.
Jeremy: Have you been using WordPress.com the entire time?
John: Yes we have. We started doing some testing with SiteGround and Elementor hosting, but we still like WordPress.com the best. You know you can go through a McDonald’s three miles away or 10,000 miles away on the other side of the planet and your lunch is going to be reasonably what you expect. That’s what WordPress.com feels like with its consistency and the familiarity of the UI and getting around.
Jeremy: What do you like most about WordPress.com? Is it about ease of use on your side as a builder? Convenience for the customer? Both?
John: Resiliency. With Jetpack at the core and all the updates that it does, we just don’t have that much of a risk of things exploding, especially when we bring contractors in and out. We can always fall back to a previous state, and we have an exact record of it. We can get into PHP code. We can get into the very, very back end if we want. We can really be dangerous if we want, without being too afraid of it.
Overall, it is certainly the all-around performance, security, and cadence that you use for backing up sites.
Jeremy: What are some of your favorite features when building sites on WordPress? Do you have go-to themes, blocks, plugins, etc.?
John: Well, it’s changed over the years. We used to use standard old-school wireframe and theme templates that were very basic. And then we went into more “custom designer” mode, I would say, with templates and flashy designs. We graduated from Walmart t-shirts to Gucci t-shirts. And, you know, we enjoyed that for a while.
Now we’re going back to robust wireframes and doing more from scratch. What’s more important now is really the entire stack, including performance and compatibility. You know, we just don’t have time to troubleshoot when we have some whizzy feature on the site. We don’t have time to go in and look for why the thing is down. So, we are sort of simplifying certain things and then standardizing on a certain stack.
Jeremy: What excites you about the future of WordPress.com? Are there any new features you’re especially excited to try out and use?
John: Honestly, we just don’t have time to get into a lot of that. We don’t look much to experimental features or anything like that. We’re trusting that by the time the feature or tool makes its way into being a standard of WordPress, it will be tried and true. We’re not looking for early adopter types of things anymore.
The reality is that our value add is more about custom coding for integrations—maybe for a particular reservation system that has to shake hands and stay for a while on the site before it goes out to a third-party point of sale. It takes some custom coding there. That’s where our focus has really been—managed services and then a lot more programming. We’ve been onboarding more programmers in the last 18 months than we did the first eight years of the company.
Jeremy: Do you have a few favorite client sites that you can share?
John: Well, Jeremy, it’s like asking you who’s your favorite child.
Jeremy: Depending on the week, I can give you a pretty good answer. 😊
John: Yeah, that’s a good point! Sure, I have a few:
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Analysing Features, Pricing, and User Experience
When I started building my website with WordPress, I stumbled upon Elementor’s plugin. This powerful website builder, known for its drag-and-drop interface, has been my go-to tool, thanks to its user-friendly interface and wide array of design options.
Since then, Elementor decided to take things up a notch by expanding into the hosting space.
Elementor Hosting is a hosting service tailor-made for WordPress users, seamlessly integrated with Elementor’s page builder and WooCommerce. With Elementor hosting, you get a streamlined experience from site creation to publication, all within the Elementor platform.
This article will dive into Elementor’s hosting service, examining its features, pricing, and overall value, providing an in-depth Elementor Hosting review.
What is Elementor Hosting
Elementor Hosting is a managed web hosting service provided by Elementor, the industry-leading WordPress website builder.
I’ve found that Elementor Hosting is designed to seamlessly merge web hosting services with the advanced capabilities of the Elementor page builder. This unique integration creates an all-in-one platform that empowers you with everything you might need for website creation, hosting, and management.
In a single package, you gain access to the Elementor Pro website builder, valued at $99 per year, alongside the freedom to install preferred plugins.
Keep reading this full hands-on Elementor Hosting review to decide if this is the right option for you.
Who is Elementor Hosting for?
Elementor Hosting is designed for users who want to create, manage, and host WordPress websites using the Elementor website builder.
Here’s a closer look at who might find Elementor Hosting particularly beneficial:
- Web developers and designers: Elementor is a great choice for people who regularly build websites for clients and appreciate its versatility and extensive design capabilities.
- Small- and medium-sized businesses: Ideal for entrepreneurs looking to establish or enhance their online presence with a polished web design without shelling out hefty design fees.
- Bloggers and content creators: Elementor Hosting is suitable for individuals seeking a user-friendly platform that enables them to concentrate on content creation.
- E-commerce store owners: Elementor Hosting comes with WooCommerce, which is great for people with an online store.
- Marketing and SEO professionals: Perfect for marketing professionals requiring quickly editable and optimized web assets.
Core Features of Elementor Hosting
Elementor Hosting is tailored to offer a seamless experience for users who wish to design, manage, and host websites easily. You get everything under one roof — editor, theme, and hosting.
Before we get into how you can easily build a website with Elementor Hosting, let’s have a look at the features.
Below are the core features that make Elementor Hosting stand out.
Page Builder
Elementor is the #1 Page Builder plugin for WordPress, and it comes free of cost with Elementor Hosting. You get all the following features of Elementor Page Builder to build your WordPress website:
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Elementor’s website builder is renowned for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to build websites without any coding knowledge.
- Responsive Design: Every design or element you create will be responsive, ensuring your site looks great on all devices.
- Live Editing: See the changes you make in real-time, offering a true what-you-see-is-what-you-get experience.
Pre-Designed Templates
When building a website with Elementor Page Builder, you can choose from an empty canvas, wireframe designs, or a design from a large library of all-inclusive website templates.
- Extensive Template Library: Access to a vast library of pre-designed templates suited for various industries and purposes.
- Blocks and Sections: Apart from full-page templates, Elementor also offers blocks and sections to quickly build custom pages.
- Template Import/Export: Easily import templates from other projects or export them for use in different websites.
Customization Options
With Page Builder, you get a comprehensive collection of widgets and global settings to add different functionalities to your web pages, such as sliders, buttons, and forms.
- Widgets: A wide range of widgets are available to add functionality to your pages, such as buttons, headings, sliders, and more.
- Theme Builder: Gain control over your website’s theme, allowing you to design headers, footers, single posts, and archive pages.
- Global Settings: Customize and maintain a consistent design across your website with global settings for colors, fonts, and other styling options
Performance and Security
- Optimized for Speed: Elementor Hosting is optimized for performance, ensuring fast loading times for your website.
- Secure Hosting: Implementing the latest security measures to protect your website from online threats.
Integrations with Other Tools
- WordPress Ecosystem: Seamless integration with the vast array of WordPress plugins and themes, expanding the functionality of your website.
- Marketing Tools: Integration with popular marketing tools and platforms, such as MailChimp, HubSpot, and ConvertKit, to enhance your marketing efforts.
- eCommerce: Full compatibility with WooCommerce, allowing you to build and manage an online store directly within your website.
Elementor Hosting Dashboard
Elementor hosting has an easy-to-navigate dashboard where you can manage your site(s), teams, and subscriptions. You can choose which websites you’re hosting with Elementor Hosting and which ones you’re hosting somewhere else. Accessing the site’s dashboard gives you access to:
- Manage Domains: Simplifies custom domain setup with an intuitive process. Initially assigns a temporary staging domain.
- Email Account: Easily set up email sending post-domain connection. Partnered with Zoho Mail, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365 for custom business emails.
- Backups: Access automatic daily backups and initiate manual backups for data security.
- Advanced: Provides tools like staging sites, phpMyAdmin, and SFTP details for advanced management. Creating staging sites is effortless with supported plans.
Onboarding Experience with Elementor Hosting
Starting my journey with Elementor Hosting was a breeze, thanks to its seamless onboarding process. From signing up to getting my website up and running, the platform guided me every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.
Here are the steps that you can also follow to set up your WordPress website with Elementor Hosting:
Step 1: Sign Up
- Plan Selection: Choose the hosting plan that best fits your needs. Elementor Hosting offers various plans based on the size and requirements of your website.
Step 2: Website Setup
- Domain Configuration: You can either register a new domain through Elementor or connect an existing domain to your Elementor hosting account.
- WordPress Installation: Elementor Hosting automatically installs WordPress for you, eliminating the need for manual setup.
Step 3: Elementor Plugin and Theme Installation
- Automatic Installation: The Elementor plugin and Hello Elementor theme are automatically installed on your WordPress site. This ensures you have the essential tools to start designing your website immediately.
- Activation: Log in to your WordPress dashboard, where you’ll find the Elementor plugin and theme already activated.
Step 4: Template Selection and Customization
- Template Library Access: Upon entering the Elementor editor, you’ll have access to a wide range of pre-designed templates. Choose one that fits your website’s purpose.
- Customization: Utilize the drag-and-drop editor to customize your chosen template. You can change text, images, layout, and more to match your brand. Here, I have chosen the interior design agency template from Elementor.
Step 5: Website Launch
- Preview and Test: Before going live, preview your site and test all functionalities to ensure everything works as expected. With Elementor’s responsive design, you can check how every element looks across all devices.
- Publish: Once you’re satisfied with your website, hit the publish button.
Congratulations, your website is now live!
Plans and Pricing
Elementor offers different tiers of hosting plans tailored to various needs, from personal blogs to business websites.
Basic Plan
- Price: $9.99/month (discounted from $14.99)
- Features: Includes Elementor Pro, 10 GB storage, 25K monthly visits, and 30 GB/mo bandwidth.
Business Plan
- Price: $19.99/month (discounted from $24.99)
- Features: Everything in Basic plus more storage and bandwidth for higher traffic sites.
Grow Plan
- Price: $49.99/month (discounted from $59.99)
- Features: Includes all Business plan features with increased storage, bandwidth, and monthly visitor limits to support growing websites.
Scale Plan
- Price: $299.99/month (discounted from $349.99)
- Features: Includes all Grow plan features with expanded resources, advanced performance optimization, and priority support.
Educational resources
Elementor offers a wealth of educational resources designed to help users learn, grow, and excel in web creation. These resources cater to a wide range of audiences, from beginners to advanced users, covering various aspects of using Elementor and web design in general.
Below is an overview of the key educational resources provided by Elementor.
1. Elementor Academy
The Elementor Academy is a comprehensive learning hub filled with courses and tutorials aimed at enhancing your web creation skills. Whether you’re looking to understand the basics of using Elementor or delve into advanced design techniques, the academy has something for everyone.
2. Help Center
The Help Center is your go-to resource for detailed articles and guides on troubleshooting, FAQs, and step-by-step instructions on using Elementor features. It’s a valuable resource for solving specific issues you might encounter while working with Elementor.
3. Elementor Blog
The Elementor Blog is an excellent source of inspiration, tips, and the latest trends in web design and marketing. It features articles written by web design professionals and Elementor experts on everything from cloning your websites to new features and the latest releases.
Customer Feedback and Reviews
Per user reviews, while Elementor Hosting shines, there are complaints about its support lacking efficacy.
Nonetheless, Elementor Hosting is praised by individuals building personal websites and agency owners alike.
Check out the positive Elementor Hosting reviews received on Trustpilot, and you’ll be instantly convinced.
Final thoughts
Overall, I think Elementor Hosting is a great choice that will work well for various types of websites that web designers, business owners, bloggers, e-commerce entrepreneurs, or simply someone with a passion for web design are trying to build.
It simplifies the entire website-building process by eliminating the need to purchase hosting separately. At the same time, you also get great pricing that comes included with Elementor Pro at no extra cost. Furthermore, the performance and speed optimizations tailored for WordPress and Elementor ensure that websites hosted on this platform look great and deliver an exceptional user experience.
In a world where being online has become crucial, Elementor Hosting can help users create their web designs with ease, style, and comfort.
Keep reading the article at WP Mayor. The article was originally written by Osheen Jain on 2024-04-01 07:00:00.
The article was hand-picked and curated for you by the Editorial Team of WP Archives.
WORDPRESS
14+ Best Email Automation Tools For Your Business (Expert Pick)
We’ve run online businesses and websites for years, so we know how long it can take to write emails to customers, leads, and subscribers.
As a business owner, your time is valuable. You need to focus on growing your business, not just writing emails. Luckily, email automation tools can help you do that.
That being said, there are so many tools out there that it’s hard to know which one to choose. That’s why we’ve tested many of them and looked at how easy they are to use, how much they cost, and how well they can personalize your emails.
Although we personally use Drip on WPBeginner, we have also done a deep dive into other options for small business owners.
And in this article, we will share the best email automation tools we have found. These tools will help you save time and still send emails that feel personal to each recipient.
Top 3 Email Marketing Automation Tools
In a hurry? Here are our top 3 picks for the best email marketing tools.
How We Test and Review Email Automation Tools
When we review tools, we don’t just look at fancy features. We focus on whether the tool can actually help your business grow.
Marketing expert Neil Patel perfectly sums up what’s most important:
The big things I look for in email marketing are:
1. Segmentation: The goal is to create email campaigns that are personal and relevant to each recipient.
2. Personalization: When you personalize your email content, you make a connection with your contacts on a human level—which can lead to improved click-through rates, higher open rates, and more conversions.
3. Valuable: Make sure the content of your email provides value that’s relevant to your audience’s interests, and more importantly, that doesn’t come across as a sales pitch.
Neil Patel – Digital Marketing Expert and Entrepreneur
With that in mind, we’ve been using some of the tools featured here every day for our own websites, so we know firsthand how they work. We use them to send welcome emails to new customers, remind people about items they left in their cart, and share special offers.
Other options are super popular tools that we tested to see if they lived up to the hype. We dug into online reviews to see how they perform in the real world. We want to make sure we recommend tools that are reliable, easy to use, and offer good value for the price.
Why Trust WPBeginner?
We’ve been helping people with WordPress, online marketing, and website design for over 16 years. We are a team of WordPress experts who carefully review and test every tool and plugin we recommend, not just on demo sites but on real, live websites.
To learn more, check out our entire editorial process.
1. Constant Contact
Constant Contact is the best all-around email marketing automation tool, trusted by over 600,000 businesses. We have tested it extensively, which you can read about in our Constant Contact review.
Constant Contact segments your audience into four categories: most engaged, somewhat engaged, least engaged, and everyone else.
This segmentation isn’t as targeted as some other tools, but it’s helpful for beginners wanting to separate their most loyal customers from the rest.
It has one of the most user-friendly interfaces we’ve tested. From the moment you start the free trial, it guides you through a super-simple setup process.
You can also choose from hundreds of customizable templates and layouts. Whether you need an eye-catching email for newsletters or a simple announcement, there’s a template to fit your needs.
Pros of Constant Contact:
- Automatic list segmentation helps you target your audience efficiently.
- Hundreds of customizable templates to match your branding.
- Comprehensive analytics tools to measure the performance of your campaigns.
Cons of Constant Contact:
- They don’t offer unlimited sends.
Pricing: Constant Contact starts from $12 to $80 per month, with pricing based on the number of contacts. They also offer a 30-day free trial period. You can use our Constant Contact coupon code to get 20% off of your purchase.
Why we chose Constant Contact: We like Constant Contact for beginners because it covers the email marketing basics well. The service helps with list building, automating campaigns, and designing mobile-friendly emails, making it perfect for new users.
To learn more about the tool, check out our Constant Contact review.
2. Brevo
Brevo is an email marketing app that gives you access to an unlimited number of contacts on any plan. We tried it out to test all the features, which you can check out in our complete Brevo review.
The tool comes with contact segmentation features so you can target smaller groups of subscribers. You can engage them with relevant content by filtering contacts by previous engagement, declared interests, purchase history, and other options.
It’s our second choice because it’s one of the only platforms that offers unlimited contacts right off the bat, which is great for growing your list.
One downside of Brevo is that multi-user access is only available for higher-tier users, which can limit collaboration for people on lower-tier plans.
Pros of Brevo:
- Unlimited contacts on all plans.
- Marketing automation to send emails to specific segments at the right moments in their user journey.
- Predictive sending feature to send emails at the best time for each individual.
Cons of Brevo:
- Multi-user access is unavailable in lower-tier plans.
Pricing: Brevo is free to start with unlimited contacts and up to 300 email sends per day. The paid plans start from $9 to $18 per month.
Why we chose Brevo: We chose Brevo because it offers unlimited contacts on all plans, which is ideal for growing businesses. Its segmentation and predictive sending features help you target the right audience at the best times.
If you want more information, feel free to read our Brevo review.
3. HubSpot
HubSpot is one of the most affordable and diverse marketing automation tools, making it into our top three. We made a HubSpot account for this roundup and went through all the features, which you can see in our HubSpot review.
With HubSpot, you can send automated emails after someone fills out a pop-up or embedded form, which helps you start nurturing leads right away. You can also segment your contacts and personalize your emails to ensure they reach the right people.
Starting at $15 per user per month, you can get up to 1,000 marketing contacts to kickstart your campaigns.
One drawback is that HubSpot only allows 10 automated actions in its lower-tier plans, which might be enough initially but limiting as you grow. To access more, you need to upgrade to the Marketing Hub Professional plan.
Pros of HubSpot:
- 1,000 marketing contacts, offering plenty of room to grow.
- The email tool syncs with CRM contacts for seamless data integration.
- Automation features for nurturing leads via email and engaging users who submitted their information using a form.
Cons of HubSpot:
- Only 10 automated actions in lower-tier plans, with a high price jump to the next higher-level plan.
Pricing: HubSpot offers a free plan to get started. The Marketing Hub Starter plan costs $15 per user per month. For more marketing contacts and unlimited automated actions, you can opt for the Marketing Hub Professional plan at $800 per month.
Why chose HubSpot: We chose HubSpot for its affordability and versatility. With robust automation features and seamless CRM integration, it provides powerful tools for building customer relationships.
You can read our HubSpot review for more details.
4. Drip
Drip is one of the best email automation tools on the market due to its advanced feature set. It goes beyond just addressing the recipient by name, as it uses liquid tags to personalize emails based on specific behavior, location, or other attributes.
That’s one of the biggest reasons why we switched from Mailchimp to Drip at WPBeginner, as it allowed us to send more customized content to our valued readers.
One thing to consider is that Drip is more expensive than other solutions, starting at $39 per month for 2,500 subscribers. However, we think it’s worth it for businesses looking for more powerful features.
Pros of Drip:
- Smart segmentation can automatically segment your audience.
- Liquid tags allow you to create dynamic content based on various attributes.
- Drip syncs all product data from your WooCommerce store so you can make product recommendations or send upsell emails.
Cons of Drip:
- Can be more expensive compared to other solutions on the list.
Pricing: Drip starts at $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, with pricing increasing as your subscriber count grows. You can also use our Drip coupon code to get a 14-day free trial.
Why chose Drip: We chose Drip for its advanced personalization features that make email content dynamic and highly relevant. Its smart segmentation makes it an excellent choice for businesses seeking powerful automation tools.
5. Groove
If you need a collaborative email platform with powerful automation features, then Groove is a top choice. We use Groove across our partner companies to efficiently handle support emails from our customers.
For more details, see our extensive Groove review.
Groove’s AI features make it a standout for businesses. With Instant Replies, you can turn a specific response into a reusable, automated one with a few clicks. Plus, the automation templates make it easy to route, categorize, and organize customer conversations.
Keep in mind that Groove is designed for customer service emails, not marketing. It doesn’t have email marketing templates or a drag-and-drop email builder.
Pros of Groove:
- Instant replies to save time on repetitive questions.
- Over 50 automation templates to streamline processes.
- Collision detection to avoid double replies and ensure smooth team communication.
Cons of Groove:
- No feature for email marketing templates or a drag-and-drop email marketing builder.
Pricing: Groove’s pricing ranges from $16 to $56 per user per month. A free 7-day trial is available without requiring a credit card, allowing you to try it out before committing.
Why we chose Groove: We chose Groove because its AI and automation features save a lot of time on repetitive emails. This makes Groove ideal for small businesses wanting to improve their customer support.
Learn more about this email service in our Groove review.
6. FunnelKit Automations
If you use WooCommerce and want to boost your store’s performance with emails, then FunnelKit Automations is for you. We’ve tested it across a bunch of WooCommerce stores – just read our FunnelKit review for more details.
What we like about this tool is that you can run automated email campaigns right inside WordPress.
Here, you can easily import pre-built sequences for abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase follow-ups, win-back campaigns, and lead nurturing. All emails are pre-written and customizable with the visual builder. Plus, you can also create audiences based on items bought or average order value.
One downside is that setup can be more complicated because you may have to use an SMTP service to ensure email deliverability. FunnelKit also doesn’t recommend using Gmail or Outlook as email service providers, so you may have to switch to a different one.
Pros of FunnelKit:
- Integrates with WordPress, WooCommerce, and popular tools like WPForms and Slack.
- Comes with many email sequence templates, from abandoned cart recovery to welcome sequences and newsletters.
- The visual builder makes it easy to customize your automation to your exact preferences.
Cons of FunnelKit:
- Setup can be more complicated compared to other options.
Pricing: Starts at $99.50 per year for FunnelKit Automations alone and $249.50 per year for FunnelKit Automations and FunnelKit Funnel Builder. The second includes a sales funnel builder to optimize your website for more conversions.
Why we chose FunnelKit Automations: We chose FunnelKit Automations for its seamless integration with WordPress and WooCommerce. Plus, it offers many email templates and a visual builder for creating effective campaigns, even if you have no experience.
Get more information about the platform in our FunnelKit Automations review.
7. Omnisend
Omnisend is arguably the best eCommerce marketing automation tool around. We signed up for an account and tried out all the features, which you can learn about in our Omnisend review.
It helps you improve targeting, drive sales on autopilot, and remain consistent with your brand messaging. Plus, it works across many channels, from emails and SMS to web push notifications.
One unique feature that we don’t see elsewhere is the smart campaign booster feature. It automatically resends your email campaigns that haven’t been opened or clicked. That allows you to reach subscribers who missed out on the opportunity the first time easily.
However, Omnisend has a limited number of contacts. Even the highest plan only allows up to 2,500 contacts, whereas alternatives like Brevo offer more contacts at a lower price.
Pros of Omnisend:
- Campaign Booster helps boost engagement by automatically sending the same message to people who haven’t opened it.
- Pre-built workflows for email communication with customers and re-engaging them to make a purchase.
- Unlimited custom events to assign as triggers for email workflows.
Cons of Omnisend:
- Limited number of contacts compared to other options on the list.
Pricing: Omnisend is free to start for up to 250 contacts. The paid plans range from $16 to $59 per month.
Why we chose Omnisend: We chose Omnisend for its smart campaign booster and strong multi-channel capabilities. Its pre-built workflows will make it easy for eCommerce businesses to automate and improve their marketing.
If you want to learn more, head to our Omnisend review for more details.
8. AWeber
AWeber is an email marketing service that covers all the essential features you need to send automated campaigns and email blasts. We’ve experimented a lot with AWeber, and we’ve written about it in our AWeber review.
What we enjoyed about AWeber is its behavioral automation, making it easy to track and engage your most active subscribers.
For example, you can trigger special campaigns based on email opens and link clicks. This lets you send targeted content to those who interact with your messages.
One downside is that the user interface feels a bit outdated and clunky. However, AWeber does have a Canva integration to make designing easier.
Pros of AWeber:
- Behavioral automation to engage with subscribers based on their actions.
- Email tagging lets you categorize your subscribers into different segments based on their interactions.
- Design email templates in Canva without leaving AWeber.
Cons of AWeber:
- The software has an outdated interface that feels clunky.
Pricing: You can get started for free. Paid plans start from $12.50 per month to $899 per month.
You can also use our AWeber coupon code to get 33% off of your purchase.
Why we chose AWeber: If you like using Canva to design emails, then AWeber is a great choice. Its behavioral automation and email tagging can help you create highly targeted and engaging campaigns.
9. MailerLite
MailerLite is one of the most beginner-friendly email marketing services available. We did a deep dive into its email marketing features, which you can see in our MailerLite review.
The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create emails using pre-built design blocks or dynamic content blocks for personalization.
You can build automated workflows to reach the right people at the right time. For advanced functionality, MailerLite offers multi-trigger automation, allowing up to three triggers in one automation, which creates multiple entry points.
However, live chat support is only available for Advanced plan users, which can be a downside for people on lower-tier plans.
Pros of MailerLite:
- The drag-and-drop block editor with dynamic content blocks makes email creation easy and personalized.
- Built-in email verification tool to clean and optimize your list.
- Multivariate testing allows you to test up to 8 variations of the same campaign to see what works best.
Cons of MailerLite:
- Live chat support is only available for Advanced plan users.
Pricing: MailerLite is free to start for up to 12,000 monthly emails. Paid plans range from $9 to $18 per month, offering unlimited monthly emails.
Why we chose MailerLite: We chose MailerLite for its user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, dynamic content blocks, and multivariate testing. These features make it ideal for beginners looking to create effective email marketing campaigns with ease.
10. ConvertKit
With ConvertKit, there’s no need to build a new email list for each project launch or sale. It offers segments and unique tags to group subscribers based on custom form fields, location, or other tags. This way, you can easily manage and target specific audiences.
ConvertKit also has a lead-scoring capability to assess the quality of your leads. For example, if a customer doesn’t open your last five emails, then you can deduct points. If they visit your pricing page or click a link, you can add points. This helps you focus on your most engaged leads.
However, we found its analytics to be limiting. Detailed analytics like open and click rates are only available in the highest-tier Creator Pro plan.
Pros of ConvertKit:
- Lead-scoring capability to identify and engage your most active leads.
- Group subscribers automatically using custom form fields, making segmentation easy.
- Unlimited landing pages, opt-in forms, and email broadcasts in all plans.
Cons of ConvertKit:
- Helpful analytics are only available for higher-tier users.
Pricing: ConvertKit is free to start for up to 10,000 subscribers. Paid plans range from $25 to $50 per month, with pricing increasing as you get more subscribers.
You can also use our ConvertKit coupon to get a discount.
Why we chose ConvertKit: If you’re a content creator or an online business owner, then ConvertKit’s features can help you effectively manage and engage your subscribers.
11. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign comes with an automation builder and map, which we found to be easy to use. To initiate events, simply assign triggers (conditions) and actions. This visual overview makes it easy to manage and optimize your automation workflows.
ActiveCampaign also offers conditional content, which lets you personalize email sections based on specific attributes. This means you can target messages to the right people, like showing event details only to local subscribers or tailoring content by sales stage.
One thing to consider is that ActiveCampaign has no refund policy, so make sure to use the 14-day trial to see if it suits your needs.
Pros of ActiveCampaign:
- Easy-to-use automation builder with various triggers, such as actions related to eCommerce, emails, and sales.
- Conditional content to personalize emails based on specific attributes.
- AI content generation tool to save time writing emails.
Cons of ActiveCampaign:
- No refund policy, so try the free trial before committing.
Pricing: Pricing ranges from $15 to $145 per month, with a 14-day free trial available.
Why we chose ActiveCampaign: We like how ActiveCampaign strikes a good balance between ease of use and advanced personalization features. This makes it great for businesses of all sizes.
Looking for tools similar to ActiveCampaign? Check out our list of the best ActiveCampaign alternatives.
12. GetResponse
GetResponse comes with template autoresponders, allowing you to use proven workflows like welcome series, post-purchase, abandoned cart, webinars, events, and sales promotions. These workflow templates save you time by removing the need to tinker with sequences.
You can also set up A/B tests to experiment with different subject lines and email content. Simply create two versions of your email, and GetResponse will test both to see which one performs best.
One downside is that not all automation templates are available in all plans. Higher-tier plans have exclusive features like drip campaigns.
Pros of GetResponse:
- Wide range of automated email templates, from follow-ups to post-purchase emails.
- Besides emails, you can create lead magnets, opt-in forms, sales pages, and webinar funnels.
- Google Analytics integration for tracking campaign performance.
Cons of GetResponse:
- Some automation templates are only available in higher-tier plans.
Pricing: GetResponse offers a free plan. Paid plans start at $13.20 per month and go up to $82.90 per month.
Why we chose GetResponse: We chose GetResponse for its variety of email templates and easy A/B testing. It’s perfect for businesses wanting to simplify their email marketing and improve performance with minimal effort.
13. EngageBay
EngageBay is an all-in-one automation platform that integrates sales, marketing, and support team operations into a single platform.
It offers a variety of tools like template builders, email workflows, and marketing automation. Its email autoresponder allows users to pull information from their built-in CRM, so you can send more personalized messages based on previous interactions with your business.
If you want to use EngageBay, we recommend opting for the two higher-tier plans, as the free and lower-tier options don’t include automation features.
Pros of EngageBay:
- All-in-one CRM and email automation tool that eliminates the need to pay for these features separately.
- Email automation syncs with CRM to ensure a seamless customer journey.
- Predictive lead scoring to find and engage qualified leads.
Cons of EngageBay:
- Automation features are only available in higher-tier plans.
Pricing: EngageBay offers a free plan for up to 250 contacts. The paid plans start from $12.74 to $101.99 per user per month.
Why we chose EngageBay: EngageBay’s all-in-one solution is great for businesses that want to streamline operations and manage everything from one platform.
14. Moosend
Moosend is one of the most affordable email marketing services, making it perfect for businesses on a tight budget.
When testing Moosend, one feature that stood out was its ability to show how many people on each list bounced off your email. This helps you clean your list to boost open rates and improve your sender score.
One thing you should consider is that transactional emails, like order confirmations and shipping notifications, are only included in the Enterprise plan. This means if you run a business site but can only use the Pro version, you cannot send these transactional emails.
Pros of Moosend:
- Free 30-day trial and affordable pricing, including pre-built automation templates and an automation workflow designer.
- List optimization to improve email deliverability.
- Email heatmap analytics to see how users interact with your emails.
Cons of Moosend:
- Transactional emails are not available in non-Enterprise plans.
Pricing: Moosend offers a 30-day free trial. The Pro plan starts at $7 per month for up to 500 contacts, with Moosend+ (Pro with add-ons) and Enterprise plans available at custom pricing.
Why we chose Moosend: Moosend’s affordability and comprehensive features make it ideal for businesses on a budget. Its list optimization and email heatmap analytics are also great for improving email performance.
Bonus: OptinMonster
An email automation strategy wouldn’t be complete without a tool to bring in leads. For this, we recommend OptinMonster.
OptinMonster is the best lead-generation WordPress plugin, helping you automatically collect and segment email addresses. It’s what we use to increase our email subscribers by 600%. You can segment new subscribers based on attributes like cookies, user activity, location, and more.
It offers a visual builder to create high-converting opt-in forms, along with exit-intent technology. This prevents visitors from leaving your site without taking action by showing a targeted campaign just before they leave.
To learn more, check out our OptinMonster review.
Pros of OptinMonster:
- Create spin-to-win coupon wheels to boost engagement.
- Integrates with all the popular email marketing software.
- You can A/B test various opt-in campaigns to maximize conversions.
Cons of OptinMonster:
- No free version is available.
Pricing: OptinMonster ranges from $9.97 per month to $49.97 per month. All plans include unlimited campaigns, unlimited subscribers, and no transaction fees.
Why we chose OptinMonster: OptinMonster’s ease of use and powerful targeting and segmentation features are ideal for businesses looking to maximize conversions and build their email list efficiently.
Bonus: WP Mail SMTP
Here’s the thing: By default, WordPress sends email through the PHP mail function, which often causes your messages to go to spam. This is because PHP mail lacks proper authentication, leading to deliverability issues.
WP Mail SMTP is the best SMTP plugin for WordPress users. Essentially, it is ideal for people who want to make sure that their emails land in users’ inboxes and not in the spam folder.
We use WP Mail SMTP across our websites, so check out our complete WP Mail SMTP review for more details.
It uses an SMTP server to properly authenticate the sender, improving email deliverability and ensuring your messages are seen.
For more details, you can see our guide on how to fix the WordPress not sending email issue.
Pros of WP Mail SMTP:
- Integrates with many email marketing services like Brevo and SendLayer.
- Offers open-and-click tracking to see which recipients opened your emails.
- Smart email routing lets you send emails through different providers based on factors like message and subject.
Cons of WP Mail SMTP:
Pricing: A free version is available. The Pro version starts at $49 per year and goes up to $399 per year, with higher plans allowing use on more sites.
Why we chose WP Mail SMTP: WP Mail SMTP is essential for any small business with a WordPress site. It ensures all your important emails, like password resets or shipping notifications, reach your users’ inboxes.
What Is the Best Email Automation Tool for Small Businesses?
If you’re looking for the best all-around email marketing automation tool, then Constant Contact is our top recommendation.
Trusted by over 600,000 businesses, it’s user-friendly and perfect for beginners. With hundreds of customizable templates and easy audience segmentation, it helps with list-building and automating campaigns. That said, it doesn’t offer unlimited sends.
For people needing unlimited contacts from the start, Brevo is an excellent choice. Ideal for growing businesses, it offers segmentation and predictive sending capabilities. These features allow you to target your audience effectively. Note that multi-user access is only available in higher-tier plans.
HubSpot is another great fit. Starting at $15 per user per month, it provides powerful email automation, segmentation, and CRM integration. While lower-tier plans limit automated actions, upgrading unlocks more advanced features.
Frequently Asked Questions About Email Automation
Now that you know the best email automation tools, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about email automation:
How do I set up automated email for my business?
All you need is automated email software like Constant Contact or Brevo. From there, you can add your email list, build workflows, and craft your messages. The tool will send bulk messages based on the conditions you’ve set.
What is the difference between email automation and autoresponder?
Email automation is a broad term that relates to any task related to emails, such as sending cold outreach, customer responses, or inbound messages. Autoresponders are automated emails triggered by a specific event, like a customer opting into your email list or making a purchase.
How much does an automated email system cost?
The price varies depending on the software’s feature set. That said, you can expect to pay under $100 for 5,000 email contacts or less. For lists that are 10,000 or more, expect to pay a few hundred dollars.
Ultimate Guides to Email Marketing
We hope this article helped you find the best email automation tool for your small business. You may also want to check out our list of tested and easy ways to grow your email list faster or our comprehensive guide on how to build an email list in WordPress.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
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